10 Tips for Riding Out Self-Isolation & COVID-19

The world as we knew it has come to a halt. The COVID-19 virus has shaken the globe, and at the time of writing this approximately 4 billion people are under some version of shelter in place/self-isolation order. It’s crucial that we take this seriously to mitigate the mounting tragedy. A virus needs people to spread, and if the people aren’t moving neither is the virus. By social distancing and staying home unless absolutely necessary to go out we are slowing the spread of this virus. This is what doctors and government officials mean when they say we need to “flatten the curve”. The curve is referring to the rate of infection. If the rate of infection skyrockets too fast we will have too many people sick at one time for our medical system to treat effectively.

For many of us this means staying home, and sheltering in place. For others who are essential to keeping our necessary services running, and the professionals on the front line this is a scary time. We owe these people a huge debt of gratitude and respect for continuing to put themselves at risk so that we can make it through this. To our healthcare workers, our grocery store workers, our truck drivers and everyone else out there fighting for us – we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

How you can adapt to this new daily reality

Whether you are working from home, or recently out of work you are adjusting to a new way of life with no guarantee of how long this will last. You might be enjoying your daily commute to your Netflix account, or wondering if you need to ration your sanity. Either way I can offer you 10 tips for riding out self-isolation and come out of it in one piece.

1. Live in the Moment

Accept the situation for what it is, right now in this moment. Anxiety can take your thoughts, merge them with your imagination and then run rampant. We don’t know what’s going to happen, we can only prepare. Worrying about the future robs you of your calm today. Assess your current mental and emotional situation and make a plan. Sit down and go over every aspect of your current situation and I can pretty much guarantee you’ll feel more in control. What is your current emotional and mental state right now? It’s ok to not be ok… we are living through an extraordinary event and there’s no right way to feel. Acknowledge your feelings, accept the situation for what it is and decide how you want to handle this. It’s up to you.

2. Choose your news sources wisely

Are you fixed to the TV or your phone and scouring all the news as it comes out? It’s overwhelming and unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation circulating that can cause fear, panic and even harm. So pick your news sources carefully, and limit your exposure. Make sure you get solid, fact based information and avoid the media outlets that are clearly biased or just plain wrong. Some news outlets have actually stopped airing certain live addresses because of untrue/unproven information being presented.

3. assess your finances

It’s important to have a clear idea of your strengths and weaknesses here. Take a look at your income, your job stability and your savings. Have a realistic picture in your mind of how you can manage to pay your bills if any of those situations changes. Millions of people have lost their jobs already, and businesses are losing revenue. Create a budget for your fixed expenses and take a hard look at your variable expenses. We are entering a recession and the outlook seems to change on an hourly basis. With a plan in place you will sleep better at night and be able to adapt as needed.

4. stay in touch – without touching

Whether you are in self-isolation with your family, parents, kids, roommate or living alone through this it’s important to stay in touch with family and friends. Skype, FaceTime, Zoom, Google Hangouts are all great ways to video chat with your loved ones. Connecting with people will bolster your spirits and remind you that we are all in this together. Make a point to call or video chat with someone each day. It feels good to vent your anxiety and share your good vibes. You might even find yourself re-connecting with long lost friends!

5. Laughter is powerful medicine

This can tie in to #4, or be completely separate. Laughter really is powerful medicine. Make sure you’re still finding ways to have fun. Whether it means having a drink with friends on Friday night over video chat, or playing your favourite video games. Read a book, watch a new TV series, or get messy teaching your kids to bake cookies. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it makes you happy. Science has proven that having fun and laughing can improve your mood, balance your hormones and help reduce depression, anxiety and stress.

