Having a Break or Being Imprisoned: Influence of Subjective Interpretations of Quarantine and Isolation on Boredom
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- (1)
- The non-bored:
- The profiteers, who interpreted quarantine as a relief, and
- The indifferent, who interpreted quarantine as irrelevant.
- (2)
- The bored:
- The proactive, who interpreted quarantine as a challenging restriction, and
- the resigned, who interpreted quarantine as an overwhelming restriction.
2. Theoretical Frame: An Interpretative Approach to Boredom under Quarantine
3. Method
3.1. Sampling and Recruiting: “Boredom Contrasts” as Guiding Principle
3.2. Participants
3.3. Data Collection: Semi-Structured Interviews
3.4. Data Analysis: Qualitative Content Analysis to Build a Typology
3.5. Ethics
3.6. Author Positionality and Reflexivity
4. Results: (Absence of) Boredom and Its Underlying Interpretation Patterns
4.1. The Non-Bored
- Assessed quarantine* positively (enjoyed it);
- Focused on gains;
- Felt accelerated or overworked before quarantine*;
- Interpreted quarantine* as a relief;
- not bored at all.
“If I’m completely honest, I enjoyed this time here at home, as a time to come to rest, because I had a very stressful time in the office before.”
- Assessed quarantine* neutrally;
- Focused on continuations, downplayed restrictions;
- Valued indoor activities that suited the situation;
- Interpreted quarantine* as irrelevant;
- Not bored at all.
4.1.1. “Finally, I can…”—The Profiteers: Quarantine* as a Relief
If I’m completely honest, I enjoyed this time here at home as a time to come to rest, because I had a very stressful time in the office before. So, for me, that was a positive time regarding rest and stress; that was actually good for me, yeah. So, I can’t say that I sat here and didn’t know what to do. I read a book, I started knitting (...) and then at some point, when we were feeling better, we got out board games and played.(Interviewee K)
In retrospect, I had an extra month of parental leave. I wouldn’t have had the time otherwise because normally I go to work at half past eight and am usually at home a quarter past six. (…) And no one can take away the time with my daughter from me now. So, for this purpose, in quotation marks, it was good for me.(Interviewee A)
You simply took more time for communication with each other than you do when you leave the house in the morning, go to work, and then come back in the evening and are tired and have to cook and have to go shopping. All these things were gone, the shopping was left at the door, you were not stressed, and you took more time for each other.(Interviewee F)
Before, when I drove to the office, I left at seven a.m. and came home sometime in the evening. The housekeeper took care of the dog, then massive stress at work. If you had enough time, you stuffed food inside yourself; if you had time, you drank something. If not, you didn’t. Here, it’s really different. I have a big coffee machine here; I always drink water in between; I value eating in peace and quiet. That didn’t exist before.(Interviewee D)
We also did things that we needed to do anyway on the weekend, and by doing this we might have created some space for later. (…) I mean things like painting the floor, painting the bathroom. All the things we [had] postponed for two years already, and then said “come on, we’re doing it now,” and we even have the time for doing it, and still all of us are healthy, and it’s not even vacation that is lost for it. I just say this now, right. Or a weekend that’s wasted. Instead, it’s a time when you normally should have been at work. It is quite a good feeling to be able to use the time for yourself.(Interviewee F)
4.1.2. “I Still Can…”—The Indifferent: Quarantine* as Irrelevant
The only thing that bothered us was the psychological strain: quarantine, what is still to come? What can we expect? Are we infected? This was the stress. Everything else continued as usual. We stayed at home. We did what we always do.(Interviewee M)
It did not limit me as much as others in my environment. Many of them were really limited because they weren’t able to drive out every day. Well, I really didn’t mind. It didn’t limit me in anything, except that I couldn’t do grocery shopping. But I don’t like that anyway.(Interviewee J)
This is because, generally, I’m alone quite often, even when I’m healthy. And I can deal very well with myself alone in my house.(Interviewee J)
It was felt in rudiments that I was too restless to listen to music. However, if I listened to music anyway, I noticed that I became calmer and that it fell off me a bit. So, I can really recommend to anyone to just try it. Sometimes you don’t feel like it, but I thought, music always helped me; it will help me now, too, and then it was like that.(Interviewee M)
4.2. The Bored
- Assessed quarantine* measures negatively;
- Focused on losses and opportunities;
- Perceived that they were responsible for shaping the situation;
- Interpreted quarantine* as a challenging restriction that could be endured with something;
- Experienced periods of severe boredom.
