Right now, much of the world is in a state of panic as a new strain of Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread worldwide. At this stage in the game, it’s pretty much impossible to avoid talk of COVID-19, as it seems to be all that every major news channel and outlet can report on lately. It has gotten to the point where it has actually become a challenge to find current news on anything other than the virus.
There has certainly been plenty of talk about the virus—with coverage mostly centering on what actions are being taken in attempt to control it’s spread, how to avoid it, and what symptoms it causes. However, with the virus in mind, there has been very little discussion on the crucial topic of how to keep mentally and emotionally healthy during this difficult time.
This piece will NOT be another article to add to the ever-growing pile of anxiety-inducing, Coronavirus-obsessing madness. Instead, the purpose here is to shed some light on the ways we can all remain emotionally fulfilled, during a time where we could just as easily become fearful, depressed, and overwhelmed. Here, I’ll be examining our current situation through a new, productive lens, and in doing so, I’ll also be providing some helpful ideas for how to stay happy and healthy during the Coronavirus scare (or, you know, anytime really).
Before I jump into those helpful ideas, I’d like to take some time to think about the way in which society usually operates here in the United States. As Americans, we live in a consumer-capitalist, fast-paced country that rarely slows down for anyone or anything—it’s a rat-race, one that we all keep trying to “win”, even though most of us aren’t even sure what “winning”means. If you’re like most Americans, you probably work 40 hours a week at least—your days off are limited and so is your free time. We rarely slow down, and many of us don’t even know how to. Enter: COVID-19, and here we all are, being essentially forced to slow down—I mean at this point, what other choice do we have? With that being said, I am going to challenge you, dear Reader, to see this as a kind of blessing in disguise, or in layman's terms: not such an awful thing.
Think about it, how many of you have at-home projects you have been putting off for lack of time? How many of you have family and friends you don’t get to spend nearly as much time with as you would like, because you’re usually too busy slaving away at your 9-5? How many of you would just appreciate more relaxation, or “me time” in your otherwise busy lives? Well, NOW IS THE TIME for all of it—and I’m challenging all of us to take advantage of it! Working from home? Out of work for the time being? Let’s appreciate this time, because who knows when we will have another ‘lull’ like this in our otherwise fast-paced lives. Let’s all make a conscious effort, the best way we can, to shift the paradigm and shift our outlook on this whole situation—because let’s be honest, the most rebellious thing we can do right now, is choose happiness over fear.
Now, I’d like to spend some time outlining specific ways to keep your emotional and mental spirits up during this tough time.
Maintain Health and Wellness
Keep a Daily Journal
Record your thoughts, fears, musings, write letters to yourself or to others, draw.
Get Some Fresh Air and Sunlight by Going for a Walk or Hike
As a female myself, safety is a top priority. With that said, my personal suggestion is if you are a female, the best option would be to go hiking with a male friend or family member, or to go hiking in an area that is not desolate.
Take up Yoga
With outside time being more limited than usual, yoga is a great indoor activity for mindfulness and bodily alignment. You may want to start by incorporating some simple stretching exercises into your daily routine. Feel free to then take it to the next step to incorporate meditation practices.
Enjoy Home-Cooked meals
Oftentimes in our busy schedules, many of us tend to turn to take-out and fast food in order to avoid spending extra time we may not always have to prepare healthy meals ourselves. With many of us spending more time at home, now is a great time to put those cooking skills to use—or, for those who never learned to do more than boil water, now is a great time to actively learn how to cook for yourself!
Spend Time with your Pet or Consider Adopting or Fostering a Rescue
Now is a wonderful time to get in some extra quality time with your beloved furry friend. If your currently pet-less, and are interested in adopting, see if your current shelter is still open and if so, look into adopting or fostering a sweet baby in need of a loving home. P.s., studies have even shown that spending time with animals helps humans to de-stress and heal faster!
Stay Social
Arguably one of the best things about this otherwise difficult time, if the amount of time it has freed up in many of our lives. One of the ways we can ensure we are remaining socially and emotionally fulfilled is through devoting more time to our loved ones.
For those of us who live with family, friends, or roommates, consider doing any or all of the following activities:
Play board games or cards
Have a movie marathon
Make and eat a meal together
Experiment with baking
For those of us who live alone, the following is a list of ways to make sure you’re not
socially isolating:
Arrange a Daily FaceTime Call or Phone Call with a Friend, Relative, or significant other
Keeping in contact with loved ones is a surefire way to ensure socialization and fulfill emotional needs for connection.
Consider having dinner or another meal while on FaceTime together
FaceTime date, anyone?
Use the Chrome Internet Server to take advantage of Netflix Party
Netflix Party is a viewing experience that allows individuals to watch movies remotely. Video playback is synchronized and there is an added group chat feature, so that you and your friends can “talk” during the movie!
Download Some Virtual Game Apps to Play with Your Friends
Examples include: Words With Friends or Scrabble, Draw Something, Fortnite, Uno and Friends, etc.
Start a Virtual Book Club
For those of us who like to read, why not take up reading with your friends? Try this: Get a small group together, pick a book you’d all like to read, download an online copy, or order a paper-copy if possible, then decide to meet weekly via video chat with these friends to talk about the book. You can use Skype to meet with your group remotely and for free. You may also consider starting a shareable Google Doc to communicate thoughts on the book as you all go along!
Be Productive
Keep a Daily Planner
Make lists to organize your to-do tasks and workload
Start (or Finish) a Personal Project
Examples could include: pursuing a passion you have been putting off, creating a vision board, experimenting with crafts, learning a new recipe, taking on a home improvement project, etc.
Take an Online Class.
In the digital age, it has never been easier to access information; there are plenty of free resources online that offer the option for learning in a plethora of different subjects and disciplines, mostly informally. For example, Khan Academy offers free online lectures, which you can listen to and watch on your mobile device or a computer. Similarly, for those of us who are Apple users, iPhone offers an app called iTunesU,offering resources such as video lectures and podcasts in many different disciplines, from the Sciences, to Journalism, to Philosophy, and beyond.
De-clutter/Do an early Spring cleaning
Go through your closest and get rid of anything that you have not worn in the last year.
Go through your fridge and pantry and throw away any expired food
File away your important documents (medical, personal identification, banking, work history, taxes, etc) into an accordion folder, cabinet, or briefcase for easy access
Deep Clean Your Home
Do laundry, wash your sheets and bedding
Clean hard surfaces like tabletops and counter-tops
If you have carpets, vacuum them
Sweep and mop any hard flooring
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