6. Taste the rainbow

Stockpiling should not be an excuse to eat only beige, pre-packaged, carb-loaded foods. Don’t get me wrong there’s nothing more comforting than homemade spaghetti and meatballs. Comfort foods have their place. But now especially we need to eat foods to fuel our body and to keep our immune system rocking. The best advice I’ve ever received about eating healthy is to eat a rainbow of foods each day. Red foods like strawberries, tomatoes, cherries, beets. Yellow foods like bananas, lemons, yellow peppers, squash, eggs. Blue and purple foods like blueberries, grapes, plums, eggplant. Green foods like salad greens, spinach, asparagus, avocado… the list goes on. You can see what I’m getting at here right? Eat lots of whole, natural foods to fuel up on essential immune boosting vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. That doesn’t mean you can’t add in the fun stuff, or that you need to avoid meat, dairy or carbs. Eat purposely and find new fun healthy recipes to try. There’s no better time to experiment in the kitchen then now. Remember to limit your trips to the grocery store by buying in bulk and stocking up on frozen fruits and vegetables.

7. move your body

Self-isolating at home for many people means being a lot less active than normal. It’s so important to keep your body moving to keep it fit and healthy. Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) is energy expended through any activity you do throughout the day such as walking to your car or the subway, that doesn’t include sports or workout-like activities.  This will cause a big drop in your overall calorie expenditure. If you can go for a walk or run safely outside that’s great. If not there are lots of workout apps or streaming services you can use. Daily Burn, Sweatflix, BBG, or Chris Hemsworth’s new app Centr are all great options.  Check with your fitness trainer friends too and see if they’re offering virtual fitness classes you can join. But a one hour workout may not be enough to counteract a full day of sitting on your butt.  Make a point of getting up several times throughout the day to do some stretches, climb your stairs or drop some squats while drying your hair. You have three body choices for this quarantine: You come out of this quarantine exactly the same as you went in. Good or bad that’s up to you. Or you burn through all your quarantine snacks out of boredom and can never leave your house because you won’t fit through the front door. Or you use this time to work on your fitness and come out of it healthier, fitter and stronger. You decide how you want to re-enter the world.

8. keep a routine

It’s so easy to let the days melt into each other when we lack purpose and appointments. You don’t need to schedule every minute of your day but set yourself a loose routine. This will give your day some structure and give you a feeling of control over it. I get up every morning by 8:00am, make my bed, have my morning coffee and breakfast. Then I work on the computer for a few hours. I workout around 11:30. Then it’s time for a shower, lunch, and back to work for a few more hours. I try to go for  a walk in the afternoon if it’s nice out. If the weather isn’t great then I stretch my legs on the treadmill. Then it’s time for dinner, maybe watch a movie, call a friend, read a little bit and then bed by 11:30 or so. Routine is also good for the kiddos who are adjusting to homeschooling and missing friends.

9. Help other people

In my darkest days when I feel as if I have no control over my own situation I have found it feels really good to help someone else. Helping others can give you sense of purpose. You might not be able to change your situation, but by donating to the food bank for example you made a difference in someone else’s life. Do you have elderly or vulnerable neighbours? Check in on them. If you’re heading to the store ask them if they need anything so they don’t need to go out. Do you have friends who live alone or that you know are struggling right now? Call them. A 20 minute phone call can do wonders for their heart and yours. There are so many ways you can help. Donate blood, donate your time, donate food or volunteer with an organization like Kids Help Phone. Pay it forward if you’re able to.

10.  Use your time wisely

Try to look at this moment in history as a break from the daily grind. Use this time wisely. You have the opportunity to work on projects you’ve been meaning to get to but your busy schedule never allowed. You could finish that home reno project, take up yoga or start writing that book you’ve always dreamed of. There are many options online for taking courses these days too. You can advance your career by taking online university courses, specialized accreditation courses and even courses to enhance your current skills. If what you need most at this time is rest then it’s important you give yourself permission while you have this time. Many of us get so caught up in our regular busy schedules and don’t properly decompress. Stress can contribute negatively to your health, your emotions, relationships and can lead to burn out. Whatever you choose to do with this time is up to you – just use it wisely.

IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT BY R.E.M.