I know we physically cannot be with one another right now,
but I don’t really feel like my social life has gone anywhere. It has just
altered a bit. Instead of hanging out on Friday evenings, we hang out in our
direct messages on Instagram.
As the Coronavirus outbreak is spreading through the planet,
more and more households are practicing social distancing. Smart move; you
should be too!
While we all understand the reasoning behind social
distancing, it doesn’t alleviate any of the challenges. Staying at home without
any physical social contact with the external world is hard. Most of us lead a
busy life, and navigating this has been tricky. You are essentially forced to
cancel and reschedule your events calendar. The longer we are stuck in this
situation, the harder it will be on people. But, if you don’t want to fall into
depression, now’s the time to pick up the last scrap of your sanity and put
them to good use!
Protect your mental health while self-isolating! From one
busy body to the next, here are some things I’m doing that will hopefully help
you out as well.
We need some exercise
I know many of you had a 2020 resolution to go back to the
gym and get fit. Tough luck, gyms are now a bad idea. Most of them have already
shut down. But that doesn’t mean you can’t, and shouldn’t, get fit. Physical
exercise is precisely what the doctor prescribed. Staying active when you can’t
go out may sound difficult, but it’s not impossible. You can set a schedule for
your home workouts, and you can even make it more motivating by making a friend
workout with you! Online support only, of course, but training together can
still boost your mood.
Get on top of your snack crash needs
Snacking is such a hard habit, and I feel like you either
have it or you don’t. What happened to my healthy diet? One day it was all
avocados and grains, and the next, I’m suddenly finding myself sitting on the sofa with my hand in a
pack of Girl Scout cookies. It’s a surprisingly common reaction to the quarantine
stress. We crave indulging food that can make us feel better. Unfortunately,
the sugar and fat rush is unlikely to help our moods in the long run.
How can we overcome this? Making meals that last throughout
the week has been a very productive use of time. You can get some baking done
for yourself and even a dish for your family. Take over some healthy baked
goods like vegan apple muffins, hazelnut cookies, or an English muffin platter.
Firstly, baking is good for the soul. It makes you happy. And secondly, you can
enjoy healthier treats and be in control of what you eat. It’s a win-win.
You are NOT alone
People are social creatures. But social creatures don’t need
to see each other to stay in touch. Set up Facetime dates with your bestie, or setup a Skype call with all of your girl gang for a virtual happy hour! Break the
solitude. This is where group messaging isn’t that big of a deal. Use your
group messaging to stay connected. Also, I love to send voice notes. People
want to hear your voice, so send them a little voice note saying how much you
are thinking of them.
Sure, it’s not quite like meeting each other
for a coffee, but you can cyber meet and spill any tea you have remaining.
No, there’s nothing wrong with makeup indoors
Staying at home doesn’t mean you can’t put on makeup or your
best dress. On the contrary, you should make sure you pick an outfit that makes
you feel awesome, every single day. Leggings can make you feel awesome, but don’t
get too comfortable. After all, if
you’re going to spend a lot of time with yourself, the least you can do is to
dress the part. Feeling pretty is a positive emotion that gives you plenty of
strength to carry on with the day.
Organizing has its limits
I know a lot of us feel like we have a tone more time to get
our everlasting to-do list done but before you go and Marie Kondo your entire
house, hear me out. Do not do this all in one day. This quarantine will certainly
last at least another 6 weeks or so. Try to space out your projects and limit
yourself to maybe two a day.
The first few days of self-isolation might be exciting, but
after a while, you will begin to feel the burden of isolation. Don’t let it
affect your mood. You can protect your mental health while social distancing.
What are you doing to protect your mental health? Let’s chat
in the comments below.
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