Youth
The global spread of coronavirus has altered life as we know it. Government restrictions, lockdowns, and quarantine are the new normal. Everyone is stuck at home to avoid contacting the virus. While spending your days at home to protect your family during the pandemic, you may be feeling stressed and anxious. Day to day activities that you were used to like going out for a walk, shopping, or meeting with family and loved ones is no longer possible because now your life is consumed by news of COVID – 19. Everyone is affected by this in one way or another, and taking care of you while staying at home is more crucial now more than ever. Here are a few things to do while staying at home.
Taking care of your physical health
Spending a lot of time in the house does not mean spending your days in front of the TV. It would help if you stayed physically active to keep your body healthy physically. Exercising releases endorphins that give you a feel-good vibe, so keeping away feelings of anxiety and stress. An example of physical exercise to try out is yoga. There are many online yoga lessons you can download or join and get your body physically fit.
There are also other exercise routines you can try out, Zumba, skipping rope, aerobics, etc. Find one thing that you are comfortable doing and works for you. If you stay with family, convince them to join you, make the exercise routines more fun, and encourage each other to work out more.
Get enough sleep and eat healthy foods.
When it comes to ensuring you are healthy, it’s essential to get enough sleep. Getting enough sleep keeps your immune system at its best to fight off infections like the one caused by coronavirus. There are parts of your body’s immune response that only work when you are sleeping. Scientists also recommend we get enough sleep as it’s one of the ways that can help your body fight feelings of anxiety and stress. Sleep deprivation can make you more sensitive to stress and ramp up your reactions and overreactions. Finally, your brain also requires sleep to function; without it, you will be more irritable, less focused, moody, make poor decisions, and emotional.
Another way to stay healthy at home is to maintain a nutritious diet. Now more than ever, it’s important to eat foods that boost your immunity against the virus to help you fight it off in case of infection. A balanced diet is also a source of energy for our bodies. Stock up on vitamin-rich foods and vegetables to build up your body’s immune system.
Organizing your private working space
With the pandemic threat, a lot of workplaces requested employees to start working from home, which is a new world for a lot of people. While it sounds like a fun opportunity, most people don’t own a desk at home or a home office. While it is tempting to work from your bed or sofa, it’s not productive, and you may hurt your posture.
If you are fortunate enough to get some space to create a home office, it could be piling up with clutter and a lot of dust. So it’s time to clean up and get organized. If you have a desk and chair and can comfortably work in a sweet spot in your home, use it.
If you are working from your dining table, make sure that you have enough space to set up your computer and any other devices needed. It would help if you also had a PowerPoint nearby for chargers and space for your other desk essentials.
Taking care of your mental health
Taking care of your mental health in these times is also very crucial. It will help if you avoid feelings of stress and anxiety. With the news of the pandemic all over TV stations and on the internet, you should take a break from the news. It’s crucial to balance your intake of news related to the pandemic because it can be overwhelming.
Find the time you need by taking breaks to exercise, reading a book, starting a hobby, or connecting with family. Take your time and relax and devote some time to doing something you enjoy, or you have been putting off for some months.
Living in these times of access to technology connecting with family and loved ones has been made easy. Whether it’s a phone call or a call via Skype or Zoom, taking some time to talk with the people you love can bring joy and comfort despite the physical distance between you.
Discuss with people you trust about your feelings and concerns about your mental health. Whether you are feeling depressed or anxious, talking it out is beneficial to you. And it also helps you take care of any issues if you feel like you need to see a specialist due to depression or distress.
General cleaning
This is the time to have a clean home. There is more to just de-cluttering your home now and getting rid of things you don’t use, but a clean home is the first line of defense against the disease. Disinfecting the surfaces that are touched daily will help kill the virus if your surfaces have been contaminated.
A great way to take some time off and feel productive is deep cleaning your home. This is the time to clean those hard to reach surfaces. Move the furniture and clean under them. Remove rugs and curtains and clean them too. Check out all the stuff in the fridge and clean it while getting rid of all the expired foods. Also, don’t forget to thoroughly clean and disinfect the bathtub and under your bed to get rid of the dust accumulating.
You can also do those tasks you have been putting off, like digitizing your DVDs using DVD Copy Software and transferring them to your computer. You can take some time off, relax, and spend time watching movies.
