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This battle with the Coronavirus appears to be never ending. For those who had a busy
lifestyle, this can be a rough adjustment. Without the organized chaos, nothing feels the same. Regardless of how trapped you feel, it is important to understand that you always have a choice to make your day better. If you can't work, run errands, or spend quality time with friends, then how can you reinvigorate your spirit?
Personal Hygiene & Self-Care
The most important way to rejuvenate your day is pretend as if you were planning on leaving the house. That requires getting dressed, showering, and putting effort into self-presentation. Despite the nagging desire to put sweatpants back on and retreat to the couch, doing so does not prevent the blues. Sitting home all day in fear increases the body's stress response and vulnerability to acquiring the virus. By taking time to make yourself feel special every morning, your no longer just existing. You are now an autonomous agent that remains in control of your own day.
You are not forced, but only recommended to remain indoors. This pandemic is not a life sentence or conviction designed to torture you. You can go outside as long as you are wearing a mask and respect the social distancing rule. It is important to realize that your individual freedoms and mental health are priorities regardless of all adjustments you have had to make.
If your Coronavirus depression is becoming increasingly worse, make sure you go outside and enjoy the fresh air. This situation is not worth sacrificing your mental health. Doing something each day will ameliorate the feeling of being trapped. If you lack a social network, you can reach out to others online and share your story. But you are experiencing unpredictable emotional mood swings, this is because you need to take the time to account for your feelings. You can do this by keeping a journal or making a video diary you can later reflect on for growth.
Another form of self-care involves your spiritual self. If you have tension in your body from being cooped up and restless,
deep breathing exercises or meditation
can bring back a sense of peace. Doing so will allow you to forget about your frustrations while bringing a grounded and positive mindset into focus.
If you are unaware of how to change routine so that you take better care of yourself, you can make a self-care plan. This can include anything from sleeping more hours during the night to increasing vitamin D intake or taking hot bubble baths, etc.
Learn Something New
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Of course this seems pointless, until you take a moment to distract yourself on something novel. Sometimes it is so easy to allow limitations to define you. But a wealth of knowledge can be gained through learning something new. For example, take ten mins a day to open a book that you never had the chance to read before. New experiences can also be gained by exploring YouTube and google. This allows you to have a larger perspective on your life rather than focusing on the negatives.
The benefit of learning something new is trying different things. This is what inspires growth on the regular basis.
Exercise Daily
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Although many of us have taken the time to pack on the calories, this is not the best way to maintain mental or physical wellbeing. Weight gain leads to increased risk for health issues, and may lead to low self-esteem and depression. In order to prevent this, you can perform at home exercises for 15-30 mins a day. Although this may not be equivalent to the normal amount of movement during a regular day, it is important to keep moving.
Maintain Communication
Connecting with others is necessary for making sure that friendships and relationships can continue during quarantine. By continuing to reach out to your normal networks, feelings of isolation are prevented. Separation and social distancing are only physical parameters; they are not barriers for emotional connection.
Just because work or social gatherings cannot take place in the conventional sense, it doesn't make them impossible. The internet and social media are allow projects, events, business meetings, and assignments to completed without having to leave the house.
The most important relationships to maintain are those with doctors, counselors, and mentors. If you struggle with mental illness or serious health issues, make sure to regularly attend Telehealth sessions. Moreover, do not forget to schedule follow-up appointments so that the quality of your treatment does not suffer. When it comes to serious concerns such as these, it is okay to be selfish and put yourself first.
Benefits of Quarantine
During these difficult times, we have learned we can stand together as a nation. And we will allow nothing to bring us down. No matter how bad this situation is, we continue to do what's right for ourselves and others. Rather than just giving up, we have become innovative by creating new solutions to our challenges. There is more hope to overcome the Coronavirus than there was in the beginning. So we should remain motivated, hold our heads high, and continue to keep pushing forward.