ZAPP Away a Boring Day!

By Pranav Sukhija

Photo credit - Sameer Reddy

Imagine yourself in the following situation : You have planned a get together with your friends after a long time and you are really excited to meet them. You get dressed in your latest attire (or maybe not), and just minutes before leaving, a friend calls to tell you that the meet-up has been called off because of some random reason. You argue that it’s no reason to cancel the meet-up and that it warrants at most an hour’s delay. Alas! it doesn’t work out. You are really mad. You’re all dressed up so you want to go out one way or another. You call up some other friend with whom you can meet but he doesn’t answer your calls which leaves you fuming! (Why does this happen all the time?). You decide to go out on your own. No sooner do you head out than the heavens open up. It’s raining like there’s no tomorrow and you have no choice but to stay home. (Now THIS doesn’t always happen, but still, just for the effect!). How would you feel if you were faced with this situation? Angry, lousy, disgusted, frustrated are just a few adjectives I can use to describe your potential state of mind. What you probably need is a little ZAPP! So here are some of my tips (and I am not sharing all of ‘em!) to add zest to your boring day and make you completely upbeat and rejuvenated.

1. Your room is in a mess. (And I don’t need to enter to confirm.) How about doing something about it? Take out that old box of colours and your school time art book and get creative! If you don’t draw or paint, do some paper folding and make interesting things. Let Origami save your day. Or you can make a collage out of old pictures or simply tear off a magazine or greeting cards. There are two framed collages (Amazing, they are man!)  in my room and they never fail to elicit admiration and wonder. Besides you can also rearrange the furniture in your room and give it a complete new look. Doing one’s room is a fun activity and I think you would love it too, provided you are ready to make an effort.

2. So obviously your plans of eating out have turned awry. Why don’t you don the chef’s hat for once? Cook an entire meal and let everybody at home devour it. The aroma of the spices, the warmth of cooked vegetables. The perfect texture, the delectable, luscious flavours… You might not be an expert cook but I am sure you’d be appreciated for doing something different. Hit youtube or some website dedicated to novices featuring easy to cook food. And for God’s sake DON’T make Maggi!

3. All right. You ain’t no cook. You’re no artist either. But whoever doesn’t like music! Play out your favourite songs and shake a leg! Dance, sing aloud and enjoy your own company. This one is perfect for those of us who are slightly (or extremely) reluctant about dancing or singing in public. (Or those of us who can practice dancing before the party next weekend!)

4. Alright you’re too shy to dance or sing aloud even in the company of yourself. (How could you be that way? How?) Do what most people love doing - reading an un-put-down-able, riveting novel. Just imagine yourself sitting in your balcony, with a hot cuppa coffee on a table nearby and a kick-ass novel in your hand (Don’t forget it is still raining). Sheer bliss, I tell you! 

5. If books don’t interest you that much, which is rather sad (there are big, salty tears in my eyes), you can even go online and check out some new stuff. Carry out the ultimate vanity test - search your name on Google! (I do it all the time and I search my friend’s names too!) It is so heartening to see your name and your work acknowledged on the web (or it could just be your facebook profile). You can even check out sites like bored.com (sounds funny!) which has various stress-relieving games and applications. Or you can open your good old facebook profile and stalk your friend’s hot friends, who aren’t your friends (don’t we all do it?)! Or you can complain about your spoilsport friends to some other friends (Who probably don’t care a damn about your drama!).

6. Call up an old school friend. I know it’s been ages since you guys spoke (and that person really needs to make some efforts to stay connected), but all said and done, you guys have spent glorious moments together. Nostalgia is a beautiful feeling, isn’t it?

7. My final tip. Do what I’d probably do if I were faced with this situation. Pen down all that’s on your mind. It could be your pensive moments or something funny. Let the emotions take control and communicate with your diary or your friends, if you too have a virtual space to write on. Writing helps you not only release all that’s inside, it’s also an exercise for self-discovery. So never be shy in articulating your feelings (let’s face it, if you won’t, who will?) 

I hope you enjoyed reading my tips. Apply them on a boring day and let me know if they worked for you. And if you have some interesting tips too then share them with me!

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Pranav Sukhija
Teacher of primary school children, counselor for many, perpetual thinker, voracious writer, avid (not greedy) reader, crazy dancer, joyful singer, wannabe guitarist, wannabe actor, wannabe chef, comfort food lover, nature lover, self-proclaimed photographer, ingenious explorer, Delhi boy who doesn't fulfill most of the assumed 'typical' Delhi boy qualities.

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