Home confinement. And now?

 

How to stay normal on such abnormal times

 

Stay positive –  Yes, being positive is essential for your well-being, for your peace of mind and body. But I would rather add:

 

Stay rational –  Don’t let yourself go with the flow and cling to the pink thought:  ‘yes, everything will be allright’; ‘all’s happening for a transcendental reason’; ‘we will overcome it and we will become even stronger’. Right.

Stay rational above all. It means have a clear mind, observe and do your own analyisis of what’s going on. Look for facts and not only theories. Above all, stay realistic and not a day dreamer. Don’t think this comes only as a lesson from the universe without checking what is really behind it.

 

Stay focused – whatever are your personal interests, your goals, your priorities, don’t panic, don’t loose your temper, don’t get yourself distracted with fake news, overload information or tasks.

 

 

 

 

Stay informed – a good informed person is less likely to make mistakes, to misjudge or get trapped in the system. If needed, make your opinion value, use your brain for your benefit and the benefit of others, discuss or confront others. Especially helpful to avoid crowds of people stockpiling toilet paper in supermarkets. For God’s sake!

 

Stay at home – for the time being this is the best thing we can do. Social contact has proved to be the virus best ally. The worldwide spreading doesn’t let us deny it. So, keep social distancing as much as you can.

 

Stay connected –  to people, to family and friends, to nature. Nowadays, more than ever, we have the means to stay connected to people. Videocalls, smartphones, all sort of social media channels. Small talk or just chatting helps to relieve stress or frustration of being at home.  How can you still be connected to nature staying at home? Open your window, let the breeze and sunshine get in, grow a garden (when you have one) or buy more plants (online) to have at home. If possible, go for short walks around the parks in your neighbourhood.

 

Stay fit – Move your body, anyway you can. Everything is valid! Standing on tree pose while washing your teeth; grabing a mat and doing yoga or pilates. You can use chairs, tables or any kind of house furniture as props. Vacuum cleaning also counts. It stretches your muscles. Enrol on any kind of online fitness training programs offered by the fitness studios.

 

 

Stay-out-of-infected-areas – self explanatory

 

Stay healthy, stay hydrated – a healthy food diet is the wise choice right now. Plan your meals to include powerful immune system boosters, like broccoli, garlic, ginger, spinach, yoghurt, almonds, citrus, bell peppers, green tea, turmeric, papaya, kiwi, apple, sunflower seeds. Drink a lot of water and warm drinks. Avoid raw or uncooked products. Be on the wise side and try to keep a strong immune system in order to avoid the virus to take over you.

 

Stay occupied – I guess for most parents, this is the easiest! Actually overwhelming! I have a sister with 3 children at home and being self occupied is something she doesn’t have to worry about. Respect!! To all parents right now!  But for those who don’t have children, invest more on your hobbies, give yourself time to do what you always wanted to do, begin to renovate that part of the house it was left neglected, spend more time talking with friends and family online, study, read more, volunteer yourself to help the elderly near you, watch a good movie or a good series.

 

Stay creative – Creativity is like a muscle. It must be stretched, challenged, and occasionally pushed past its comfort zone. Curiosity will lead you to creativity.  When I wasn’t sure what to do next, I would go and learn a lot, read a lot, talk to experts. When you have enough inputs, new ideas start appearing. So stay informed. Also love and creativity are intertwined. A hobby, such as playing an instrument, running or knitting, can help you relax and fight stress while giving your creativity a boost. Unplug. Sometimes your best ideas will come when you’re not wracking your brain trying to come up with the next great idea. Give it a rest.

 

Stay calm – Don’t overthink or try to take control of all that is to come. Of course it’s good to have a back-up plan or to start gathering some ideas of what to do in the worst scenario possible. But for the moment live it day-by-day. Because the situation is constantly changing. Do what is within your reach and follow the government directives. And know that there are millions of people trying their best to see that this virus will stop.

 

Stay safe – Promote a daily hygiene routine, wash your hands, desinfect and clean your house and groceries. Leave your shoes outside your house. Don’t promote social contact. Think about you and others! This is a chain and can only be stopped by imposed isolation.

 

Stay balanced – Learn to separate hysteria and panic from reasonable concerns. You may feel under siege and experience a sense of loss of control, worried about your financial security, your income or your health. The all above stay-tips might be the answer. Promote them.

 

Stay together – although we are required to go on self-isolation, that doesn’t mean we need to be alone! On the contrary – particular on these times we should stay together, we should help those who are more vulnerable, those who are a high-risk group of getting infected and above all understand that only if we work collectively and in collaboration  we will achieve positive results.

 

Sources are from World Health Organisation and CDC