As schools and colleges are still closed due to the continuing tremors, you must have a lot of free time on your hands. Apart from surfing the Internet and updating yourself on news regarding the earthquake, what have you been doing? Many young people are still busy volunteering with the relief and recovery efforts. But for those of you who are back home from volunteering or the ones who are just sitting idly at home, we have compiled a list of things you can do to refresh yourself.Study
Your exams may be postponed but it's still going to happen eventually. You have so much free time right now, it's best you start hitting your course books. Use this time to catch up on or revise your lessons. Practise your Math sums. Memorize your Chemistry formulae. Learn how to write a good essay. Take some time off each morning to sit down with your books. Your parents will be pleasantly surprised and you will not have to rush in the last couple of weeks before the exams.
Exercise
Exercising is the last thing on your mind right now. We get that. But it's a better and healthier option than lazying around the house waiting on tenterhooks for the next tremor. Look up simple exercises you can do at home. Go for walks. Try skipping. Ask your parents to teach you a few Yoga moves. Use this time to tone up.
Help around the house
Don't wait for your mother to ask you to wash the dishes. In these unpredictable times, we have to stick together and help each other out. Lessen your parents' burdens by helping with chores around the house. If you don't like to cook, there are other things you can still do, such as, watering the flower pots, taking the dog for a walk, cleaning the living room, washing dishes after meals, etc.
Tutor the neighborhood children
Why don't tutor your neighbors' children? You must be at a loss to fill in your time productively, so this is a great idea. You can either ask for a nominal payment or do it for free. But if you start giving them informal lessons a couple of hours each day, it will benefit everyone. The children need to devote some time to their studies and when you take them together, this will ease their parents minds.
Form a youth club in your locality
If you don't already have a youth club in your locality, this is the time to start one. Get a few friends together and form one. The club should not just be a space where you gather and talk. Discuss ways you can help the neighborhood. Have interactive sessions to exchange ideas and develop projects. Maybe you can start a no litter campaign in your neighborhood. You could also use this time to meet with the locals and teach them what to do when the earthquake occurs.
Read up on the topic that has interested you for a long time
This free time is perfect to start researching on that topic you've always wanted to know more about. It could be the history of the Durbar Squares that have suffered greatly in this earthquake. You can learn all about your favorite writer or a particular time in history that has fascinated you. In the past, you were busy with studies or work or socializing with friends. Now you have free time to feed your interest and broaden your knowledge.
Take care of scared family members
The most important thing you can do today is talk to your family. Do not take their fears lightly. Doctors advise that you sit down and address their concerns. Ask them to share their experiences and speak about why they are scared. Is it your grandparent who can't sleep at night? Is it your parents who don't want to let you out of their sight? What about your younger siblings who are plagued by nightmares? Reassure them that you're always there for them. Let them talk about their fears as it will lessen their anxieties.
Related story
Schools reopen but teachers yet to return from vacation
