This is a difficult time for individuals all over the world. During the global coronavirus pandemic, many people have been ordered to stay at home to quarantine themselves to help reduce the rate of infections. While many understand that self-isolation is the safe and ethical response to battle this unparalleled virus, that does not make the actual experience of quarantine any easier to handle.
The quarantine is causing people to suffer, both mentally and physically. While the difficulty of quarantine and self-isolation cannot compare to the devastation of those who are battling coronavirus or have lost their lives, it can still be difficult to live a sedentary lifestyle in which you are rarely (if ever) allowed to leave your home. That is why self-care is of the utmost importance during self-isolation.
To help you practice self-care during quarantine, we have provided eight tips for taking care of your mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
1. Get Your Blood Pumping With Home Workouts
You don’t need a fancy gym or even a park to workout and get your blood pumping. There is a seemingly endless array of awesome workouts you can complete from the comfort of your home. Some great home exercises include:
- Doing bodyweight exercises like pushups, situps, and squats.
- Improvising workouts that use household items as weights.
- Stretching to maintain flexibility and durability.
- Using simple workout equipment like jump ropes and resistance bands.
- Practicing yoga at home with an online instructor.
- Participating in workout routines and videos with an online instructor.
- Putting on your favorite music and dancing!
The importance of exercise cannot be overstated. Not only will it keep you physically healthy and your immune system strong, but exercise can also drastically improve your mental health. Working out is a great way to clear your head and feel great in a time in which the sheer amount of news and information can be terrifying.
2. Try to Eat Healthy, Well-Rounded Meals
It can be tempting to just throw all self-restraint aside during quarantine and eat whatever you want. A diet full of takeout meals and junk food can quickly become the norm, as it can be hard to find the motivation to eat healthy meals when you are stuck in your home. However, now more than ever, it is incredibly important to try to eat well.
First, you need to eat well to keep your body ready to potentially fight off the coronavirus. If you were to become infected, you would want to make sure that your body has the appropriate nutrients and vitamins it needs to operate at peak capacity. That means a diet full of leafy greens, citrus fruits for vitamin C, lean protein, and other healthy foods.
The second reason to eat healthy foods during quarantine is to improve your mood. It has been shown that a well-rounded, nutritionally sound diet can boost your mood. Various foods can help your brain and body fight stress and depression, such as fish, nuts, leafy greens, and whole grains. The phrase “you are what you eat” applies to both your physical and mental health, and if you are eating junk, chances are, you are going to feel like junk.
3. Get Lots of Sleep
Most people are already practicing this step, as working from home has enabled people to hit the snooze button on the alarm clock more than ever. However, if you are a night owl who has been staying up very late and not getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night, your mind and body may be impacted negatively. Take advantage of your time at home and be sure to rest and relax.
4. Take a Break From the News
At this point, most people are aware of what is going on around the world and the measures we need to collectively take to help stop the spread of the virus. Therefore, it is not as imperative to constantly be checking the news and social media for the latest updates. Repeatedly reading about the pandemic and the toll it is taking on individuals around the world can be quite upsetting, and it is not necessary to constantly be following the latest news.
5. Communicate and Share With Others
Just because you are physically isolated does not mean you have to be emotionally isolated. One of the unexpected benefits of quarantine is that everyone you know is likely at home at any given time, meaning that a loved one is only a phone call away. Talking on the phone is a healthy way to share your concerns and let others know how you are feeling, and you will likely find that many people feel the same way.
Teleconferencing is also a great way to catch up with the people who are important to you. Technology like Google Hangouts, FaceTime, and Zoom allows you to easily call up a friend and interact with them through video. If you have not tried a teleconference yet, it really does feel like you are hanging out with your friend or family member in person. Schedule an online hangout with friends, and use your support system to help you during these trying times.
6. Complete Tasks You Have Been Putting Off
Have you been meaning to clean your stove but have never had the time? Well, what better time than during quarantine? During this time, we all have an unprecedented opportunity to complete the laundry list of tasks we just never seem to have the time to complete. That can mean cleaning the house, learning how to use a new technology gadget, or rearranging your closet and kitchen.
Not only is this a great way to stay physically active and keep your mind off coronavirus, but it also has the added bonus of being an easily achievable task. When things are happening that are outside of your control, it can be cathartic to have a task that you can complete and then cross off your list. You can actually see the fruits of your labor when you see a sparkling clean stove, rather than having an abstract goal like “getting in better shape” or “doing well at work.”
7. Manage Uneasiness With CBD Oil
If you are feeling the weight of the pandemic on your shoulders, there are various wellness products to help keep you balanced and centered. We already mentioned eating a healthy and balanced meal, but a great addition to your health and wellness routine is CBD oil.
CBD oil is made from hemp and features little to no THC, the psychoactive compound found in marijuana. This means that CBD is not intoxicating and can provide a number of potential benefits for users. CBD interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system to help the body stay in homeostasis so that all of your body’s various systems stay in check. Therefore, if you are feeling a high level of uneasiness or simply out-of-whack, CBD may help balance you out so you feel better.
CBD oil, provided its derived from hemp, is legal for sale and consumption in the United States. You can easily find high-quality CBD oil from various online stores, including Medical Marijuana, Inc., which was the first company to bring hemp CBD oil to market in 2012.
Take Care of Yourself During Quarantine
The world has banded together to fight the spread of the pandemic, and we are all doing our part by staying at home. However, part of that responsibility is taking care of yourself, so make sure to take the time to practice self-care.
These eight self-care practices mentioned above just scratch the surface when it comes to the many ways you can take better care of yourself during quarantine, as many people are also finding solace in meditation, arts and crafts projects, games, online courses, and much more.
No matter what method you choose, take the time to help keep your mind and body healthy during what is an undeniably difficult time for everyone.