With the corona-infected cases at 200,000 worldwide and supermarkets being emptied as soon as they’re stocked, the uncertainty of what tomorrow brings can result in anxiety, overwhelm and stress.
The best thing to do right now, after you buy stock up on necessities like food, water, vitamins and disinfectant, is to divert your focus elsewhere.
Here are the 7 ways to keep yourself from going ‘insane’ while staying at home:
1. Spring Clean
Remember those boxes you planned to sort through but never had the time?
Now is the perfect time for you to get started and actually finish.
Plug your earphones, play your favorite songs and start combing through those boxes. Categorize them into KEEP and DISCARD. When the world becomes less infectious once more, either donate or throw out your discard pile.
Bonus points if you can move from boxes to closets or even rooms. You’ll be surprised at how much space you’ll have after we all get through the pandemic.
2. Creative Projects
Do you still remember that song you wanted to write?
What about the book you said you’d author once you have more time?
Or that painting you never got started on?
Now is the time to block everything out and channel your creative juice.
Not only will you consume less of the ‘scary news’ out there, you’ll be more productive with your time
3. Catch up with loved ones
How often did you say “I wish I had more time to catch up with (insert name).?”
With the numerous apps available for video-conferencing, you can now easily do “virtual coffee chats” with people you’ve been meaning to connect but never really had time for.
This certainly beats scrolling through social media and having increased paranoia every time you see an update on the number of corona infections.
4. Binge on those “trashy” novels and TV shows
Let’s face it: being an adult can be tiring.
We tend to take things too seriously and not allow ourselves to read a book or watch a show just for the sake of pleasure.
Now is the time to be unapologetic lazying around and just giving yourself that time-out that you deserve after being such a “good”person all these years.
5. Sleep
When was the last time you woke up without an alarm?
The increased social pressure in the last 10 years has resulted in a collective lack of sleep.
According to www.weforum.org, about 62% of adults worldwide have poor sleep quality. TIME wrote that 9 million Americans use prescription sleep aids , or medications to help with sleep issues. This number doesn’t include those who use holistic alternatives such as essential oils, herbal teas, flower essences and Chinese herbs.
In her book, The Sleep Revolution, Arianna Huffington, shares the importance of getting quality sleep to the mental and physical health, quality of life, and safety.
Instead of being frustrated being stuck at home, why not take this time to sleep in and just relax?
Your body will definitely thank you for that.
6. Gratitude
“The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time. “
Douglas Wood, the Secret of Saying Thanks
When everyone around you panics, and everything you see can be taken as a sign of chaos, you’ll naturally react with feelings of frustrations and defeat.
This is why it’s even more crucial for you to lean into the good things in your life right now – the things that remind you of the goodness and kindness of others.
Now is the time to think of possibilities, and to give thanks to the efforts done by the people tasked to respond to the pandemic.
Could the government have done better? Certainly. But they’re doing the best they can at the moment.
Instead of focusing on the apparent lack of experience of some government officials, channel your energies in looking at your cup half full.
Take the time to list a few things you’re grateful for.
This will certainly make you feel less anxious and stressed!
7. Up Your Worth
I’ve always associated worth as how we see our value and how we respect what we offer the world.
Despite the increasing number of programs on empowerment and education, only a small percentage of people go ‘all in’ on their dreams.
Let’s face it: you need a lot of courage and confidence to materialize your dreams and desires.
Many give up on their dream after a few challenges. Most women sacrifice theirs for their families.
What if you take this time to change the narrative and really work on increasing your worth?
Start by articulating what you can offer the world. And then slowly translate that into clear actionable steps.
A few prompts to get you started:
1. What makes me extremely unique? What is the one thing that I can do differently from others? What thought or idea do I have that takes a different spin from the norm?
2. How do I want to make a difference? Is it through creating a new product? Is it through offering my services? Should I write a book? Do I want to start a podcast?
Taking this time to dig deep and channel your efforts in materializing your dream can significantly change the trajectory of how your life would evolve.
This pandemic is temporary. We all will get through this. We’ve already seen some countries share dwindling reported cases.
Going down the rabbit hole of what if’s will only add more anxiety to you. Why not choose one of the 7 above to focus on instead?