„So, you have to do– I think I have to do something to actively beat boredom, be it with thoughts or with actions, but I HAVE to do something.“
- Assessed quarantine* measures neutrally to negatively;
- Focused exclusively on losses;
- Perceived themselves as a victim of external circumstances;
- Interpreted quarantine* as an overwhelming restriction that they had no means to withstand;
- Felt severely and persistently bored (at least when external circumstances were difficult).
„…you’re fine, but you’re not allowed to go out, you’re not allowed to do anything. And then you just think, yes, what you COULD do, but you don’t really feel like doing anything.”
4.2.1. “Eventually, I’ll Find Something New”—The Proactive: Quarantine* as a Challenging Restriction
Nothing is the way it was. All the things; I went to demonstrations. I’m 63 now, almost 64. I’ve always been an active person. I went to dance school in spite of my wheel walker. I’ve always taken my music lessons. Once a week, I take classical singing lessons. I’ve always participated in public discussions. I did all that before. I CAN’T anymore. That’s ALL fallen away. There’s a big, big hole in my life.(Interviewee C)
I said once, I’ll never go alone again in the basement in the sense of I would somehow try to separate it differently spatially, because of this very lonely time there. ALL alone was really difficult.(Interviewee H)
Much more boring. The quarantine time is much more boring, yes. (...) But it has already gotten better. It’s not quite as bad anymore.(Interviewee C)
Actually, yes. Especially in the beginning, it was just extremely difficult.(Interviewee H)
So, you have to do—I think I have to do something to actively beat boredom, be it with thoughts or with actions, but I HAVE to do something. If you don’t do that—if I don’t do that, I sink into nirvana.(Interviewee C)
It [being bored] doesn’t have to stay that way if you work at it; I’m convinced of [it]. If I keep working on it and try to open doors, I can fill that hole again. But it takes time. I don’t think it’s an unchangeable situation; I don’t think that.(Interviewee C)
The television was on in the background all day. Yes, I think that was kind of the reason why I started checking social media more often when there was a hot topic on TV. Then you could ask on the social networks and see what other people thought about it. That’s how it started, yes... later, I just tried… I interviewed myself and asked myself, “what would you now recommend to someone else who is not doing so well?” (...) And then I was able to find answers here or there and to pick out the right thing. And then I forced myself to implement it.(Interviewee C)
Then we had the idea of playing games on Skype and so on, for example, Monopoly—I was in the basement rolling the dice. And the family executed the moves upstairs, so to speak, that I ordered from downstairs. That was… a lot of ideas were then there, later. Then the boredom was okay. I also then had a dartboard in the basement so that I could play darts in my free time and so on. So this was okay then.(Interviewee H)
4.2.2. “I Can’t Anymore…”—The Resigned: Quarantine* as an Overwhelming Restriction
Quarantine* as a Non-Shapeable Situation
Well, the first day, you have to deal with yourself; you’re really thinking about what happens now and so on and then I just noticed it’s not getting worse; I’m still fine and then actually you’re fine, but you’re not allowed to go out, you’re not allowed to do anything. And then you just think, yes, what you COULD do, but you don’t really feel like doing anything.(Interviewee I)
As I said, the [communication via WhatsApp] was just a “I’d like to come down now, will you go upstairs or to the garage?” or “dinner’s ready.” (...) As I said, you talked to people on the phone, but that’s not the same as doing something with someone in person.(Interviewee I)
We then went behind the house with them, but that is also not something you can entertain yourself with. Then you have thrown a ball two-three times, but otherwise you could do nothing there and as I said, if you are normally used to go out with them every day, in the morning an hour and a half and at noon half an hour, then there is simply something missing.(Interviewee I)
Reading and such, I normally do like very much, but simply could not concentrate duringn that time. That actually intensified my boredom very much because every activity, if you have done something for a while and you are completely alone, then it is no fun.(Interviewee I)
You get used to it […] I was just tired a lot and then I just lay down in bed, and at some point, I fell asleep and then you slept for an hour and a half and then another hour and a half passed.(Interviewee I)
