Navigating Life during Quarantine

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It’s a weird time right now because of COVID-19. Our normal is now not so normal. Everything has completely flipped upside down. We’re navigating life during quarantine in a completely different way.

It’s weird thinking back to a few months before the pandemic. Who would have thought something like this would happen? I knew it probably would eventually, but this took me by surprise. I’m sure it took all of us by surprise.

Quarantine can been affecting all of us in so many different ways, both negative and positive. Keep reading for tips on navigating life during quarantine.

What we will cover:

Mental Health during Quarantine

COVID-19 has taken a huge toll on mental health. For one, making money is a huge concern. People are getting laid off, unemployment checks are delayed, and work hours have been cut. Switching from an in-person job to online is also a big change.

Being stuck inside all of the time also affects mental health. Everyone is left feeling isolated. You feel like you have no control. If you already experience things like depression and anxiety, it just makes it worse.

This is a stressful situation to say the least. On top of all of the other problems, you’re probably also stressing about your health as well as the health of others.

Tips to Improve Mental Health

Some things you can do during quarantine to improve your mental health include:

Take a walk outside (if you can). Although you may still feel isolated, just getting out of the house is a good way to break up your mood. Not only that, but studies have shown that getting out in nature is a great activity to improve mental health.

Read some self-help books. Over quarantine, I’ve found myself drawn to self-help books. Not only does it give you something to do, but it can also give you actual tips to improve your mental health. Some of the books I have been loving are The Power of Now, The Secret, You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, A New Earth, and Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy.

Create a Routine. Having a sense of normalcy can improve mental health, and one way to do that is to create a routine. Create a routine that makes you happy to improve your anxiety.

Do Self-Care Activities. Self-care can really help you mentally. Do whatever self-care means to you. Whether that’s exercising, having a spa day, meditating, taking a bubble bath, etc.

Do something creative. Whenever I’m stressed, I like to do something creative. This fills your time and can distract you from the stress. You can also use art to show how you’re feeling and really get it off your chest. You could paint, draw, make a song, or make a craft.

Meditate. There are so many studies that have shown that meditation helps with stress. This is the prime time to try and meditate. It could be as little as 5 minutes or as long as you want. Go find a Youtube video, get in a comfy spot, and start meditating!

Connect with others. Although you can’t see your friends in person, this doesn’t mean you can’t see them at all. You won’t feel as isolated if you call or Facetime your friends and family everyday. You can even get in a big group on a Zoom meeting to see all your friends or family at once.

Physical Health during Quarantine

The quarantine has caused a dip in not only mental health, but physical health. Physical health is another piece of navigating life during quarantine. Getting exercise can also improve mental health though.

Because we are at home, we’re spending so much more time sitting. Everyone is having trouble sleeping and we’re getting a lot more headaches. I’ve even noticed this myself.

There are some things you can do to improve your health during quarantine like:

Exercise. Exercise is just as important now as it was before COVID-19. Gyms are closed, and that can make it harder for some people to get in exercise. Even though you may love the gym, you can use this time to find exercises to do at home. The one I have personally been loving is Chloe Ting’s 2 Week Shred.

Stretch. We’ve been sitting and laying in bed more than ever. This means we’re gonna come back with super tight muscles. Don’t let that happen! Try stretching every day.

Prevent Eye Strain. One of the reasons everyone is getting headaches is because you’re spending more time looking at your phone and computer. Use the 20-20-20 rule to prevent eyestrain. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Eat healthy. Eating healthy is no less important than it was before quarantine. You may have more opportunity to cook at home, so make the most of it with healthy foods! You can even specifically eat foods that boost your immune system.

Be Productive During Quarantine

One of the ways I am staying busy during quarantine is by trying to be productive. Some people thrive off of getting a lot of things done. If you already feel like you have too much on your plate, it’s okay to not want to do these things. You don’t have to be productive during quarantine.

But if you do, here are some ideas.

Organize your closet
Deep clean your room
Work on renovations
Learn a new skill
Learn a new language
Write in a journal
Spring clean
Work on your hobbies

Making Money during Quarantine

Money is one of the big stressors during COVID-19. Many have been laid off or hours have been cut. You’re probably been thinking of ways you can make money while you’re stuck at home.

A lot of companies are adding temporary remote positions during this time that you could apply for. Some other options for you to make money from home are:

Fiverr

Fiverr is an online marketplace where you can buy or sell services. If you’re telling yourself there are no services you could possibly offer, think again. You create services called gigs. Trust me, there is a gig out there that you can sell.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money. Affiliate marketing is when you promote a product and earn a commission. It is helpful to have a blog to promote affiliate products, but you can totally do it without a blog!

Transcription

There are numerous websites where you can sign up to transcribe audio. These sites pay per audio minute, and the amount paid varies between projects and sites. I use Rev, but there are other websites such as Scribie, Transcribeme, and even Fiverr.

Amazon Mechanical Turk

Amazon Mechanical Turk is similar to Fivver in that it is a marketplace where you can complete tasks for money. This is one of the best ways to make money while stuck at home. However, you do have to be approved for this. Click on the link to sign up and you will receive an email about whether you qualified.

Online Surveys

Although they do not pay a lot, you can make extra money online by taking surveys. My personal favorites are:

Search Engine Evaluator or Ad Evaluator

This is my personal favorite because I have been doing this for months. I make around $250 per month only working one hour per day working for Appen.

Taking care of your mental and physical health, all while trying to make money online is a difficult endeavor. Please share if these tips helped you with navigating life during quarantine.