Treat Yourself to a Technical Update
Times are tough. Unemployment is off the charts; schools cannot decide how to open safely or whether to open at all; We did so badly to prevent the second wave of COVID-19 that we are still driving the first . And many of us who are fortunate enough to still work go crazy about working from home and being content with technical settings that may not be ideal.
While I wouldn’t recommend expanding your budget to a new $ 2,000 laptop right now (unless you really need a new one), it can be beneficial for your mental health to afford at least one sensible upgrade to help you fix a chronic technical problem – especially if you may learn something new along the way.
It’s easy to say no to your wishlist
I know that when I am concerned about money, I tend to squat. My gourmet Taco Bell dinners have turned into regular homemade turkey sandwiches. My afternoon booze turns into weekend booze (with simpler soda and booze combinations). All of the items I’ve tried to buy from the various wishlists go back to out of sight, out of sight territory.
Many people now worry about the future, and for good reason. They may have a job at the moment, but they fear that they may lose it at any moment. They may be stuck in a life situation that threatens their mental health – for example, they have to comply with quarantine rules in a house full of roommates. Or maybe their lives are otherwise great, but the simple fact that we’re all in a pandemic that shows no signs of ending is stressful enough for them in and of themselves. I’ll understand you there, yes.
You do not need to open a bank account for an upgrade
But when I say “upgrade” I don’t mean “a new kind of car” – if you are not loaded, which is how you relieve stress. For everyone else, a suitable upgrade can be inexpensive and small. You can do more or less to fit your personal budget and circumstances, but if you have the funds, you shouldn’t arbitrarily stop yourself from buying something on your wishlist because the pandemic has put you in a bad psychological position. …
As a fan, I recently used my “I have to update something to improve my mood and finally complete the project” approach to justify buying a secondary rearview camera for my car. I didn’t spend like crazy – $ 33 plus the cost of a few small tools – but this project got me many hours to work. And this is what I teach myself to install and connect, instead of paying to have someone do it for me.
Combine the purchase with the project
If you want the “upgrade” to seem well deserved, combine it with the project: choose something you want to buy and learn how to do it. That doesn’t mean that you won’t get the joy of, say, buying a Nintendo Switch stand or a new set of plates. But an item that allows you to master a new trick – even if it’s a simple home renovation, or pulling an Ethernet cable between two points in your apartment to install a new access point, or getting a drill bit and figuring out how to use it. Tidying the bathroom deep will seem more rewarding and less prone to impulsive spending.
In other words, you are less likely to go shopping with guilt to ease your anxiety; you will acquire what you need to start the project that you intend to do. And once you’re done with that project, you have a new toy, a task you don’t have to list, and a wicked sense of accomplishment that should last at least a week – or however much you use what you just did.
Seriously. Hang up shelves you’ve never installed. Learn how to frame an image. Change the lighting in a room that is always a little dim. Buy a Raspberry Pi and automate your home. Or ignore everything I said and get the Lego set you’ve got your eye on for the past two years. It’s okay .
I’m a big proponent of project-based updates, but I want you to be happy too. If it requires ordering an art print that you want to match, or even a sweatshirt that you really like, go for it. Allow yourself to be happy. Allow yourself to be renewed because you deserve it. And maybe when we are all back to normal – someday – you can celebrate by picking up the second thing on your wishlist. (Hope it’s cake.)
What big update did you make during the quarantine? I’d love to hear about it (and talk about it in a future post). Let me know in the comments and I’d love to share my other wild quarantine adventure: learning how to make my own Ethernet cables.