Let’s talk about the situation
I don’t need to say much about the fact that we are currently experiencing a global pandemic with COVID-19.
Schools, social services, government buildings, airports, and much more have shut down. Grocery stores are running out of stock in some places. Economists are worried about the impact of this virus on our economy. And people are being told to seriously quarantine to prevent the virus from spreading.
This means that you are likely at home either working, finishing up school, or potentially doing nothing at all.
Because of the psychological, emotional, spiritual, and physical impacts an epidemic can have on us, I wanted to write an article on how to stay calm, happy and sane during this difficult period. And maybe even inspire you to enjoy your quarantine!
As you all know I’m not a big fan of huge intros so let’s get right into it!
How to make the best of your quarantine:
1. Taking a moment of gratitude
I think it’s really important to note that a lot of people have lost their jobs. This means the potential of losing a place to live, losing funding to support a family and to buy necessities like food, water, and toiletries.
If this is you, please reach out to family and friends for help if you can. Or, check what supports have been made available to you by the government, your school, or your place of work. I sincerely hope this will only be temporary and you will get back on your feet within the next few weeks.
If this is not you, then please take a moment of gratitude that you are not worried about your job, your house, your family’s survival, or your ability to get through this epidemic with very few losses.
This is not a moment to feel guilty or bad that others are going through something you’re not. Rather, realizing what we have in a time like this is really important so that we can ground ourselves, be positive, continue to be kind and helpful to others, and ensure our mental well-being.
You can write this down on a piece of paper, in a journal, or just think about it in your mind.
2. Turn off the news
It is incredibly important to stay on top of what’s going on, especially because things are constantly developing and changing during this pandemic. However, when you have caught yourself up, take a breather and turn off all the news updates.
If you’re constantly listening to the news about COVID-19, you’re going to be putting yourself in a consistent state of distress which overtime will burn you out and make you feel miserable.
You need to take time for yourself and to do things that de-stress and decompress you. Otherwise, you will completely lose your mind as we cannot be in a state of panic for that long of a period. Especially since you are at home for an indefinite amount of time.
So get updated on the situation in the morning and then at night, and turn off all COVID-19 news articles in between so that you can give your mind a break.
3. Have fun and new activities to do during a quarantine
Easier said than done, I know.
That’s why I’ve created a FREE 3-week quarantine calendar that has 3 unique activities to do every single day so that you can keep yourself entertained. You can choose to do all 3 activities, or just one, or you can mix and match and pick whatever you feel like doing that day from the calendar.
How it works:
The activities are in the form of links that you can click which will take you to either a video, a website, or an article. There are also Netflix, music, video game, and other show recommendations.
Every day has a workout video so that you can keep yourself active (more on the importance of that shortly). There are also crafts, meditations, and random task learning videos.
On top of that, even if a video is of the same theme (meditation, exercise), I have ensured that they are all completely different from one another and are coming from different creators.
This way you are trying out a new form of the same activity created by a different person every single day. This keeps everything fresh, new, and exciting.
You may discover a creator you really enjoy and watch more of their content, or you may discover you really enjoy a certain type of exercise and you want to find more similar videos.
By following this schedule you are going to try out all kinds of new things so that you have something exciting to look forward to every single day for the next 3 weeks during your self-isolation.
This is so incredibly important because keeping yourself entertained and trying new things will prevent you from feeling lonely, overwhelmed, anxious, bored or even scared. It is also a form of self-care and self-discovery, which may be hard to do at a time like this.
Even if you do not want the calendar, you can simply look for things on your own on the internet and try to find something exciting and new to do every day.
However, if you do want the calendar, you can simply click below to get it.
I’ll also include in that email my FREE wellness journal to help you keep track of every aspect of your wellbeing (exercise, sleep, mood, reflection prompts, gratitude prompts). With all this free time during your quarantine why not start making good habits?
4. Maintain social relations via technology
This is incredibly important if you live alone. Humans are pack animals and so it’s incredibly important for our mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health to be connected to others.
Just because you can’t see your friends in person doesn’t mean you can’t maintain a social life. We’re not cavemen, we have technology. (I’m really hoping someone out there got my Spongebob reference).
There are so many ways to still see your friends without really seeing them. There’s video calling, group streaming, playlist sharing, multiplayer games, and much more. All in the comfort of your home.
Find a method that works best for you and your loved ones and utilize technology to maintain those relationships. Social interactions are really important for our wellbeing and happiness. So make sure to maintain them during your quarantine.
5. Keep yourself physically active
Creating an at-home quarantine workout routine is really important for a few reasons.
- The first is that as we’re all quarantined, which means we’re likely not using our bodies as much anymore. There is no more walking from class to class, standing on the subway, or going for lunch at a restaurant that is a 10-minute walk away from your work. So, to ensure you maintain your body’s level of activity and your overall health, it’s important to exercise. Even during your quarantine.
- Another reason exercise is so important is, unless you already had an at-home exercise routine, you’re going to have to do try out all sorts of videos to see what you like and what works for you. This means that you’ll be trying something new every time, which as previously mentioned is really important in keeping you stimulated when quarantined.
- On top of that, exercise releases endorphins which are basically happy hormones. They are going to be really beneficial if you are experiencing loneliness, depression, or anxiety during this time, as they improve your mood.
- Lastly, if you are feeling really stressed out and tense, exercise can be an incredible way to release some of that tension. Alternatively, if you pick a more restorative workout, it can help you to reground, relax, and decompress.
There are many reasons why exercise is incredibly beneficial for our general wellbeing and if you wanted to further entertain yourself you can read more about it in one of my earlier blog posts.
6. Making a quarantine-specific routine
I know some people prefer not having a schedule and just doing whatever feels right at the moment. However, most of us tend to work better when we have a set routine and we have small exposures to new things at a time (for example, trying a new restaurant).
And just as this held true when you were out and about working or going to school, the same applies when you’re quarantined.
Having a set schedule will help you to stay productive, healthy, and organized. 3 things that can be really hard to do when you’re at home all day long with your bed seducing you.
So, it’s important to get a routine going to keep on top of your life just as you would have not quarantined. Make sure to schedule in time for working, exercising, cooking, cleaning, recreational activities, and socializing (through technology).
Everyone’s routine will be completely different, and so I can’t recommend simply one solution or one schedule to follow.
But for some ideas, here is my quarantine schedule:
- I wake up at roughly the same time every day and make myself some tea
- As I drink my tea, I work on whatever needs to be done
- After this, I eat what I would probably call a brunch
- Following brunch, I do any work that requires a lot of brainpower as I tend to stop being able to think by 8 pm
- At some point that feels right, I take a break and do my exercise
- Then, I shower and change right back into my pajamas (yay for being home)
- At this point, I simply continue either working or I eat then work again after
- Once I start getting tired, I call it a day and read a book or watch a show and enjoy some self-care
And this has been my general routine since I started my quarantine. I keep things fun and exciting by working on different things every day and by doing different workout videos and cooking different meals.
This is what works for me, so it’s important to figure out what works for you and organize it in such a way that gets everything accomplished.
Having a schedule is going to really help you feel in control thus less anxious, less lonely, and less depressed.
In sum
I hope these tips have helped you to figure out how to make the best of your quarantine. I also hope that you enjoy my schedule and find it useful. Please give me feedback if you have any in the comments below, I’d love to hear it!
Stay safe, healthy, and take care of each other during this pandemic!
All my love,
T
