Amid all the upheaval and chaos caused by the pandemic Coronavirus, governments of many countries have declared lockdown and people have no choice but to stay inside their homes until the doctors find a solid medication and vaccination to fight the disease. The situation outside is a lot more difficult and it’s natural to be scared to go out. In such times, social distancing and self-quarantine have become commonplace for us.
But, self-quarantine could really take a toll on your mental health. As per studies, the psychological impact of quarantine can be deeper and may result in a range of mental health concerns like anxiety, anger, sleep disturbances, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder among others. So, how do we safeguard our mental health during quarantine?
In this article, we will discuss a few simple ideas to take care of ourselves during Coronavirus quarantine. But before that, let’s discuss what exactly quarantine is.
What is Quarantine?
Quarantine is not a very difficult thing to understand. It’s simply a period of time where someone stays at home. What’s different about quarantine is that it’s done to reduce the rate of infection of disease. It’s the next step to social distancing. Quarantine is often confused with isolation but both are quite different. Isolation is when someone who has been infected is kept in isolation or seclusion so that he/she doesn’t spread the virus to others.
As a famous adage goes, “Human is a social animal”, it is difficult for us to self-quarantine but with some recreational activities and a healthy routine, one can make quarantine a better situation for the mental health.
Here is How One Can Practice Self-care During a Quarantine
Do Exercise to Maintain Good Health
You can make time for light exercises to maintain good health yourself. You may find plenty of free exercise videos you can do right at home. Even dance forms like Zumba could be fun and effective in killing the boredom as well as in maintaining better health, both physical and mental.
Keep Calm and Meditate
Meditation and breathing exercises can reduce your heart rate and cleanse your mind. In these dreadful times, having a meditation session of five minutes or so can make a really big deal to your mental health. You can do yoga or meditation sessions to make peace in your mind.
Pursue Your Hobbies
Everything is about perspective – even if you are a social animal, staying at home can be fun too if you pursue your old, forgotten passions or hobbies. If you love to write, then write; if you love to paint, you paint. Make time for unwinding with something that makes you happy. This way you can utilize your time and can make sure that your mind is at peace. There will be no more stress if you channelize your energies towards something productive.
Stay Connected with Your Friends on Social Media
Thank goodness, we are living in the times when technology has made it easier than ever to keep our near and dear ones in constant touch. Make most out of the technologies like social media to stay in touch with colleagues, friends, and family. They are only one phone call/text/ video-call away!
Eat Healthy to Think Healthy
With a healthy diet comes a healthy mind. You should eat healthy so that you think healthy. A plenty of sleep and daily exercise is also essential.