No, I actually didn’t like anything at all. Except the last day, when you knew—when you got the call that tomorrow the quarantine is over.(Interviewee I)
It was April; weather was fine; the property behind the house is big. It was like a vacation at home. No, but it was okay. Weather was fine, we spent time outside. Overall, it was not too bad. Parents did the grocery shopping, we cooked nice food and drank coffee, whatever. So, it was really bearable, and you can’t change it anyway.(Interviewee E)
It was quite a bit more annoying, simply for the reason that my girlfriend did NOT have to go into quarantine with me, and, of course, I was happy for her. However, it is different when you see that your partner can just do whatever she wants, and you sit around feeling stupid. Also, the weather was not that nice anymore, and then I really had cabin fever.(Interviewee E)
Quarantine* as a Forced Restriction
They had already called me in the morning and told me that I should please stay at home and then also added the threat: “If we find out that you are not at home, there will be a fine of there will be a fine of 1000 euros.” The whole procedure was a bit—yes, I felt like a criminal.(Interviewee L)
A few days later, I was informed that I had been tested negative at my family doctor. Nevertheless, I had to stay in quarantine because the rapid test was positive. I must say that I didn’t understand that for a long time. I then voluntarily had another PCR test done by the doctor, and that was also negative, but it didn’t change anything.(Interviewee L)
And then I just realized–in retrospect, I think the quarantine period was so bad for me because it was ordered. I’ve noticed that now. Those first eleven days that I quarantined myself like that, they weren’t so bad. But this pressure, “You mustn’t;” it triggered me a lot, even up to crying fits.(Interviewee L)
[…] and then now comes the time when I was alone. […] You’re lonely, but you can’t use the time—so alone. You can’t use the time because your head is going crazy and there are too many thoughts in your head.(Interviewee L)
What struck me in retrospect was that I couldn’t do what I normally like to do because I might not have had so much time, because there was so much pressure. It was as if I had said to myself, “No, you’re allowed to do that now, too.” As I said, it was quite crazy in my head.(Interviewee L)
5. Discussion
6. Limitations and Future Research
7. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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. | Gender | Age | Occupation | PCR Test Result | Duration | Symptoms * | Living Situation ** | Boredom |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | M | 31 | Bank clerk | Positive | 4 weeks | Mild | Family | No |
B | M | 26 | Department manager | Negative | 5.5 weeks | Mild | Alone | No |
C | F | 63 | Not working due to COPD | Officially negative, self-belief: positive | 14 days officially, then self-quarantine | Severe | Daughter | Yes |
D | M | 55 | Property manager | Negative | 10 days | None | Son | No |
E | M | 21 | Trainee; sales | Not tested | 2 × 14 days | None | 1. Partner + mother-in-law 2. Alone | 1. No, 2. Yes |
F | F | 46 | Kindergarten teacher | Negative | 10 days | None | Family | No |
G | F | 37 | Teacher | Negative | 14 days | None | Separated | No |
H | M | 39 | Instructor; factory | Positive | 4 weeks | Mild | Separated | Yes |
I | F | 53 | Waitress | Positive | 10 days | Mild | Separated | Yes |
J | F | 49 | Ambulant care | Not tested | 17 days | Severe | Alone | No |
K | F | 58 | Clerk in hospital | Positive | 4 weeks | Severe | Partner | No |
L | F | 59 | Pediatric nurse (retired, marginal employment) | Officially positive, Self-belief: negative | 10 days self-quarantine, 14 days isolation | None | Alone | Yes |
M | F | 83 | Retired | Negative | 8 days | None | Partner | No |
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Ohlmeier, S.; Klingler, C.; Schellartz, I.; Pfaff, H. Having a Break or Being Imprisoned: Influence of Subjective Interpretations of Quarantine and Isolation on Boredom. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 2207. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042207
Ohlmeier S, Klingler C, Schellartz I, Pfaff H. Having a Break or Being Imprisoned: Influence of Subjective Interpretations of Quarantine and Isolation on Boredom. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(4):2207. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042207
Chicago/Turabian StyleOhlmeier, Silke, Corinna Klingler, Isabell Schellartz, and Holger Pfaff. 2022. "Having a Break or Being Imprisoned: Influence of Subjective Interpretations of Quarantine and Isolation on Boredom" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 4: 2207. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042207