We truly live in remarkable times. The entire world is engulfed in a common problem, everyone working together to try and solve it. Various measures have been introduced everywhere. From social distancing, face masks, to various quarantine measures. These all serve a purpose to try and alleviate the dangers that threaten the world. One of the consequences of these measures is the change every one of us has to endure in our day to day lives. The truth is, the show must go on. That means our social lives, our plans, careers etc. cannot afford to be put on hold. There are plenty of ways to keep up with our daily needs and we will cover some of them in this article.
- Health
It is important to keep up with the activities that help us remain healthy. Breaking these habits for a prolonged period of time could have negative consequences further down the line. It is so tempting to break a good habit. You can turn this way of thinking around. Instead of breaking out of your routine, think of new, creative ways to keep doing what you were doing. Arguably, the most effective way of minimizing stress, depression and weight gain is regular physical activity. Harness the power of daily exercise and you will have a drastically improved quality of life and mental health. Your future, post-pandemic self will be grateful that you have not broken out of your positive habit mould. If you are able to exercise outside, take all the necessary precautions and have a face mask with you at all times. You never know when you might do it.
- The economy
The lockdown is putting a strain on the global economy, and by extension, all of the many individual ones. We could possibly be facing a serious recession. But, let us not jump the gun. Many countries are easing on the lockdown measures simply because the strain on the economy is too great. Which can be a good and a bad thing. Many people are losing jobs as a result of the entire ordeal. It can happen to anyone, and you have to be prepared for something like that. How do we do that? By leveraging all the industries and technologies that we have available to us. Online businesses are booming right now and food delivery services are running constantly. When one industry contracts, another one expands. It is just the nature of the marketplace. Find your place in it, manage it to the best of your abilities and thrive.
- Mental self-care
We have already touched upon the need for maintaining composure and a stress-free existence in these trying times. Let us go a bit deeper into it. First of all, try and keep as many routines as possible. People are habitual creatures. This means we like routines and that which is familiar. Go to bed at a predetermined time, space out and put consideration into your meals and have strict periods during the day for studying and working. Be careful with exposure to the news media. There is a constant flow of news bombarding us with COVID-19 reports. Be in the loop, but avoid all unnecessary and false information. It is a time when most of us have abundant time. Make sure to use it productively. Keep yourself busy. Now is the time to make that project a reality or to learn a new language or skill.
- Managing loneliness
One of the most obvious aspects of finding oneself in a global pandemic is the need and moral obligation to keep the social distance. Loneliness can be a serious issue for some. For others, it may be a more manageable aspect of everyday life. It is a very subjective matter, one that always requires some degree of management. Feelings of isolation and loneliness tie into our previous point of mental health management pretty well. Even when in direct contact with other people, we still have to wear face masks for the wellbeing of others. Not being able to observe all of the facial expressions of other people can have some interesting consequences. It can contribute, not necessarily to loneliness, but to a feeling of being socially detached. It is still better than no contact at all. Manage and leverage human contact to the best of your abilities.
- The power of positivity
These are trying times for sure. Make a conscious effort to focus on the positive aspects of life. Instead of falling into a negative loop of bad feelings, turn your efforts towards an upward spiral. One day this will be a blip in our rear-view mirror. What we have done with that time is what will define us in the future. Such a situation gives us a rare opportunity. It allows us to reflect on the most important things in our lives and re-evaluate ourselves. When was the last time you paused and thought about such things? Especially in the chaos of regular working life. Make plans to improve yourself and go through with them. It is a rare opportunity where you can come out on top once the dust settles.
COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon. And even if it does, another pandemic can always sprout out of the blue. We cannot predict it but we can control how we handle it. Make the most of it with these basic self-care principles to keep yourself and those closest to you safe and healthy.