Selfcare and Getting Outside


During Quarantine one very important thing we need to remember to do is to take care of our mental wellbeing. With people being stressed out over the possibility of contracting COVID-19 we need to remember to take a moment to ourselves to breathe. In addition to worrying about COVID-19, many people are also worried about their jobs and how they will pay their bills. While many individuals are able to work from home or are considered essential and need to go out to work, many more are unable to do so. With their jobs being considered nonessential and unable to work from home they are not bringing in any money for themselves or their families. This causes additional stress as everyone is worried about this virus and how long quarantine will last. While eventually COVID-19 will die down and quarantine will end we don’t know how long this will take. That is why it is important to find ways to take care of your mental health while you are stuck in your house.




What you do during quarantine to help maintain your mental health will vary from one person to the next but one simple method, if you are able is to spend a few minutes each day in your yard or on a porch. By spending time outside each day, you can help to boost your mental and physical health. Vitamin D you will get from the sun as well as the fresh air will help you to feel better in most cases. Even if it is just for a few minutes every day. There will be days where you might not feel like going outside and this is alright, but everyone should try to get outside at least every other day.




Keeping in contact with friends and family during the quarantine is also an effective way to maintain your mental health. While you may not be able to see all of your loved ones face to face during the quarantine you can still talk to and interact with them. I have been texting and talking to my friends and family during quarantine, it helps me to maintain some form of normality in my routine, even if I can’t really leave the house I am currently living in unless it is necessary. Granted I still have the family that I am living with currently but it is nice to talk to other people as well. My friends especially are a nice distraction from everything that is going on. Having a brief distraction can be a nice break from the activities you are doing, even if it is a short break. Everyone needs a break sometimes, even when nothing is wrong.



I hope everyone has found ways to make their quarantine experience better. What have you been doing during quarantine? Are you staying home or are you doing activities in unpopulated areas like hiking in the woods?

Comments

  1. Tiffany MoreyApril 6, 2020 at 8:58 AM

    Hi Abbie,

    It is good that you are taking time for yourself and your mental and physical health. Taking breaks throughout the day to get some fresh air or give your eyes a break from starting at the screen is important. It will help you retain productivity and give your mind a chance to process and think through what you are working on and what still needs to be done.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Katie RanckApril 13, 2020 at 5:36 AM

    I appreciate this blog as it is something we should be prioritizing all the time, not just now. I think many variables play into this such as how many people are in your household, how many are working from home, what type of space you have access too. I have found that after talking to friends and family virtually stimulates a positive emotional connection and working out boosts my mood as well. This is something I have reflected on, how can I do more of this when I am in a regular schedule? I have found screen breaks are the toughest piece to balance right now though. What are you doing to balance your time? I am trying to schedule "no screen time" and workout and social time in my Google calendar!

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