Prolonged self-isolation can lead to feelings of uncertainty and anxiety. During the period that you need to stay at home or practice social distancing, you should engage in activities that will work towards reducing stress. The following suggestions and tips should help keep you in a great mood and focused on positive factors and practices while the current pandemic lasts.
- Practice Yoga and Meditation
It might seem a bit obvious, but when you find yourself in a situation where your walking or jogging is limited, a perfect remedy for such a situation is the practice of yoga. It’s a great way to keep your mind off the endless news articles and tweets about the pandemic, whilst staying fit. You can find a huge number of free yoga classes with seasoned instructors on YouTube and other social networks too. Some yoga instructors also provide live-streaming of their classes right from their living rooms. Add daily meditation to your yoga classes and you will experience a positive change of mood within a few days. Check out the helpful guides on starting meditation online or look into a variety of good meditation apps for your phone to get started.
- Play with Your Pets
Reduce the amount of time you spend online and have some fun with your pet(s). Spending about two hours with your pet daily will offer you a range of positive benefits, including:
* Greater happiness
* Reduced feeling of loneliness
* Increased fitness (when you can go out and exercise with your pet)
* Reduction in stress levels
* Renewed energy and productivity.
While it may not be wise to go for a long walk or to stroll to a dog park during this period, you can still play within your yard or even indoors. Just remember to create enough space if you don’t want to be sweeping up pieces of decor or furniture later on.
- Grow New Plants
If you are fortunate to have a back or front yard, you can spend time planting new plants. The type of plants you choose will depend on your garden’s soil type, size, and orientation. Here are some tips to help you add new plants to your garden:
* Plant in bulk for maximum impact
* Group your plants in threes or fives
* Fill gaps you have in your beds and pots with new plants and flowers
* Add more evergreens that will look great in both summer and winter.
Be aware of and avoid planting certain varieties that might be poisonous to your dog or cat. Since your pet may not instinctively always know which plants are potentially harmful or deadly to it, it is important to familiarise yourself with those found around your garden and for further information and peace of mind, you should also endeavor to consult your local garden center for information on indigenous varieties.
- Watch All Those Movies
If up until now you’ve avoided watching movies due to their length and social engagements, now is the perfect time to sit down and commit to watching them to the end. Many of you undoubtedly have substantial watch lists of your own, but should you struggle for choice here are some possible suggestions for your cinematic marathons:
* Movies that won the Oscars
* Movies that qualified for the Independent Spirit Awards
* Movies that critics feel should have won the Oscars and other awards for the Best Picture
* 100 movies picked by USA Today for anyone in self-isolation.
- Learn a New Language
If you’ve ever wanted to wax lyrical in a language other than your own, then what a perfect opportunity this current situation presents for just that. It goes without saying that learning a new language will sharpen your mind and boost your cognitive abilities. You will also enjoy other benefits including:
* A sharper memory
* Easier multitasking
* Reduced stress levels
* Improved decision-making
* Better understanding of your first language.
There are numerous options available for you to download a language learning app to your phone and begin your lessons today. Just think of all the new words you can learn now and that you can show off to your friends and family when the lockdown is over. And don’t forget languages open doors, and new languages can open new ones.
- Stay In Touch With Loved Ones
Keeping in touch with other family members, who are living far away, can greatly improve your mood and overall well being. Spend thirty mins to an hour chatting with your immediate family, be it your parents, grandparents or even siblings. It’s a great way to stay connected and keep yourselves mutually happy every day. You can even record some of your grandparents’ conversations and store them in the cloud, for eternal posterity. As with the many things that are available to us today, there are also many alternatives for staying in touch, ranging from classic options like Skype and Viber to Zoom and Google Hangouts.
- Do Calming Activities
Spend more time doing what you love. Whether it’s reading an interesting book, doing a DIY home repair project, playing board games, trying out new online games, listening to music or a podcast, you should get as much entertainment as you can. Take time to participate in group activities if you are living with other family members.
- Start a Journal or Blog
Expressing yourself in writing helps you to cope with your feelings. You may choose to write with a good old pen and paper, type on your computer, keep a blog, or record a video. You will feel good each time you do it. Advances in technology have provided various options for self-expression, so you can opt for any format you love. You can easily post your thoughts on a free blog using Blogger, WordPress or Medium. You can also start your own YouTube channel or simply share a story or two on Instagram or Snapchat.
Those are a few of the possible stress-relieving activities you can get involved in while you self-isolate. If you ever find yourself lacking in ideas, we trust that some of the suggestions provided above will be useful in keeping your mind and body in good stead while we await the return of normalcy to our daily lives.
Sofia is a passionate writer from Sydney. She also enjoys decorating houses and engaging in home renovation projects. That is why she loves sharing her experience and advice with other people through her writing. Besides this, she loves technology and gadgets which can help us get through a busy workday.
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