Realities of Quarantine
Whether you are in a full blown quarantine or in a status of social distancing, the realities of the Coronavirus has us all on a one form of lockdown or another. The disease proved to be a lot more deadly and potent than any of us anticipated and with nations scrambling to catch up and deal with the pandemic.
Isolated in our homes, it is very easy for our minds to make crazy scenarios and with the Internet, a platform for anyone to use and still completely free, its -very- easy to get lost on fake news and panic posting. Our advice? Take a step back, relax, only listen to the official streams of news, stay safe and take all necessary precautions. We must endure this storm together in isolation, you are not as alone as it seems.
Combating Boredom
Though us introverts may view this as our call to arms, our moment to shine, the glorious time we have all been preparing for, the rest are in a dire situation. Though many may catch up on some well deserved rest, for a lot of others, the time they have to spend cooped up inside brings them one step closer to the edge, and they're about to break (#LinkinParkftw).
But do not despair my friends! Here we come to save the day! We have thought about, and found, a few things we can do to pass the time during these long days and nights of our quarantine.
A novel idea comes from The New Daily in the form of exercising at home. With this article you can have a few great tips on how to substitute the hours you would have spent in the gym, with hours spent exercising in your own house. From apps to training videos, the internet offers a wide display of things you can use to stay in shape, or at the very least maintain a healthy amount of activity, throughout the entire quarantine.
From humorous videos to actual advice, there is something for you out there!
What is that you say? You are not the athletic type? Well, do you have a pet? If so, then aside from using it to go out every once and a while, you cheater, perhaps you should take the time to train said pet or teach it new tricks. From a fun list of tricks you can teach your dog, by dogtime.com, to just spending time with your pets during the long hours of staying at home, as a responsible pet owner, you should do your best to make sure that the quarantine is as fun or easy for them as you make it be for you!
"But I don't have a pet!" I hear you shout. Well then, hold on to your horses there bucko, because we are not done yet! As I said, the internet is full of tips and tricks, advice and off course, lists. USA today, Psychology Today, Whats New Jakarta, even some youtube videos by certain Slav King the options are almost limitless and the choice is yours.
Our advice? Well, it is high time to shift gears and go at a slower pace if you are not working from home. But even if you are, the extra time on your hands is best spent among people you love. Use social media to stay in touch with those close to you, read a book, catch up on movies/shows, play a video game or do an online course (tech learning offers a great list).
If you stop for a moment and think, you will realize that this day and age offers so many things that demand your time, that you can pretty much still have a full life even if you do not go out as much as you used to.
Improvisation At Its Finest
Truth be told, as unpleasant as the social distancing/quarantine may be, it is almost inspiring to see how people have come together to combat the crisis. As you might have already seen in videos, many....many videos people have decided to make the quarantine work for them, rather than go on a downwards spiral.
I will come clean folks, I never anticipated something as panic inducing as a world wide pandemic to have brought so many people together in such unconventional ways. Balcony parties, costumed people walking around the streets, memes flooding the internet (Visit Boredpanda for a taste). With social media turning more social than media in the past few days, it is good to ensure you keep an eye out for all the positive things that are going on.
There is plenty of negativity going around, plenty of terror posts, fake news, misinformation and some anger flowing around. Regardless of whether or not the anger and "scary" posts about the outbreak are justified or not, I would strongly suggest you make sure to filter those things. It is a crazy internet world out there, and with the dangers of a negative psychological spiral it is important to guard yourself for it. CNBC in this article give a few solid tips on the matter, but my own would be, to always try to find the silver lining.
This is an ideal opportunity to spent time with your pets, your kids, your loved ones. Find a common activity, find a common interest, develop hobbies or hell, even just sitting around and catching up on all those shows you wanted to see, or that video game you always wanted to try out. With many companies offering free, or discounted services, like those listed by CNET in their article, you have a surprising amount of things to do. Your true enemy is unfiltered negativity.
Way I see things? The Quarantine has brought a boom of creative memes and jokes, brought a lot of people together and through the internet we are finally starting to get to know each other. It is always important to see how, despite us being from different cultural backround, we are still united as a species. From Greece's populace clapping at nights in their balconies to send a supportive message to the healthcare providers, to the Spanish making impromptu dj shows in their balconies, to Chinese chanting "hold on Wuhan". Three different populations, one could argue three different cultures, and yet a singular unified spirit against a common enemy.
Final Thoughts
The current pandemic is going to test us all in various ways. From the "work at home" employee to the CEO, nobody is going to be unaffected. In these trying times, its important to remember the things that keep you going. With the quarantine freeing up a lot of time, perhaps its time to slow down, and do some inward searching, find a new hobby, develop a skill or just take the time to recharge our batteries. And if you are like me and still have to work from home?
Well, I might work from home, but my family is not, so I have more time I can spend with them when I am off duty, people are in their computers, there is opportunity to re-connect, converse, start a new hobby. Hell, I have learned more about shows and movies that explore on subjects I did not know I was interested in, just because the people that could suggest them to me spent more time around the social media I hang out with.
The Human Spirit is unbreakable should it choose to be. Stay strong, filter the negativity and find the silver lining. Stay strong everyone!
