COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t been easy on anyone, but it’s been especially exhausting for those who have to stay at home and quarantine. You could either sleep all day long and do nothing or rush into all the possible things you always wanted to do. However, neither of these is great for your body and mind. Especially if you have other responsibilities, like remote work or taking care of children.
Stress, weakened immune system, exhaustion, anxiety – all of that adds up to a picture of uncertainty that describes the times of the pandemic. However, it doesn’t have to be like that. When faced with adversity, each one of us is capable of finding surprising amounts of inner strength. Of course, you might need some help – and we got you. Here are some tips for taking care of yourself when staying at home during the quarantine.
1. Take Care of Your Outer Self
Eating healthy, exercising, staying in contact with other people – this is what you usually read in the articles about COVID. But not everyone has the energy and time to do that, and you still need to take care of yourself. Make the process easy, and start slow – with taking care of your outer self.
Whether you work from home or don’t, don’t wear your pajamas all day. Put on your favorite “going out clothes”: a pair of comfortable jeans, a summer skirt (it’s warm at home!), a dress you adore. Don’t neglect skin care routines, and add something relaxing to it – a mask you can wear for half an hour while reading a magazine, for example. And of course, do your hair.
Simply comb it and put it into a ponytail if you don’t want to do anything else. Or, if you have energy, try a new hairstyle – you can even color your hair! Or cut it – you’re staying at home, you can experiment with your hair however you want. Just make sure to learn some techniques before – (you can simply watch YouTube tutorials) and use professional scissors: you can get them in your local hairstylist store or online – for example, on https://scissortec.com/. And even if something goes wrong – nobody will see it.
2. Stay Healthy
Of course, health is the most important thing during COVID. Whether you’re ill or not, you need to take care of yourself – if you can, of course. If you’re not in the best physical or mental state, make sure to consult your doctor and get some rest.
And if you have time and energy – it’s high time to put them to good use. Eat healthily, and don’t be afraid to experiment with food: try something new every week (if possible). Exercise. Sport is an excellent tool for keeping your body and mind in great shape. Look for exercises on YouTube or invite your friends to have an online workout. Get enough sleep – it’s essential for your immune system. Drink water and stay hydrated, so your organism works correctly. Don’t hesitate to seek help if your body doesn’t feel right.
3. Get a Routine
One of the reasons why quarantine is challenging is because it gets you out of your normal routine. Your regular waking and sleeping hours are shifted, you can’t start working when you need to, and you spend a lot of time scrolling TikTok. Let’s face it – you can be so much more productive.
To deal with procrastination and help you stay sane, set a routine – and follow it every day. Try to wake up and go to sleep at the same time you’d typically do. Even though you’re at home, wear the clothes you’d wear to work (or out with friends). And don’t forget about getting rest.
4. Take Time For Yourself
Living in the quarantine is certainly not easy, but you don’t have to look at it as something one-sidedly horrible. Now you have more time than ever to get some rest. Even if you’re staying at home with your family, don’t put anybody’s needs above yours. Take time for yourself every day – take a hot bath, cook something delicious, read a book, exercise.
You don’t always have to do things that seem necessary or productive. You don’t have to cook lunch if you don’t want to – order it and enjoy some spare time. Everybody’s cleaning their homes, and you’re not? That’s ok. You need this “you time”.
A Final Note
The quarantine can seem like something horrible – but if you manage to stay positive, it could actually be a possibility. Now you can do things you’ve always wanted: sign up for an online course, practice your ukulele skills, learn how to dance, write a book, find a pen pal, watch that TV-show. And if you don’t want to do anything and simply need rest – just take a break.
Put in the clothes you love, eat healthy, exercise, set a routine, remember about having some time just for yourself. Quarantine is already with us, and you can’t do anything to change the situation. So try to enjoy it, not dread it.
