Tips for Surviving Quarantine:
Today marks the sixth day I have been isolated with my sister in my one-bedroom apartment an hour and a half from the rest of our family. My sister was evacuated last week from the middle east, so we are doing the recommended 14-day quarantine together. With the exception of my fiance, we haven’t been able to see anyone or go anywhere.
Productivity was easy in the beginning, but it has only gotten more difficult as time goes on. So, for this blog post, I thought I would share some tips on surviving quarantine in light of the state-wide shut down starting tomorrow until April 7th.
Productivity was easy in the beginning, but it has only gotten more difficult as time goes on. So, for this blog post, I thought I would share some tips on surviving quarantine in light of the state-wide shut down starting tomorrow until April 7th.
My 104 students are doing their research project on a healthy habit of their choice to where they conduct an experiment in which they are their own test subjects. For example, “how will my energy, mood, and focus be affected by going to bed and waking up at the same time for two weeks?” Quarantine is a great way to experiment with these healthy habits! I plan to remind my students of this and encourage them to not forget about their health during this strange time.
These may be obvious tips, but they can often be the most easily neglected:
- Get good sleep.
Being groggy throughout the day is only going to make productivity harder and lead to snacking for energy in place of good rest.
- Establish a routine.
Drink your morning coffee. Find time to write if you write. Talk to God if you talk to God.
Get up and get dressed as if you were starting the day and actually seeing people- change out of pajamas and into daytime pajamas, i.e. Jill Christman.
- Maintain hygiene.
It may go without saying for some people, but others need reminded (cough cough, my sister, cough cough) that a shower goes a long way. Trim those nails. Brush your teeth! Etc. It will make you feel better and more productive.
- Limit screen time.
It might feel unnatural to take a little while to distance yourself from what is happening online, in the news, etc since we are literally isolated in quarantine and want some interaction with the outside world, but it is a good way to refocus your mind, get some clarity, and restore productivity. Opt for reading a book by the window in place of letting Netflix stream in the background of things.
- Try to exercise.
This is my least favorite tip, but staying active combats cabin fever.
Take lots of walks.
Dance.
- Drink lots of water.
Our bodies often confuse thirst with hunger, and we are more prone to snack when there is nothing to do. Water is an easy way to recharge.
- Keep up with chores around the house.
Because of how tiny my apartment is, my sister and I have had to keep things orderly and clean, but it has allowed me to feel like we have more space. It also has kept disarray from being a distraction from schoolwork.
I hope this list was a small reminder to take care of yourself. I wish you all well!
ReplyDeleteWe're taking this time to clean and redo a lot of our house; being productive and cleaning definitely feels good :) (extra yes to routine)
We're redoing a lot of our house too! I'm wanting to set up a garden outside. I know that changing the scenery has played a role in keeping me motivated. Can't paint or do DIY's until school stuff is done.
DeleteHi McKenzie,
ReplyDeleteI hope that you are doing well during this time. Thank you for sharing these tips, you are right that these things are easy to neglect at a time like this. I think that your second tip has been really crucial for me, I am trying to wake up at my normal times, get dressed like I would be going to school, and that seems to be helping in terms of productivity. However, your fourth point is something that I definitely need to work on. It seems like I am constantly on my laptop and checking email and canvas notifications on my phone which makes it seem like the work never ends. I am definitely going to take your recommendation and find some time to read and write offline this week.
Thank you again for these tips!
-Taylor
Hi McKenzie, thanks for the tips! I know the hardest one for me is the "avoiding screen time" I like to be in the know, and I want to be available ALL the time for my students and from it I've began having super intense migraines. I've yet to find a balance that works for me in when and how I address my students, but I'm working on it. It's exhausting. I definitely have been struggling with motivation during this transition.
ReplyDeleteMcKenzie,
ReplyDeleteThese are really helpful reminders! I live alone, and I'm an extrovert most of the time, so it's been a struggle for me to find a balance in the midst of all this. I find myself more glued to my phone now than I have been in the past, because my phone means communication, an escape from being alone cooped up in the house. It's when I put my phone down, though, that I feel a little more at peace. I think you're right that we need to limit our tech, no matter how hard that might be. My anxiety keeps me looking at statistics and rising COVID cases, but I need to learn to put it away and read my plethora of books overflowing my bookshelf. I also think that I need to make a daily routine in terms of exercise / yoga - my body is tired and lethargic because I'm sitting at my computer all day. Thanks for the tips, I'll try to stay focused on the present.
Kristen
Hi Mckenzie,
ReplyDeleteI hope you and your sister are doing well. Thanks for sharing the tips. Social distancing is really a hard thing to do. I feel like, my transition to virtual life brings more work pressure for me than before. However, I liked your tips. I'm gonna use your 2nd tip and gonna get dressed tomorrow morning. Seriously I get bored of my indoor clothes. I think this will be a good idea to get dress and pass some time in dressing.
My mental health is probably going to be helped. Ha Ha.
Thanks anyway.
McKenzie,
ReplyDeleteI’m both resentful and glad for this reminder (especially #5, why must you remind me of my own failure to resist just sitting in different places with my laptop). I’d add that going outside has really been something that has helped me exponentially; the world seems so small when you’re trapped inside walls. Go for drives to remind yourself that it (and everyone) is still out there. I’m blessed to be out in the middle of the country where I can easily go outside and explore; I stood out in the rain for about half an hour today and felt way more productive afterwards. Having pets around has also helped, to just have some form of inter-personal communication, whether it’s from other humans or not.
-Jessie
Thanks for these reminders, McKenzie. They are so important. The first week, I’ll admit I did a lot of Netflix binge watching and work on the laptop. I was so fatigued from all the sitting that the smallest tasks started to feel like exhausting irritants. Keeping the house clean has helped kept me physically and mentally charged….and, of course, coffee. Seriously, I hope you are doing well. Take care of yourselves!
ReplyDelete-Mary
McKenzie,
ReplyDeleteI've also found so many of these tips helpful during this time. During the first week of quarantine, I found myself falling back asleep shortly after waking up for the day and then sitting in my pajamas all morning, working without pause, until I realized it was afternoon, I'd never gotten ready for the day, and I was stiff from sitting in one spot.
Since then, I've established a routine that has been working well for me, but I admit there are some days (Today) when I wake up and I really don't want to go through the whole thing. I don't want to do another day of this when everything looks the same and there's no end in sight. But then I wake up the next day, and it might be a bit better.
I need to get better at the technology part. I've been limiting news intake, which has been good for my mental health, and I'm off social media right now--extra good at a time like this. But, it's hard not to stare at a computer screen all day when all of our classes and assignments and teaching is online. I'm finding myself ending the day with headaches I can't easily get rid of.
It's all a balancing act, isn't it?
Be well,
Shelbi