During the COVID-19 outbreak, we all feel like the entire world is upside down. Coronavirus gets us all anxious and frustrated.
But worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do, but it never gets you anywhere. In this time of high anxiety and social distancing, there are still ways to keep being positive, even while you’re stuck at home (hope you know that staying home 🏠 is the only way to keep yourself safe, as well as to prevent the spread of the virus).
Quick hint: Click on ANY picture in this post to apply the same effect to your photo 😉
Wanna know how to maintain emotional well-being while staying home?
Keep in touch with family and friends
Self-isolation and social distancing do not mean that you have to be totally disconnected from your family or be cut off from the rest of the world. Make phone calls, communicate via messaging apps and social media, use video conferencing tools and so on. Talking to others about your feelings, as well as listening to others and supporting them will surely help you deal with difficult times.
Find time for physical activity
Even when you are stuck at home, practicing regular exercise is certainly a good idea. It helps you strengthen your immunity as well as keeps your spirits up. While you cannot go outside to run or go to the gym, you can still find some physical activity that brings you enjoyment and make it an essential part of your day. Exercising with workout videos on YouTube, dancing to your favorite music, even doing the housework – all this can help you stay fit.
Find ways to care for others
Helping others is beneficial for our own emotional well-being. Cooking a meal for a family member who lives with you, looking after pets, volunteering, buying food supplies for your grandparents or elderly neighbours – choose whatever suits you most. Once you start, you will see that helping others can be very rewarding and uplifting.
Do something creative
Being creative allows you to express yourself and leaves little room for anxiety in your mind. You can do anything that appeals to you personally – from knitting sweaters for dogs or cooking gourmet food to making creative combos for the Photo Lab community 😌
Practice random acts of kindness
Doing good does you good. So just keep doing little steps to make the world a happier place. Tell a family member how much you love and appreciate them. Send someone you know a picture of a cute animal or a joke to cheer them up. Give a hug to someone who shares a home with you. Reach out to call a friend who may be experiencing loneliness or frustration.
Find your own ways to calm the mind during the quarantine
Growing domestic plants? Reading mantras or inspirational quotes? Practicing yoga? Sure you will find an activity that will help you relieve stress during these challenging times.
Follow a few simple rules if you have to work from home
And finally, just a few extra tips for those who have to work remotely from home these days (like we do). If you have never practiced this before, it may be rather hard to get used to the remote working lifestyle and find a healthy work-life balance.
☝️ Even though it may seem tempting, it is not a good idea to work in your bed or while sitting back on a couch. Better define a workspace – a study room or at least a desk cleared from clutter.
☝️ Be sure to add breaks to your schedule, have your lunch on time and try not to work for too long at a stretch.
☝️ Try to remove all kinds of distractions: turn off social media notifications on your smartphone, ask your family members not to disturb you during your working hours, etc.
Now you may ask how to maintain that balance if you have to look after kids while working from home. The answer is: WE DON’T KNOW! 🤷 But hats off to those parents who do manage to maintain the right balance between work and family (we hope they exist 😅).
So please stay home, keep calm and carry on. We’ll get through it together.