9-to-do’s in the Time of Self-Quarantine

In our culture of assemblage along with constant social movement in the environment, we’re bound to get a feeling of weary and impatient over the next few weeks of self-quarantining. Although, remaining inside our apartments during this time of global pandemic - “Covid-19” coronavirus, is an imperative measure to ameliorate and help "Flatten the curve" of daily cases that are dramatically increasing at an exponential pace across world-wide; though it is leading to underlying known evil: “boredom” and “stir craziness”. Coronavirus is spreading like a wildfire. Transmission of this virus is breathtakingly easy due to which medical experts are encouraging citizens to practice social distancing, which highly involves physically staying away from people at a six feet distance to lessen the chance of contracting or spreading the deadly virus. 

Fair enough! Humans have no sense of control over reality, when nature is catching human-beings with the fact of biology and has hit the pause button to rejuvenate itself. Thus it is a confined and brilliant way to protect yourself, but what if self-quarantine or a complete isolation doesn't appeal to you? As it is a pathway of experiencing fruits of boredom.  It is crucial to stay home but that you're all cooped up – you might wonder, how to make your time quarantined as interesting – and perhaps even as productive – as possible? 

The old you might have ambitiously drawn a divine plan; but with this abundance of undifferentiated free time at home, it’s finally a time where we put a pause to our continuity, redraft the plan and start with a new story of life. As the coronavirus pandemic upends our civilization, I’m urging you to jump off  into self-improvement and mindfulness activities to take care of your mental well-being instead of wrapping your mind around the crisis, grasping the dimensions and speculating about the time lines. 

So, here are some 9 mindful tips to keep you from going crazy while indoor. 

Binging Netflix - You can binge-watch videos, shows and movies in Netflix and other streaming services. There is so much content out there to discover. Try watching a series from start to finish, maybe something different from your usual preferences. And don’t forget the snacks! Some fresh popcorn or your favorite candy can make you feel just like you are in a movie theater.

Create your own at-home gym - There are multiple ways to break those extra fat into sweat at home. Search for videos online that show how to work out with minimal equipment. There are also video games that will burn calories by getting you off the couch. Games like “Just Dance” and “Wii Sports” will get that blood pumping while entertaining you! 

Redesign your Room - Why not hop into redecorating your room? There are a plethora of creative design tutorials to try and replicate. You can paint the walls a different color, clean out old junk or add lights, posters and photos. Try moving furniture around to give the room a new vibe. This is a chance to be completely creative with how you want your room to look.

Social Media Interaction - Discover the best way to use your social media accounts. There are multiple social media apps, and they all offer different ways to connect with people you care about or if you are willing to make new friends. You can explore the world of “TikTok” and create your own fascination. You can also draw ideas from others’ posts and see how they are dealing with social distancing and what they do to keep themselves entertained. Even if we cannot physically be with our friends right now, Snapchat, TikTok and countless other social media sites can keep us close.

Self Rejuvenation - Treat yourself to a magnificent spa day in your own house! Take a relaxing bubble bath while having your favorite foods and drinks. Take care of your skin and hair by adding new steps to your beauty routine like body masks, oils and even exfoliating treatments. Try doing your own nails. There is no time limit, so you can try experimenting with many different things you want. 

Build a home-garden - If you have a tiny balcony or a gigantic window but no desire to spend money on garden planters, then simple flowerpots will help you to create a green area in your house and save you money. You can take some plants from your apartment and place them in these pots. You can also grow herbs here. To attach the pots to the walls and railings, use special cachepots and thick wire.

Mindfulness Meditation - Rooted in Buddhism, mindfulness meditation has developed a prominent perch in the self-help movement. Your mind will likely wander all the time in this scenario, either it might be reviewing the past events that happened in China due to coronavirus or worried about it’s dramatic spread in the future. Mindfulness meditation teaches you the skill of paying attention to the present by noticing when your mind wanders off. So Come back to your breath. It’s a place where we can rest and settle our minds.  Sit upright, eyes closed, palms resting on their laps, feet flat on the floor. focus on the present by paying attention to their bodily sensations, thoughts, emotions, and especially their breath.Try lying down with your eyes closed, palms up and while focusing on your breath. Or spend 20 minutes sitting cross legged and repeat a soothing word to yourself in your head. (The latter is more like transcendental meditation.)

FINALLY, TIME TO READ -  Books quench our thirst for knowledge. If reading has become a guilty pleasure you never have time for, this is the time to rediscover reading to enhance your reading experience, vocabulary expansion and become a book-loving optimist. Reading enhances our language skills and develops fluency, allowing us to express our thoughts and ideas better.

Journal your experience in the time of quarantine - It’s time to take control of your life, own your story and learn to accept yourself in all your glory. Prepare a  beautiful journal which will help you explore who you are through activities, prompts and questions designed to encourage reflection and mindfulness. Whether you’re looking to take control of your own life or are searching for the perfect gift,  a journal will help you work through its pages to open up an inner dialogue, acknowledge your fears and celebrate your strengths.

You can also watch past videos, or pics and relish your memories of loved ones and enjoy cooking together. Play childhood games - like snakes and ladders, playing cards, or listen to your favorite music.