Checking into quarantine is not an experience many look forward to. Often, quarantine can be exhausting, and we may feel drained, overwhelmed or anxious being away from our loved ones.
Dr Quratulain Zaidi shares how new activities and having fun may actually boost productivity, making quarantine just a bit more bearable.
Having fun during quarantine
“There are many biological benefits [to having fun] – it increases our serotonin, which regulates many things, especially memory and mood and sleep, and it decreases cortisol,” says Dr Quratulain Zaidi, a registered clinical psychologist in Hong Kong.
“We underestimate it because we are so focused on productivity and having fun is seen as a waste of time. I hear this not only from highly driven students but also adults, especially women. A lot of women don’t give themselves permission to let go and have fun. They ask, ‘What is it that I’m achieving?’” she says.
Why have fun?
As adults, many of us think that having fun means taking part in structured activities, but that doesn’t have to be the case.
The best fun is often spontaneous without any set goals; it’s just about being engaged in the moment. For some people that might be playing Wordle, for someone else it might be belly-dancing. It doesn’t have to be something you’re good at. It can be even more fun if you’re not good at it because you won’t take yourself too seriously. Go with what feels right for you – and do it just for fun.
Read the full SCMP article here.
