Social distancing or physical distancing implies that we should keep a safe space from anyone that is not from our household. However, it should be combined with other preventive actions such as wearing masks, avoiding touching your face with unwashed hands, and frequently washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
COVID-19 spread happens when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, and droplets from their mouth or nose land in the mouths, noses of people nearby who could even inhale them into their lungs. The greatest danger is posed by those who are infected yet do not show any symptoms but end up spreading it around to others.
COVID-19 Self-Quarantine
Quarantine is the separation and restriction of movement of people who have potentially been exposed to a contagious disease to ascertain if they become unwell. It aims to reduce the risk of them infecting others. The definition of quarantine differs from isolation, which is the separation of people who have been diagnosed with a contagious disease from people who are not sick. However, the two terms are often used interchangeably as during these unprecedented circumstances, without a test, we cannot know for sure that we are COVID-free.
Quarantine Struggles
The most significant struggles that make this period so unpleasant are separation from loved ones, the loss of freedom of movement, the fear of getting infected and boredom. As the global economy is almost on a halt, there is also the financial stress that only adds to the anxiety.
Financial stress can stem from being in debt, not earning enough money to cover the bills, or even being married to someone who isn’t good with money. With the current crisis, all of these stressors only became more amplified. After all, we are spending much more time with our spouses and kids, so the tension is bound to rise if we let the pressure overwhelm us. However, there is plenty we can do to ease the financial pressure.
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Budgeting
With a predetermined budget, you will make sure you can cover your immediate expenses, while still working toward your savings goals.
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Expert advice
If you don’t feel at ease with financial planning, you can take classes on essential money management and investing and learn everything you need to succeed financially. There are a lot of free financial advice online as well.
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Identify Areas You Can Change
For one thing, your utility bill can always be reduced. Just by adopting more eco-friendly usage habits such as unplugging your devices while you’re asleep, you can reduce your electricity bill. Moreover, by switching to a better provider alone can result in several hundred dollars of saving by comparing ct electric rates. All it takes is a bit of effort and time in getting to understand your usage and the proposed deals.
Tips to Help Ease Stress and Promote Self-Care During the Quarantine
Short-term adverse psychological effects of quarantine include confusion, anger, fear and boredom.
However, some researchers have suggested long-lasting effects which are even more serious. So, let’s make sure you avoid them by getting your “OM mode” on. The first rule is that you have to nix the idea that there’s a perfect or correct way to do self-care. This is a highly personal matter, and it’s up to you to find what makes you feel better.
However, there are a few universal tips that you can use, such as:
1. Drink water as soon as you wake up – Aside from the benefits, you do not want the mental nor physical effect of even mild dehydration.
2. Write down at least five things that didn’t suck during the day- once you’re down that road, it will be easy to find things you are thankful for.
3. Dance it out – the beauty of it is that no one will see you and you will feel liberated afterwards.
4. Take five minutes to breathe consciously – It will decrease stress, relieve pain, lower your blood pressure, improve your digestion, etc.
5. Grow plants – gardening is proven to make people less stressed and happier. It’s worth giving a shot, even with indoor plants that reduce negativity while improving production and creativity.
6. Stop to smell the coffee – we might not be able to walk freely outside and smell the roses, but coffee will do the trick if you are a coffee fan. If not, make sure you start your day by doing something pleasant, so you’re off to a good start.
7. Sit up straight – besides reducing back pain, improving circulation and helping you to avoid headaches; a proper posture is connected with feeling self-confident. While you’re at it, you can also include Kegel exercises. Think of it as compensating for all those hours sitting down and leaving your pelvic floor muscles and organs without oxygen.
8. Detox from work, TV and smart devices – filter the information you absorb and make sure you only ‘consume’ things that lift your spirits.
Takeaway
Being quarantined is not the end of the world. Our ancestors went through much worse. We are fighting a war within our comfy households. Thanks to technology, we can stay connected using FaceTime, Skype, and social media. But the most important thing is to prioritize your well-being above everything and everyone else. It will make everything much more bearable, and who knows, self-care can be so much fun that you might even end up having a great time and get to enjoy this period of self-isolation.
