Making The Most Out Of Our Quarantine
by Alex Arrache
These last couple of months have been hard as everyone is facing unprecedented challenges. Some of us are facing sadness and grief, while others are battling financial instability or emotional turmoil. High school seniors aren’t able to graduate or go to prom, parents and grandparents aren’t able to spend this precious time with their families, and the list goes on and on. Stress levels are through the roof and whatever your particular struggle may be during this time is completely valid.
However, we can choose to find the positivity in this time as well. We can use this time to get closer to our families, to reach deeper within ourselves, to finally clean out our closets, that list goes on and on as well. Today we’re going to list some of the ways we’ve been using our time at home in beneficial ways and some tips to staying grounded and uplifted.
1. Meditation/ Prayer
This one is really the dealer's choice, whether you choose to focus your mind and breath on a mantra or converse with a higher power the results will be the same. The important part is setting a time each day, and most of us have plenty of that to go around. Tell yourself you’re going to spend ten minutes, or five or twenty or however long is comfortable for you, and then use that time to yourself- by yourself. This will result in a more relaxed mindset as your stress levels will be reduced, your blood pressure lowered, and the voice in our heads that fuels our anxieties will have been turned down a little bit. If you’re new to meditation or prayer, there are lots of guided videos on Youtube as well as lots of articles with tips and tricks!
- Getting Ready- Even Though We’re Not Going Anywhere
Choosing to get up, take a shower, brush your hair and your teeth, put on an outfit that makes you feel good, do your make up the way you like it, maybe even put on perfume even though you’re going to be staying home will boost your confidence more than you might realize. There’s something about wearing sweatpants all the time that can put a subtle weight on your shoulder that will really dampen your mood if it goes on long enough. Look good, feel good, do good as they say.
- Focusing On a Single Tasking
We’ve probably all heard by now that the brain isn’t actually capable of multitasking, it can only switch it’s attention back and forth, but we all still try to manage it. Working from home, or not, it’s easy to find ourselves multitasking. Whether it’s taking Buzzfeed quizzes while in a Zoom meeting or playing with the dog while writing up a report or watching a T.V. show while exercising. At home it’s extra easy to get distracted, so try, at least for some portion of the day, to spend time solely focused on one thing that you want to get done. There are lots of tips and tricks for this practice online as well, such as keeping a journal.
- Organizing Our Living Spaces
Surely, we all have clothes, books, knickknacks, and other items we either don’t use or don’t need anymore. Now is the time to go through our closets and our shelves and sort out what we really want and what we just still have. This doesn’t need to be all done at once, but when you’ve got some time to spare, why not start donating the things that no longer spark joy. In the long run, donating clothes, food, and other items will feel good because now the things that were just taking up space and collecting dust will be put to good use by people who need them. Not to mention our home will feel like it has a little more breathing room.
- Me Time- That’s More Than Just Netflix Time
While Netflix, HBO, Hulu, and all of the other streaming services have their time and place it’s important to hit the pause button and do something for ourselves. We are all good at something and we all enjoy doing things that are stimulating. Whether it’s puzzles or writing poetry or crocheting or yoga or whatever your thing may be. Spend some time doing it. It’s all too easy to say, “oh, I’m going to work on that project I started tomorrow,” and then never get around to it. It’s also all too easy to get overwhelmed with the work, the stress, the fear, the media, but now is also the best time to hone our skills in our favorite hobbies or pick up new ones.
Connect with us on Instagram to let us know how you’re staying positive and productive during your Quarantine. @filosofia_la