How to Cope Under Quarantine

Even though things have gotten a little crazy with the coronavirus situation, it could get more serious before it gets better and though we're all in this together, we're also all more separate than we've ever been before. The United States jumped to #1 in infection stats on Thursday and most experts agree that with more than 83,000 cases and over 1,100 reported deaths, a mass quarantine may be inevitable. Of course, this is a scary sounding thing, and times might get a little tough, but there’s no need to panic. It's far better to keep a calm mind and make strategic moves to help guarantee the safety of those around us even as we see to our own wellbeing. Here are some great tips for getting through this.

Home is Your Safe Haven

When the reality hits that this could be for a while, many people begin to chafe—usually sometime shortly after the first week of isolation. But still others dig deep and find a resilience they were not aware they had. These are the people who choose to adjust to new ways of doing things. They develop protocols to keep themselves safe and they abode the new protocols as if they were forever. They don't chafe because they see it as a new way of doing things and adjust their expectations accordingly. These people may be better able to find joy.

Routine Can Be Reassuring

Change can be challenging, especially when it’s extreme, but we’re wired to adapt. And once we get over the initial shock, adaptation can actually help us reestablish happiness. We're hard-wired to find ways around our problems and engineer our world to meet our needs as we go. It's kind of our strongest ability as humans. So now is the best time to embrace this trait.

You may find yourself under quarantine for much longer than you’d originally anticipated, and adopting new routines and patterns until the situation changes could help everyone in your home reduce anxiety, function better as a family unit, and enjoy this time together. Consider ways to plan a schedule if you’re working from home or helping kids with distance-learning or home-schooling. Or just remember that at a certain time, you can all check-in and reestablish that important connection. Will you plan for recreation breaks, family meals, and exercise breaks? What about planning family-oriented activities, socializing at a distance with extended family and friends, or arts and crafts? Will you maintain a weekday/weekend structure?

Some general recommendations to try to keep life as normal as possible:

• Maintaining a regular sleep schedule will help with a sense of normalcy. Get up every morning at a reasonable time and go to bed at the same time each night.
• Pampering yourself could be an excellent way to use some of the extra time you have on your hands, relieve some stress and further enhance your personal hygiene. Why not lavish some extra time and care on yourself? Dressing each day will make things feel more normal, but you try to be comfortable and practical, too.
• Maintain a regular work or school schedule. If you can work from home, clock in during your normal hours and give yourself regular breaks. Look into local online resources or contact your school district for instructions on keeping kids on track in school.
• Stay social. Keep up with extended family and friends with the help of Skype, Zoom or Facetime. Maintaining social contacts can help alleviate boredom and stress. It also reduces the sense of isolation.

The US Marines have a long history of dealing with challenging, changing situations which gave rise to their slogan “Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome.” Life is change. How will you and your family adapt to the changes imposed by social isolation?

Anxiety Can Be Redirected

Many of us feel anxious right now, and that’s normal. But anxiety can transform into brooding, which could ultimately lead to clinical depression.

Instead of getting mired in worry, all that nervous energy could be redirected in positive ways. Anxious about running out of food or other supplies? Call nearby stores and ask about expanding their delivery services. Concerned about local seniors and other high-risk people? Coordinate religious and/or secular groups that might help check on community members to make sure they are okay and have what they need. By facing concerns head-on, we can help provide solutions and make an impact on other people who are feeling the same way.

Embrace the Positive

Even hardcore introverts might find living during a mass quarantine challenging. That’s why it’s important to find ways to keep a positive outlook. Attitude, positive or negative, can have an impact on the problem at hand and how well it's weathered. Research has shown that living in gratitude can make a person more optimistic and happier. Seek the positives in all of this. We’re living in a time that will be remembered for generations, seeing real-life heroes every day. Can we make changes and turn this experience into something more meaningful? One popular exercise in gratitude is to write down three things you’re thankful for each day. You might find a journal of your daily entries inspiring, surprising or thought-provoking at some point should you review them.

Measures Aren't Cumulative

Even though it may be tempting to let safety protocols slide once or twice when times get boring or uncomfortable, it's important to maintain vigilance. That can be challenging if we view the experience as cumulative as if we've been doing this forever. But honestly, it's only cumulative if we let it be. We only have to do our best today, or right now. What we did yesterday is gone. We don't have ot lift everything we've ever lifted, just the box in front of us.

If your area is in full lock-down, stay inside, avoid letting friends or family visit, and keep the bigger picture in mind: We’re trying to reduce the rate of infections to minimize the burden on our hospitals, medical personnel, and medical resources so that we can keep the greatest number of people alive. Experts agree: We haven’t hit the peak of the infection yet. And everything we do makes a difference for ourselves and others. So if we can stay in the moment, and just do our best today, then we are truly a part of making a difference for hundreds or thousands of people.

These coming weeks might not be easy…but they don’t have to accumulate and be all that hard, either. We get to choose how we will craft our home shelters and what we will make of them. We get to decide what's inside, and how we will react to the stress of the situation. And together, we’ll determine what comes after. Even though we might be isolated at the moment, we’re still in this together—and that's the most important thing to remember of all—we'll get through this together.

Copyright 2020, Wellness.com