Creating calm - the world of Self Isolation...
Everywhere you turn be it the news or social media, or media in general, updates on Coronavirus (CO-VID19) are everywhere. Whilst it is important to keep up-to-date with what is going on and follow guidance to keep yourself safe - panic can sometimes set in. Panic then turns to fear and this can create additional stress if you’re not prepared.
I decided to write this blog post to give you some suggestions for things you can do whilst you’re at home to help stay positive and to help you feel productive.
Start with the basics.
Are you getting enough sleep like 6-8 hours? Or are you drinking enough water? about 8 cups a day, give or take,
Are you moving your body? This can mean anything from doing 10 squats or stretching to doing a 30minute YouTube workout video.
It can be very easy when stuck at home to feel bored, isolated or tired and the important thing is to maintain healthy habits. Get enough sleep, have a good morning routine that sets you up for the day and give yourself space to breathe!
The other thing here is to STOP comparing yourself and your routine and habits to other people. You’re different and so are they! What you love and enjoy will not be the same as someone else.
Occupy your mind
What I mean here is being careful of what you allow into your mind. That means think about what you are looking at on social media like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter etc. Are the things you follow inspiring you or leaving you feeling a lack of energy or constantly comparing yourself. If it’s the latter then try unfollowing accounts that no longer serve you.
With having a lot of time at home it can be easy to get overly reliant on TV and Netflix as a source of entertainment. Watching a film or series can get rid of a few hours but this is not the only way to spend time.
Sometimes your mind needs a break from everything around it in terms of on screen info and updates. For times like that meditation can be a great gift. I’ve started using the Headspace app to do quick 10 minute mediations when I begin to feel bored and I find it really helpful. After a meditation session on the app I feel more focused and more clear headed and keen to get on with my day’s tasks.
Another form of meditation for me is doing simple household tasks. Laundry, ironing, and decluttering are quite easy manual tasks where I focus on what I’m doing and then when finished I get a sense of achievement. One task I’m planning on doing in the next few weeks is sorting out my bathroom cupboard of the out of date products.
Writing or journaling can also help empty your mind and give you a fresh perspective. I like to do morning pages when I wake up (inspired by Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way). The idea here is to set a timer for 30 minutes and write everything and anything that comes out of your brain without editing. When the time is up throw away the pages or put them away and get started with your day. It’s something I find helps me start the day as I want to rather than letting media or outside influences dictate my day.
Make time for you
It can be easy to confuse self isolation at home with being down time and it’s not. Many of us are either working from home or with people who are going to work in hospitals and healthcare related jobs. In this kind of situation it is even more important to take time out for yourself daily to do something fun.
Ideas for things you can do that would take 5mins at most:
Read a few pages of a book or magazine
Listen to a favourite song and dance to it, or even make your own dance routine up.
Learn a skill using YouTube videos (type something like learn lettering into the search box and see what comes up)
Go for a walk round your home or round the garden, or the block. Find one thing that is different and appreciate that you noticed it.
Write that blog post you’ve been meaning to but never had time (you have plenty of time now!)
Do a free sudoku puzzle at https://www.websudoku.com - you can select from easy up to evil levels.
Make a herbal tea and really pay attention to how it tastes. Can you guess what the ingredients are? (I tried to do this with a mint green match tea and only guessed at mint!)
Some new hobbies I’m experimenting with are lettering and calligraphy and online dance classes (I watch a dance routine then have a go at the moves in my living room). What hobbies are you interested in having a go at? Or getting back into? Let me know in the comments. The key here is to work with what you already have. If you are stuck for ideas search on Google or YouTube and you will be able to find inventive ways of trying out hobbies.
Connecting with your people..
Whilst the government imposed lockdown is in place it can be tough not being able to travel and spend time with people easily. To combat this - try using Skype or Zoom or Blue Jeans to host a virtual catch up session with friends and family. It might feel strange the first time you do this but you will get into the habit of it and will find that it creates a different type of connection.
Plenty of fitness instructors and centres are now offering live classes for free online. I follow Alice Living (@aliceliveing) on Instagram as she regularly posts mini exercise circuits that are fun to do and help to get your heart rate up.
You could also host a virtual exercise class with a few of your friends and family members where you all call each other and do the moves together. It’s a great way to connect and keep fit at the same time! You can even recommend your favourite moves to each other.
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And there you have it - my simple list of self isolation tips. Whilst there are hundreds of things you can do I’ve kept the list above simple so that it encourages you to try something today. Remember you are not alone in the self-isolation challenge and there is always something positive you can do that will make a difference.
The key is to start small and KEEP GOING! Let me know what you’re doing in your time at home and I’ll see you in the next blog post :)