5 ways to help survive in self-isolation.
2020 has been a downright crazy year, we have seen bush fires, floods and lost some amazing people too soon, the latest on this list is the worldwide Corona Virus outbreak and it is not playing fair.
Millions of people across the globe are in self-isolation to help save lives, it is taking a toll on our mental health, here are a few suggestions on how to survive self-isolation.
Cooking.
Personally I love to bake, it takes up a nice amount of time and gives a great reward at the end of all that hard work, some of my favourite recipes are as simple as bread, I absolutely love the smell of a fresh-baked loaf as it comes out of the oven, so does the rest of the family, it really helps to bring you all together, especially with melted butter and a little jam on top.
Another recipe I will always find time for is a sweet and sour chicken, if I am feeling adventurous, I will take the time and make the sauce from scratch, that is a whole new level of achievement! If I am in a rush Uncle Ben has a great sweet and sour and you can find it in most shops, add your chicken to a Wok and away you go, 15 mins, some rice and the whole family are around the table eating a healthy balanced diet that will feed your brain for hours to help survive self-isolation.
Exercise
Keeping health is very important, especially if we’re going to be staying at home all day, for your mind to be happy and in good spirit, you need to get fresh air and do plenty of moving, I’m not saying go out and get some dumbbells and a cycle machine, but maybe dig out a mat or piece of cardboard and have a go at learning some yoga in front of an open window or power walk down the road and back, that will get your heart pumping and endorphins flowing which in turn will help your brain and make you feel happy, maybe even set a goal for 10 mins of yoga in the morning and 5 an hour after tea time.
If you really want to push things and start a routine, start slow and learn your limits, we don’t want to go to bed really achy and not sleep so a couple of push-ups and sit-ups followed by some breathing exercises can help to start you off on a new healthy exercise routine, now I will make the point again of doing this in front of an open window, as self-isolation is stopping many people from getting as much fresh air and sunlight as we usually do.
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Group Calls
Keeping active in your community is a great way to boost your mental health during self-isolation, the best way to keep connected is through technology, and its there for the taking, get on Skype or zoom with your mates and have a laugh, give your brain something good to think about, try to look forward to meeting up after its all blown over, optimism is key to staying happy under self-isolation.
There are many other options as well, like writing a letter to a loved one or an elderly relative, personally I enjoy taking time to craft a little story about what’s been going on with life at home, it’s given me a chance to connect via email with relatives in other countries an learn a little bit more about the people who love me and their cultures.
Gaming
The online world has many things to do, the biggest being Gaming, you can play on consoles, mobiles, computers and tablets, there are some great options out there to choose from like Clash Royal on mobiles or Rust on PC, personally I play a few different games to keep content fresh and to ensure I don’t get bored too quickly, one of the most popular games that will take up a whole load of time is Minecraft, and it’s available on almost every platform.
Gaming can help keep you amused for hours and provide a much-needed social link, I still have friends from other countries I talk to after 7 years of gaming! Its really easy to get started, Xbox and Windows have a feature where you can find people to play with, if you don’t want to use that you can use in-game chat, there usually monitored by good servers so it’s a safe bet your not going to get in trouble.
Routines
Its important when self-isolating that we try to stick to a healthy routine, getting up and going to sleep at the same time can really help keep your body and brain happy, A regular and good sleep routine is vital for our mental health.
Other routines during self-isolation such as eating and exercise should also be kept to, personally I like to eat and sleep as I would if I’m working, it means my body is in a routine it’s used to and I won’t struggle to get back to normal after self-isolation is over.
A new routine I have started is publishing content on my blog, it gives me a chance to get out of the normal world and into a creative space that’s about me, I have a great feeling of accomplishment knowing I am achieving a blog post every 3 days, seeing people are reading my work also helps to boost morale, maybe you should blog too, if you have something to share with us, then please do!.
