Staying Sane during the Corona Virus Pandemic

If you’re like me, you’re probably in bed, not knowing Monday from Friday. Your sleep schedule, or lack thereof, is probably- HA

-non existent

So I understand most of us out there are being unproductive and unhealthy, bored and lazy,the list goes on.

You probably watched your favorite shows ten times over, you probably cleaned your room countless times, or not all, whichever of the two extremes.

So, I’m going to be that person who calls all of us out for neglecting our goals, bodies, and mental health in the process.

I actually want to be able to give you some tips which I think may be helpful for whatever amount of time you’ll still be in quarantine, because for me, we’re looking at at least another 10 days.

I’ll divide this, whatever this is, rant, discussion, essay, I’m not really sure, into two categories, which are mind and body, because I believe that in order to feel good mentally, you need to feel good in your own skin, so, let’s go with the hopefully helpful insight, but I do believe you can take at least a few things away from this.

Body

Ok, so, realistically, most of us either worked out a little, or not at all, and yes I’m one of them. We probably made plans to do so, and then failed miserably.

I want to stress that these tips are not about losing or gaining weight, or achieving a certain body type, however, they are more about feeling good about yourself and being healthy.

You can be healthy at any body shape or type, and this is crucial to understand. Also, I am not a dietitian or health professional, but I hope you may be able to adapt some of the tips to your own context specific scenarios.

So some tips, on being healthy, include the ones below;

The food you eat, obvious one

Transparently, I must have finished at least 2 large Nutella jars by myself in the last few weeks, and although we can’t deny the power of chocolate to light up the mood, if you are like me and eat when you’re bored, it will be a recipe for disaster, no pun intended.

I know this is hard, but we can try to do so slowly. If you’re eating cause you’re bored, you should probably occupy yourself with other things, which I will include later on.

You need to let go of the association of eating with boredom relief. Obviously eating is enjoyable, but you need to do so in moderation for your own health, alongside working out, and keeping your mental health in check. Again, as long as you’re healthy, your size doesn’t matter, what matters is your health, both mental and physical.

I want to mention that one positive aspect of this quarantine is that we ended up ordering less takeout, which is obviously much better for your health, and bank account, in the long term, so that’s good at least.

This can be an opportunity to try recipes you probably never had the time to try, or bond with your family or significant other if you’re in quarantine with them, or maybe discover a new found passion for cooking.

This will enable you to pass time, and in the end enjoy a home cooked meal. All in all, you will be provided with much needed energy to fuel you for the day, and keep you fresh, both physically and mentally.

Activity

What I recommend doing is if you can, take a walk in your neighborhood or nearby park. If not maybe you can do some at home exercises. There are plenty of resources and videos for that online.

A tip I actually have here is maybe if you’re doing a walk, you can listen to an audio book while doing so.This will nurture your mind, as you will be learning new things as you go, or if you’re into fiction, it would be a nice creative escape.

Try to do this at least 5 days a week, for at least 15 minutes each time.

Your body will feel better, as well as you, because when you work out, you release happy hormones.

Mind

So, in this area, I have to stress that I strongly encourage you to actually try out any of these and see for yourself. Take the quarantine as an opportunity for self growth and recuperation.

1.As mentioned above, you can listen to audio books, or read, depending on your preferences.

2.Track your mood on a mood tracker, I hope you’ll see your mood improve with these tips. Maybe even bullet journal.

3.If you enjoy doing make up, then wear makeup, glam yourself up, pamper yourself, wear a face mask, do your hair and nails, dress up, take pictures and have fun challenging yourself with a “photo shoot” I actually did this, it was pretty fun and relaxing.

4.Wake up early-OKAY I understand you’re probably like, oh absolutely not, I couldn’t even if I tried. I get you, I face the same struggle. But there’s something about waking up early that makes you feel so good and fresh, and I highly recommend doing so. When I wake up early, I get to listen to the birds chirping, it’s such nice medicine for the soul.

5.Learn something new, through an online course or something of the sort. You can learn about literally anything you like, and it’d keep you busy, while being productive.

6.Watch a ted talk about something you always wanted to learn about.

7.FaceTime with someone you haven’t talked to in a while, get in touch with old relatives...

8.Meditate, If you’ve never done it before, I highly recommend getting a meditation app, and if you like it, subscribe to it. If not, I recommend looking up playlists on YouTube with background or white noise, or else whatever relaxes you, which could be nature sounds, or the sound of rain, etc..

9.Develop your hobbies. Take this time to practice your creative passions, or maybe discover a new one.

10.If you’re religious, I recommend reading more about your religion, for some spiritual growth.

11. Also, have some good time off social media, a social media detox. When I do this, I feel more connected to the people around me. I’m thankfully in quarantine with my family, so I’m grateful for that. Some of them are in quarantine alone, but I hope if you’re one of them, you can find things which will help you nurture your body, mind, and soul.

Well, I think that’s it, I hope you think this is helpful. Take care and stay safe.

I might post an update on my progress. Remember, we’re all in this together, la la la.