7 easy things you can do to keep emotionally fit in self-isolation
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Recharge your optimism!
Self-isolation is not a trend, it’s a vital need these days during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, people got so creative about spending time at home in self-isolation and less time together to make COVID-19 less viral, that it’s almost changing the contemporary paradigm. On a social and conceptual level. If you didn’t realize it yet, it’s time you check what you’re willing to try in the ongoing self-isolation season.
1. Take an x-day challenge
You’ll say, I’m not into sports… But challenges are of many types. Give yourself a focus point and that will deliver peace of mind and enthusiasm. Try it, you’ll feel empowered and healthier.
If you listen to those that went through challenges, you’ll see challenges are life-changers, but in a good way, not the disruption we’re living now in the hospitals.
It should not necessarily be a 30-day challenge. It can be a 7-day or 14-day YOGA challenge on DoYogaWithMe.com. But equally a painting challenge, a tailoring project for a week, a documentary marathon, taking arty picture through the house (now that’s a challenge!) :) , learning a new song daily, giving up a bad habit, becoming a morning person, and so on. You know better what you’re up to.
But get yourself provoked please. And share your experience with us in a comment below. OK? Our team is also sharing below…
2. Learn something new in self-isolation
Think about something you don’t know about, but would like to. Or something that would be useful to you to know or handle when the crazy times are over. Here are some ideas for your self-isolation class.
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If you’re up for a professional reorientation, self-isolation can be a good job transition. Get an online course. Udemy.com, Coursera.com, alison.com or Skillshare.com are just some of the online platforms out there bringing together university classes from all over the world FOR FREE.
From Web Development, PHP, Python, CSS, Web App, Django, JavaScript, HTML, to music, arts, social entrepreneurship, cooking, accounting, design, you name it!
Also, there are now many other entities and popular experts offering training for free in times of crisis. See how the commercial membrane of the community becomes more flexible? Berklee College is offering free music classes, including creating music using technology.
And then, there’s the best teacher right in your living room. YouTube tutorials, the free style informal school of our century. Choose the best instructor for you and take notes. Good luck with your pick!
3. Practice your hobby
The best time to do what you like. For at least two reasons: it’s very healthy for the brain and body. It’s what experts worldwide are saying. Finally the best time to take a photo of your cooking-babies and post them on Instagram. Don’t forget to add #stayhome and connect with your fellow community worldwide.
If you’re living in an apartment instead of a house, and you’d like to do some plant caring… balcony gardening is great! Plus greenery will boost the ambience.
Photo by Camilla Carvalho on Unsplash
Some do sports, some play an instrument. If you’re into skiing I bet there are creative ways to practice standing on folded knees and practice some muscle group…
Riding the bike is possible with or without a bike, except that you won’t score real world kilometres. The app won’t know if you use one. ;)
If writing is your thing, wow. You’re covered. You can wake up at 5 or a bit later and have all that silent treatment :) for yourself. Keep constant, and you’ll be amazed what comes out…
Reading hobbies may be challenging with kids at home, for example. Or what to read in these tight times? Read your serious books out loud, your kids may not understand a bit, but they would probably try to listen for a while… just because your voice is in the air and you look serious. :) Read online if you’re out of books, or get to audiobooks.
Photo by Fabiola Peñalba on Unsplash
Cooking and backing fans are on the best grounds now too. You’ve got the kitchen at your disposal 24/7, and with food rationing, it gets even more creative.
If you’re into meditation and breathing, take up Wim Hof’s method, that involves breathing exercises and cold showers to boost your immune system and give you new sensations.
Yoga fans may be the happiest… Mattress is at hand, otherwise a blanket, and free online classes with nice funny people everywhere.
Boardgames are no excuse to miss if you have them. Otherwise, try online chess or other games you prefer. Or get an app and you won’t lose any wooden element. :)
Online games are available at hand… for every level, age and topic. Kids can even try education games that help them organize the room or recognizing kitchen tools.
Home cleaning can be a great way to move around and not an ordeal if you see it this way. A friend coming back from the village area of Vietnam was talking about the mindset of people there while doing housework… no rush, fluid movement and happy to be moving… Wow, right?
