Surviving Self Isolation

Our world is constantly changing, sometimes at a greater rate than others. At the moment, every country is facing the challenge that COVID-19 has brought upon us. Every person will be united in an awareness and knowledge of this new situation. We are all living through a period of unknown. It is scary for us all. However great measures are being taken, to the best of our abilities, to limit the spread of COVID-19. We’re all human and our greatest support is each other - let’s work through this together!


Spending an extended period of time in your house may seem like a daunting prospect - try and put aside these thoughts and focus on the positives that you can get out of this period. We will all have days when we will feel unmotivated and unproductive, but this is okay! We’re living through a stressful, uncertain period at the moment so it is more than acceptable that you will need to relax and take some time for you. Don’t beat yourself up for giving yourself this time.
You will also have very productive days too. You’ll jump out of bed in the morning, feeling refreshed, knowing that you’re going to channel your energy into today’s tasks and challenges. When those days come, embrace them and enjoy the work you put in, whatever you may be doing. Reward yourself for this work, no matter how small you may believe your achievement is. Every little bit you do will add up eventually - you’ll look back on this period, saying to yourself ‘I’m happy with what I achieved’!


Planning your day at home may seem difficult. Try and create a routine for yourself that you follow every day, making sure you leave some time to chill as well. Having this structure means you don’t have to think too much about what you’ll be doing during the day, and when, and writing your daily routine down will encourage and motivate you to follow the plan. Below are some activities that you could weave into your daily routine:


Take Some Time to Read
The population are using smart technology more and more nowadays, so it’s often nice to give your eyes a rest from the screens and swap them for words. Whether it’s a novel, a magazine, a comic, a short story… Whatever takes your fancy! Have a sit down, make yourself a cuppa and enjoy getting lost in your book.


Move
You have most likely seen many videos and photos on social media for home workouts. If you’re feeling like giving your body a blast, go for it! However, don’t feel like you have to go hard-core on the exercise. Any form of movement will lift your spirits and make you feel more positive. Walk up and down the stairs a couple of times, do some gentle stretching, choose 4 exercises you enjoy and complete each one for 1,2,3 sets (you choose)!


Do Some Arts & Crafts
Everyone can make some form of arts and crafts, even if you believe you aren’t any good at it. Each person will have an individual way of drawing, painting, creating, building, gluing, cutting… Grab some paper and a pen, get out those paints that may have been sitting in a cupboard for a long time, learn to do origami – create! Let your hands follow their own path and observe the pieces that appear in front of you without trying to force your brain to invent. Use this as time to take your mind off all that’s going on.


Tidy
Although this may seem like a less appealing project, I guarantee that it will bring great satisfaction when you have finished. Whether you clear a whole room at once, or tidy away one thing per day, you’ll definitely notice a difference and it will help to clear your head too.


Mindfulness
Mindfulness may seem like a big word, which you may not fully understand. As the name suggests, it is the act of being mindful of your thoughts, feelings, senses, what’s around you etc. During the day, while you’re sitting at your desk, or standing in your kitchen, close your eyes. Bring your attention to your breath and imagine this breath travelling to the different parts of your body. Take ten deep breaths (or more if you fancy)! Throughout this time, if a thought/feeling/sense pops into your head, instead of trying to dismiss this thought, acknowledge it is there, observe it and bring your attention back to your breath.


Communicate
Everyone will be feeling a little stressed and anxious during these times. It always helps to have a chat with someone, especially if you or they are feeling lonely or low. Organise a virtual coffee with family and friends and take some time to speak, smile and laugh. You can be certain that the person on the other end of the line will really appreciate your love and care for them, as you will be grateful for theirs.

In these uncertain times, take care of yourself and others and support each other in any way you can. Smile every day, take deep breaths and focus on the present. Although this is affecting every one of us, it is bringing us together in many ways. Stay safe and stay positive!