How I’m Staying Healthy In Isolation (Mentally & Physically)
Now that I’ve been officially “social distancing” for over 2 weeks, I figured it would be a good time to share how I’ve been coping with the whole thing: the disruption in routine, the uncertainty of how things will play out, the pressure to remain productive, and all the other little emotions that creep in throughout the day. I realize that my mechanisms of staying sane may not be applicable to everyone reading this, but the following is just what works for me. Maybe you’ll be inspired and try a few of these methods out for yourself. Or at the very least, you’ll have been entertained for approximately 5-10 minutes. Either way, thanks for being here.
1) Stick to regular meal times. Because I always work from home, and have been for the past 3 years, this part isn’t too tough for me. I’ve already got a pretty good routine when it comes to taking time to nourish my body and mind. However, I realize that for many people, not having a specified lunch hour can get tricky. You may forget to eat, or it may be the only thing you can think about. Having constant access to the fridge and pantry while at home makes it difficult to carve out meal and snack times (as opposed to when you’re at your office, where what you brought/bought to eat is your only option). The lack of structure might have you feeling out of control.
You might find that food has become a comfort item for your anxiety. And while it’s okay to be a little more lenient with yourself given the crappy circumstance, we don’t know how long this situation will last. So, it’s best to find a routine that works for you now, so you can come out of this on the other side as your healthiest, happiest self. Because your routine has been thrown out of whack, so have your hunger cues. Try getting them back on track by creating regular meal and snack times for yourself. This, in combination with listening to your body and honoring it’s requests, will help get you back to feeling normal.
2) Morning and evening physical activity. While I’m doing my best to social distance and avoid others as much as possible, I’ve still been enjoying walks, runs, and bike rides each day. I live in an area that allows me to do these things without coming in close contact with others, so I feel it’s safe (unless we end up being told otherwise). I begin my day by going for a run and end the day with a bike ride (my husband usually joins me for that one). For us, it’s a way to stay physically and mentally well. Being active has always been a big part of my day, so being able to keep that as a part of my routine has been hugely beneficial.
3) Although not everyone has the luxury of working from home during all of this, if you can, it might be helpful to stick to your regular hours. For me, I have flexibility to make my own hours, but I’m a creature of habit and I thrive off of routine. I’ve found that keeping a well ordered daily agenda is good for my mental health. Writing down my daily “to do’s” helps keep my mind clear and reduces stress. Being able to see what I’ve accomplished at the end of the day is oddly comforting to me (Type A here, nice to meet ya).
If you don’t have the opportunity to continue working during quarantine, carve out time each day to be productive in other ways. Master a new skill: learn a new language, start a creative project, educate yourself on a subject of interest (history, photography, film, nutrition, tech, finance), learn to play an instrument, cook something new, write, etc. Making it a goal to accomplish a few things throughout the day will have you feeling so much better by the end of this (and hey, you might even discover a new hobby).
4) Find new ways to socialize. Feeling isolated while in isolation is… uh, normal. One way I’ve been combatting that is by scheduling regular FaceTime calls with friends and family. I’ve seen people online enjoying virtual happy hours, streaming shows together (using this extension), and playing games like Scrabble. These are all fun ways to keep in touch with the outside world while staying in.
5) Don’t overdose on bad news. If you’re feeling a bit anxious about everything happening right now, you’re not alone. And while it’s good to stay up to date on current events, too much of it can be down right depressing. It’s easy to fall into the rabbit hole of the doom and gloom, but try limiting your exposure to this type of media and hop off when you start to feel overwhelmed.
6) Don’t be too hard on yourself. If the couch is calling your name and you’re drawn to the pantry a bit more than usual, congratulations, you’re a normal human being. None of us have experienced anything quite like this in our lifetime, so comforting ourselves with naps and Netflix is totally okay (just make sure you’re not doing this all day long). It’s important to allow yourself these comforts without completely wallowing in them. Give yourself grace to be a bit lazy, but don’t let it swallow you up. This will only make you feel worse in the long run.
What are some ways in which you’re staying healthy and positive in isolation? There’s no doubt that this has had an impact on all of us, but we’re in it together. I’m interested in hearing your tips and tricks so I can apply them to myself as well. I hope this article provided some inspiration, and at the very least, some entertainment. As always, thanks for reading. Stay safe!