With the current state of global crisis due to the COVID19 outbreak, you may find yourself sooner or later in isolation in 2020. Whether you’ve returned home from overseas, you’ve been interstate or your work has implemented a work from home policy, the idea of being stuck at home for two weeks may seem daunting for many reasons.
You may be unsure as to what you can actually do at home (other than Netflix & chill), and the last thing you want is to fall off the balanced lifestyle wagon, or worse yet, go crazy with boredom. So here is a list of things to do that will have positive effects on your physical and mental health during these uncertain times!
Exercise
Just because you’re in isolation, doesn’t mean your exercise routine has to go down the drain. Routine is really important to maintain during times of uncertainty, so why not commit to some scheduled home workouts! There are plenty of great workouts accessible online, some of them are even run live so you can follow along at set times with other people! Alternatively, you can have a home workout program designed specifically for you based around the equipment you have at home by one of our Alpha Performance team to help you stay on track for your goals and keep you accountable. Whatever you choose, remain active! Don’t let two weeks throw your entire 2020 out of whack.
Get Outdoors
If you have a balcony or back yard, get outside and get some sunshine on your skin! Vitamin D is vital for optimum function of your body, and it has a lot of positive benefits for your health. So try get outside every day for 15 minutes of sunlight!
Put Proper Clothes On
Nothing says slump like hanging around in your PJ’s all day. As comfortable as it may be, try to get into a good habit of putting on fresh clothes daily. This will help you set a good routine, motivate you to start working from home and maybe even assist in productivity levels.
Be Creative in the Kitchen
The pasta aisle may be bare, but there is plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables still available to help nourish your body! Time to embrace your inner Jamie Oliver and get cooking! Start being creative in the kitchen using the ingredients you have in your pantry. Why not try make pasta! Get the family involved and make a fun day of it! Or try cooking for a cultural theme night. Not only does home made food taste great, it is mentally stimulating!
Set Up Your Home Work Station
So you’ve been told you have to work from home, that shouldn’t mean taking your laptop to the couch and working for hours in an awful posture. If you work from a laptop, do your best at home to set up your work station as ergonomic as possible. Use text books or boxes to prop up your screens. Sit on a comfortable, well supported chair. Ensure your hips and knees are at 90 degree angles when sitting, so you can use pillows to prop you up. Most importantly, take breaks! Alpha’s Osteo clinic will be open in Newport for anyone who is not unwell but finds themselves with a sore neck and shoulders from a change in work environment.
Meditate
Switch off from the hysteria that’s constantly in your face. Turn off your devices and tune in to some meditation time. Meditation has many benefits to help manage anxiety and stress. Try using the Smiling Mind app and take this time to learn how to control your thoughts and breathe again.
Support Small Business Where You Can
What’s worse than being in isolation? Is coming out of it after two weeks only to find that your favourite restaurant has had to close its doors due to poor business. If you’re in isolation, before you head straight to the UberEats app, look up your local eateries and see if they have their own home delivery service, that way 100% of the profits will go to them and you can ask them to leave the goods at the door! Another great way to support your favourite locals is to buy a gift voucher to use later on, this provides immediate cash flow for a business that may be struggling to cover rent this month. That gift voucher could be the difference.
Communicate!
You may find the hardest thing about being in isolation is not having any human contact. This can be the hardest thing for some people. Remember to check in on your friends who are in isolation or reach out to your networks to have conversations. Pick up the phone and FaceTime someone, it can really make a world of difference.
Wherever you find yourself in the coming months, one thing is for certain, we’re all in this together. So do the little things right.
- Wash your hands.
- Practice social distancing.
- Be nice to your healthcare staff.
- Be kind to other humans.
If we all take this seriously, it will all be over sooner rather than later and we can all get back to being around humans again and doing the things we love!
