Lots of cities are in or heading towards a lock down. It is hard for everyone. What if this time is not just another lock down? What if this is an opportunity to level up your well-being and better manage your work/life balance? Follow this 4 week series of posts to take advantage of this time and come out of the quarantine a better, happier you.
Quarantine Effects
- Bereavement
- Isolation
- Loss of income
- Fear
- Increased levels of alcohol
and drug use - Insomnia
- Anxiety
- People with pre-existing mental, neurological or substance use disorders are also more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2
Week 1 - Self Care
The first week is dedicated to self care: what better way to fight a mighty virus than being prepared, in our best shape. Physically, Emotionally, Mentally, Spiritually
Physically
Emotionally
Mentally
Spiritually
PHYSICAL CARE
Sleep / Rest, Eat Healthy, Exercise
You binge-watch that latest series on Netflix until 2 am, then move to bed to spend another hour on the latest post on Facebook from that one random person you met in the summer of 2017 in a pub in Majorca until 3am. Then wake up 8am to start your day.
As an adult you need an absolute minimum of 7 hour sleep. Your body would be so much happier if you reached 9 though.
When you sleep, the body goes is recharging and gets you ready for the next day. Your brain takes this opportunity to tidy up your brain warehouse: from speech skills to numbers and facts. Memories are being built.
‘I will sleep during the day’, you say. Your body though is programmed through thousands of years of evolution, to stay safe at night in the cave and go hunt early in the morning, when the other animals are awake.
Binge watching goes hand-in-hand with binge eating. Save yourself from counting down the opening of the gym just to get rid of the extra calories of the lockdown:
- Try not to eat your main meal in front of a screen.
- Set a time when food consumption stops for the day.
- Allow yourself a very limited number of healthy snacks and stick to them. No Mars bars are not considered healthy snack.
Walk. Dance. Yoga. Powerlifting. Extreme-Cardio. Whatever rocks your boat, schedule it. Do not leave it as a last minute decision, chances are your couch is more convincing than you might think.
Exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that
- act as analgesics, reduce your perception of pain.
- trigger a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of morphine, known as a “runner’s high,”
- act as sedatives
Regular exercise has been proven to:
- Reduce stress
- Ward off anxiety and feelings of depression
- Boost self-esteem
- Improve sleep
- It strengthens your heart.
- It increases energy levels
- It lowers blood pressure.
- It improves muscle tone and strength
- It strengthens and builds bones
EMOTIONAL CARE
Relationship, Friends, Community
True meaningful relationships with good character that stick around and are always by your side are just like a puppy. They need to be constantly shown love, they need our time and attention.
- Keep the contact in a digital form at the same frequency as the physical one. Don’t miss or change a date.
- Try to make it fun: a drink, a game, watch a film together or solve a puzzle. Make it count.
- Dare to be vulnerable. Share your feelings with your girlfriend, your friends, your family, your community. It is OK to feel however you feel and your support net is there for that as you are there for them.
MENTAL CARE
Unplug, Fence, Learn
With the excuse of communication you will be tempted surgically attach your phone to your hand. Probably there is also a tablet running around the house and the TV plays the role of the extra family member.
Unplug. Set your phone to Silent mode the whole day. Try not to have it near you after work. Leave it outside your bedroom. Turn the TV on only to watch something that you really mean to. Don’t listen to New more than twice a day.
Fence. You are not a mountain, you have to stop people from climbing on you. Be compassionate, supportive but know your boundaries and save yourself. You need the whole of you to deal with a pandemic.
Learn. The director in your brain needs equally to rest and to have fun. Pick up a new fun book, look up a new skill, maybe you can learn about gardening or how to make your own fresh yogurt. Save money and make your own cosmetics. You will get out of the quarantine looking younger and feeling richer, win-win. Just don’t make your own vodka.
SPIRITUAL CARE
Connect w/ Nature, Meditate, Find your Quiet space
Even if you live on your own, with all the work, the connection requests and the Netflix binge-watching, it actually might prove quite challenging to find some quiet space.
Do you believe in God? Any God will do. Maybe you believe that we are all cosmic energy. Maybe we are just another animal species on this planet. Whatever you believe, make an effort to reconnect with that. Find a time to pray to your God, suck in some energy. Lay on your back in the middle of the park and let the sun bathe you, pay attention to the little sounds, smell, touch.
Meditation needs as little as 10 min of your time, can be done anywhere and it can have a positive effect in all the following:
- Stress
- Self-awareness
- Focusing on the present
- Negative emotions
- Imagination and creativity
- Asthma
- Chronic pain
- Depression
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Sleep problems
- Tension headaches
Not your cup of tea? Headphones off, phone off, TV off, everything off, stay quiet with the one person that is always with you and knows your more than anyone else: you.
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