Hampering Corona Volume Two (Serial 6): No Need to Panic, Stay Productive During Emergency PPKM

JAKARTA – The government has officially enacted the Implementation of Emergency Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) from 3-20 July 2021. This Emergency PPKM regulation is expected to suppress the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia.

However, this Emergency PPKM policy is considered to have a negative impact on Indonesia’s economic activities which are trying to recover. Not only that, a number of business actors were forced to tighten their belts again amid the tight social restrictions.

However, in order to prevent positive cases of COVID-19 from rising, we must comply with the Emergency PPKM rules. With the enactment of Emergency PPKM, many offices have implemented a policy to work from home (WFH).

Teaching and learning activities that were planned to be implemented face-to-face have now also had to be postponed, considering that the Delta variant of COVID-19 is now increasingly spreading. In fact, the Delta variant is said to be related to the exposure of children and toddlers to COVID-19.

For those of you who are often active and have activities outside the home, of course the Emergency PPKM policy will feel a little torturous. The things that are often complained about include boredom, fatigue, and loneliness because they can’t meet other people.

However, you should endure the boredom. The reason is, not everyone has a dream to still be able to work from home.

So that you don’t feel bored and lonely at home, you can do the following things.

1. Watching Movies

Ilustrasi Netflix sudah bisa diakses di layanan Telkom seperti Telkomsel dan indiHome / Pinterest

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic starting last year, many digital streaming services are now providing a variety of entertainment for us to watch during this Emergency PPKM. This can certainly be your entertainment for those who like to watch movies in theaters.

There are various affordable movie streaming services that you can access. You can use Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, Mubi and so on. There are diverse types of film genres presented by the streaming service which of course will not run out for you to explore during this Emergency PPKM.

2. Cleaning the House

Cara membersihkan dan mendisinfeksi rumah untuk cegah virus berbahaya/freepik.com

When Emergency PPKM is implemented, of course you are more often at home. Therefore, it is important to prepare your home as clean and tidy as possible so as not to interfere with your productivity.

Cleaning the house also helps improve your health. Try to clean the dust, eradicate mites and molds that pile up in the corners of the house.

You can also wash your sheets, carpets and blankets. If your house is clean, smells good and tidy, of course you will not get stressed easily, easily find what you are looking for, and improve your health, especially the health of the respiratory system because there is no dust cumulation.

3. Learning New Languages

For those who are very competitive at heart and feel less challenged during this Emergency PPKM period, you can also learn languages online. You can use free applications such as Duolingo which can help you live productively during the Emergency PPKM period, as well as improve your skills.

You can also try other skills like knowing the basics of sign language. This is because sign language is a valuable skill to have.

4. Starting the Reading Challenge

Toko buku Kinokuniya Plaza Senayan resmi tutup / Plaza-senayan.com

If you’re the type of person who is driven to progress using set goals, reading challenges are a great way to increase the number of books you read.

You can use the Goodreads app, which allows users to set and track reading targets for the year. Plus, Goodreads also lets you connect with like-minded book fans for recommendations for the next book to read.

5. Joining a Virtual Book Club

Want to chat about the book you just read? You can join a virtual book club that is now widely available. Through a virtual book club, you can get together to chat and get more book recommendations. This is a great way to keep in touch with friends or meet new friends who share similar hobbies.

6. Exercise at Home

Warga berolahraga di area lingkar luar Stadion Utama Gelora Bung Karno (SUGBK), Jakarta, Kamis, 16 Juli 2020 dengan tetap menggunakan masker. Foto: Ismail Pohan/TrenAsia

Even though you are more active at home every day, physical activity such as exercise is needed by your body.

Therefore, exercise is very much important while staying at home. You can find all kinds of workout tutorial at home through YouTube. If you are a member of a gym, you can also check if the gym provides online class for the members.

If you are trying to relieve stress while staying healthy from home, you will be glad to know that many yoga studios offer online classes to follow. Many studios still carry out paid classes, however you can also find free online classes such as those found in YouTube.

7. Visiting Museum

If you are bored doing ordinary activities, you can try this activity. When Emergency PPKM was implemented, you are obviously unable to visit museums. However, you can still visit museums online.

You can take a tour of the museum by visiting artsandculture.google.com. You can explore different historical buildings through the site with its own distinguish architecture style which influence the design.

8. Visiting Haunted House

If watching horror movies is not scary enough for you, now you can take an online tour to haunted house. Now there many virtual tours, one of which is visiting a house that was once used as a story in a horror movie. The house is the Winchester Mystery House.

The Winchester Mystery House is a house built by Sarah Winchester, who received instructions from her late husband to continue building the house as long as she lived. The house has an odd architecture and seems like a maze.

9. Learn to Cook

The COVID-19 outbreak has taught us to live a balanced and healthy life. One of the ways is to regulate the daily food that we consume.

With the implementation of the Emergency PPKM which forced you to stay home more often, you can learn to cook to find out many ways of processing food to fulfil the nutrients needed by your body.

Understanding nutrition and how food affects your body, health, and mood will help you with better decision for you overall well-being and even better use for your current diet.

10. Learning New Skills

The Emergency PPKM can also be used to obtain new skills, such as how to code. If you have been wanting to learn it and have no time to explore it, times like these is worthwhile. You can also take free programming course through Codeacademy. (SKO)

This article is the last in a series of special reports entitled “Hampering Corona Volume Two.”

Writer: Justina Nur Landhiani
Editor: Sukirno