We're all guilty of it at the moment. It's so easy to fall into a routine or to just let the entertainment keep coming.
To be fair, it might not all be about TV. Your own 'looping' habit may not be Netflix; it could be a favourite podcast running on repeat, a favourite TV channel on in the background throughout the day, or for those with younger kids, it might be that favourite movie or TV show playing on repeat, all day, every day, for ever and ever and...
Anyway, the simple truth is that without any clear idea of where we'll all be this time next month we can't help grasping for anything that feels consistent, anything that we can have at least a little control over.
Some habits will be better for you than others but the tricky thing is that if they become too habitual you're in danger of boredom.
The whole Fun Junction team are going through the same thing during this latest lockdown so we thought we'd share a few things that have helped us break out of the rut and enjoy the time we have off.
Puzzles to take you back
We've been on the puzzles a lot more now than we have been in years. Many staff have grown children and hadn't done a jigsaw in years before the first lockdown. Now it's become a bit of a habit.
Even those of us who have younger families have been enjoying a wee bit of time off the screens (after all the home-schooling and working from home it's nice to give your eyes something different to do). A brilliant bonding experience, or simply a way to escape and relax. Scenes with bustle and a bit of 'normal life' (like this lovely retro Toy Shop puzzle from Falcon) have been particular favourites.
You can find our full selection of puzzles by clicking this link (if you need to sort by age there's a handy new sorting tool we just added to the page).
Get together and Game
Whether you're looking for engagement in your own 'bubble' or if you've got some time to fill by yourself there's either a fun group activity like University Games' 'Are You Dumber Than A Box Of Rocks?'; a quiz game where you pit your wits against, well a box of rocks.
Shake the box and see whether the box has the right answer to the multiple choice general knowledge question, then comes the embarrassing bit; did you get the answer right or are you dumber than a box of rocks?
We've got tons of games for all ages, pop over to our game section to see them.
Is a solo game more your 'speed'?
Alternatively, if you just want to kick back and play a game to yourself. Sometimes called 'Logic Puzzles' and sometimes called 'Solitaire Games'; these sorts of games give you various levels of challenge in fun and interesting ways.
One absolute classic of a logic puzzle is Thinkfun's 'Rush Hour'; help the car escape the traffic jam (if you can still remember what they are) by moving the other cars back and forward. Sounds easy, and for the first few levels it is, but as you move through the prompted setups you'll find a full on brain tickling challenge waiting for you.
We have a great selection of solo games/logic puzzles for you to enjoy (many by logic puzzle masters Thinkfun). Pop on over to our logic puzzle section to see our selection.
Escape into Another World!
We know many people are already getting into reading as a form of lockdown escape but a children's book can be a whole different type of escape. Whether you read it out loud with loved ones and hare the adventure, or let yourself disappear into that other world, a kids' book can be a great wee solution to lockdown blues.
We stock a wide selection of books at Fun Junction and we're adding more titles to our website all the time. The book pictured is called 'Jack Reusen and the Fey Flame' and is set in a town modelled on Crieff (where one of our own shops is).
You'll find loads of books over in our book section, just click the link for a cascade of other worlds to explore.
Stay Healthy
We know it's tough right now and we hope you're coping OK with lockdown. We hope you find some of our hints helpful to divert your mind for a short time.
Here's hoping things get back to normal soon. We miss seeing you in our shops and we'd love to hear from you over on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
All the best,
the Fun Junction Team