One thing I’ve learned while under the Stay At Home ordinance issued by Governor Pritzker…INTROVERTS ARE DOING JUST FINE lol! Well, this article is strictly for the extroverts of the world, who might be somewhere pulling their hair out, sitting in windows, or otherwise slowly driving themselves insane.
Here are five ways to master quarantine. I am a #childless introvert – so let me help you out:
- Create A To-Do List. Seems simple enough, right? WRONG. When you have plenty of solitude on your hands, and MANDATED solitude at that, you might think you have “time” to get everything done. Make a list of things that you would like to accomplish each day. Some days you may have only three things…other days you may have ten. Keep yourselves busy by being intentional about completing at-home/business projects.
2. READ A BOOK. While you’re trolling through social media, all of that screen time is wearing on your eyes. Even if you wear glasses, it’s imperative that you pull away from the screen whenever you are able to. Audio books are a great solution when you would like to get knowledge in, while taking care of things around your home. Or, light a few candles, put on some relaxing music, curl up on your couch and grab a book – travel to other worlds through the pages!
3. Get in the kitchen! Ordering out can get costly – research a new recipe online and pull out that cookware! Cooking is absolutely therapeutic (for me anyway), and you have the time and space to perfect a dish that you have always wanted to try. Plus, this gives you dishes to be able to eat over a day or two, depending on your appetite.
4. Take a walk. Yes, it is absolutely ok to “go outside” during the quarantine for your essentials (I.e. grocery store visit, curbside food pickups, Dr’s visits, etc.), and walks have been a suggestion to cure “stir craziness”. Fresh air is great – and we all need it. Take your personal precautions, bundle up, and take a quick brisk walk. If you are a pet owner like myself, taking a walk is easy…how else will your little fur baby get the opportunity to use the restroom?
5. Get rest. So many are complaining that they never have enough time in the day to get the rest that they personally require (everyone is different in this area). In order to keep your systems healthy, you DO need to rest. Rest recharges you to be able to tackle whatever the new day will bring. Maybe you are now able to set a “cut off from the world” time, and determine when you will go to sleep. If the goal is to be in bed by 10:30p, make sure that you have done everything that you have set out to do that day, and get to bed. Even if you don’t fall asleep right away, you’re creating a space for rest to begin. I personally have to set a time to get in the bed, and because I have begun doing this on a regular basis, I am now able to fall asleep and STAY asleep.
The quarantine is for our protection – it decreases the chances of the coronavirus spreading, it (the quarantine) can actually be viewed as a blessing if you take advantage of this period of solitude, and it also might bring out the “creative” in you that has been suppressed by the everyday routine. Be wise. Stay healthy. Most importantly, stay HOME.
by: Lauran “Elle” Smith