4. Exercise
It’s like a quiz: you’ve got a small room and you’ve got time. How do you exercise?
To answer this question, Time.com and Guardian Sport online publication shared the story of a 32-year-old furloughed restaurant worker in Toulouse, France, who ran the distance of a marathon on his 7-meter balcony.
5. Watch a movie, a play, a concert
It’s unbelievable how a horrifying phenomenon like an unknown-cause-and-treatment pandemic can take us all on a new level. Look how many things that weren’t free before become available to all. Don’t miss it, it may take just a short while… Theatres, musicians, broadway shows broadcast for free online.
Museums take you on virtual tours online. That’s new.
Besides that phenomenon, your self-isolation can turn into home-cinema a bit. Forget about pop-corn, you’ve got cable, Netflix, HBO. So many choices, that the Spanish flu lacked. We’re lucky!
Other companies — outside the traditional streaming sites such as Hulu, Netflix and Amazon — are making content available during the era of social distancing. (Brakkton Booker, “Getting bored? Here’s A List Of Free Things That Weren’t Free Before Coronavirus”, NPR.org)
6. Best time to declutter
The mindset in times of crisis can be all-inclusive or minimalist, have you noticed? Decluttering thus becomes a good check of what you still need, what order could be more efficient, or simply go through your things for random check and see how to improve…
7. Rest or spend more time with your home team
Many of us are working from home these days. Some industries are busier than before, and that’s extra load.
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
It may also be even more tiring having your kids knocking at your work room insistently or cuddling in your lap while you’re trying to put down a clear message to email your manager or a client.
For those of you, rest is heaven. The good part is that save on your transportation in terms of time. So, if you do the math, you’re actually left with more time for yourself or your kids. They’ve been waiting for this since day 1.
MobileRecharge team shares tips on how they spend self-isolation
Do what you like…
Claudia, for example, from MobileRecharge.com team, is meeting her collage club on Thursday, as they would do before the pandemic took over. But this time virtually. Yes, it definitely work to boost her most awaited dopamine. Collage-work has become an art-therapy for her these days, because it brings together pleasure and focus and helps escape the media news.
I have to admit that even for a natural-born optimistic person, I have my own share of struggle and turmoil these days. But what keeps me fit… I guess it’s trying to keep up with my weekly routine. Going to “online gyms” from the comfort of my home, besides my regular cardio workouts. I’ve now added some yoga and breathing exercises. My Tuesday evenings are still dedicated to collage artworks. I like to step away from news from time to time and just dive into my books or some photo editing. Oh, let’s not forget the cold showers. They do wonders ;) (Claudia Ramba from MobileRecharge team)
Also, painting or playing an instrument may be your thing. Reading or dancing. Who care’s if you’re a professional of a beginner, we’re all homemade stars these days. And our audience is online. :)
Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash
For others, self-isolation and a personal condition lead to learning new things.
The way I cope with self-isolation is by putting a lot more effort into learning new things. I, unfortunately, don’t have a lot of resources that I can use for hands-on activities like sewing or knitting or drawing, but I fell into a deep skincare hole lately and there is a lot of information out there for me to digest. I’ve now been spending some of my free time just looking up ingredients and learning how they react with each other, what makes certain ingredients better or worse than others etc. An unexpected bonus is that I’ve actually been using some of my high-school chemistry knowledge, which I thought would never come in handy. (Claudia C. from MobileRecharge.com team)
And our colleague, Lucian, touches grounds he hasn’t stepped on for a while…
So far I tested my cooking skills, I watched some videos about my passion (photography), and, of course, I spent more quality time with my family. My plan for today is to learn how to fly my drone inside my house. I hope I won’t destroy anything ;) (Lucian from MobileRecharge.com team)
Top up a mobile anywhere in the world…
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In other words, keep safe, avoid stores and shop online, friends! Also, you can count on MobileRecharge.com or MobileRecharge app to top up your phone or send credit to your friends, folks and neighbours, no matter where they are in the world, no matter the distance. And it takes seconds only.
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