Living in solitary is hard, especially when you don’t know when you can hug your loved ones again. If you are feeling depressed, anxious or lonely, you should know that you are not alone. Taking care of your mental health is crucial when living in isolation, so The Nursing Journal has come up with 5 ways that will help you survive self-isolation.
1. Stay away from social media
Social media has a way of making things look worse than they actually are, and the COVID-19 pandemic is being treated in the same way. A quick scroll through your Facebook feed will likely show several negative articles and videos about medical workers who are struggling, battling COVID-19 and even dying from it.
Without even knowing, your mind will make associations with these articles and bring down your mood. Limiting the time you spend on social media will keep you away from these negative posts, and as they say “Out of sight, out of mind”
2. Keep in touch with your loved ones
The worst part about living in isolation, is that you can not meet any of your friends or family. You don’t know when you will be able to see them again, and you certainly don’t know when you can hug them again. So keeping in touch is extremely important.
Call your family and friends, through voice calls or video calls. Treat it as a long-distance relationship and try your best to keep your bonds. If you and your spouse used to watch Netflix together, then call each other and schedule a time where you will both watch the same thing. If you used to chat and snuggle up in bed before going to sleep, then call your spouse when you’re laying in bed.
Talk about your day, about your feelings and about silly things. But make sure to keep in touch.
3. Get some sun
Many people’s mood is affected by the weather, and the sun has a tendency to brighten up your mood. Going out to the beach is not possible at the time, but if you have a balcony, terrace or rooftop, go out and lay in the sun for an hour. If you don’t have that, then simply open your window and appreciate the sunlight.
Feeling the warm sun on your skin will not only brighten up your mood, but it will also increase Vitamin D, which is essential to stay healthy.
4. Exercise
If you are sitting at home all day, you will not waste any energy. This means that when you get to bed, you won’t be able to sleep properly, and of course, sleep affects so many other things.
So go on YouTube and find some home workout video, or put some music on and go crazy. Dance your heart out, jump until you can’t feel your feet anymore and work until you sweat. This will increase the endorphins in your system, improve your mood and get a nice energy flowing in your body.
5. Have something to look forward to
Once all of this shit is over, you will go back to your normal life. You will be able to travel, party and hang out with your friends again. So do make plans for the future with your friends and loved ones.
Having something to look forward to will give you the motivation to keep on working, to make it through. Keep in mind that you will always find a light at the end of a tunnel.
These 5 tips will keep you from going crazy during self-isolation and will hopefully give you the motivation that you need. If you liked this article check out: Getting Ready as a Nurse Working with COVID-19