Quarantining yourself at home can play an important role in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. But this doesn’t mean that coping with the disruption in your normal routine is easy. Taking care of your mental health is essential, even if your time in quarantine is relatively brief in the grand scheme of things.
Therefore, it’s very important to acknowledge your feelings. Sometimes we feel that we need to ignore our needs, but that can quickly become counterproductive. We all need time to recharge. This can make a huge difference during these difficult times.
Maintain Normalcy with a Daily Routine
It can be hard to feel normal during a viral outbreak, but it’s essential to maintain your normal routine as much as possible — especially for children in the household.
Without the external touchpoints of work, school or social activities, routines can fall apart. Setting expectations for yourself and others in the household can help you stay in touch with reality and prevent boredom and discontent from setting in.
Keep Your Mind Active with Online Learning
Isolation and lack of work can lead to mental anguish. Crossword and jigsaw puzzles are fun ways to keep your mind active, but after long periods of time, they tend to lose their potency. The best way to stay engaged is through active learning. Online courses provide goals to work towards and can put you in touch with a community of fellow learners in online forums.
Social Isolation Doesn’t Have To Mean Emotional Isolation
Think about the ways you stay connected now. We’ve gotten so used to being “on” all the time that we’ve taken it for granted. Reaching out to friends and family from afar is essential. Now is the time to bump up live video and facetime calls so we can be as present with our loved ones as possible while still staying safe.
Talk about your experience with others. Try online therapy if your budget allows for it. Don’t shy away from sharing. This is something we’re all experiencing and we can benefit from the camaraderie in that.
