Preparing to Remain At Home on Account of the Coronavirus
We asked experts, consulted manuals, and crowd-sourced tips on the internet for those stuck at home on account of the coronavirus outbreak.
S coronavirus upends life for an increasing number of people, you may be feeling uncertain or fearful about what is to come. If stress is coupled with a sudden drop in contact - whether because you are quarantined or simply working from the house for who knows how long - these feelings can feel much more heightened, said Laura Hawryluck, a critical care doctor and associate professor in the University of Toronto.
Soon after the SARS outbreak in China in the early 2000s, Hawryluck authored research about the emotional effects of people quarantined for SARS. It showed there was a"high incidence of psychological distress" for folks who had been quarantined.
"With SARS, there was that feeling of isolation," Hawryluck said. "People also did not feel they got accurate or consistent information, which led to a great deal of fear, plenty of anger, frustration, and anxiety. A lot of people felt quite depressed by it all, and a lot of people had nightmares."
Those symptoms may be worsened for men and women that have been exposed to this disease and live with others since they might be concerned about spreading the coronavirus to people they care for. "Most people are not concerned for themselves, because they believe they'll get through it, which in and of itself is a coping ability," said Hawryluck. "But worry about somebody they love, that makes all those emotional symptoms more prominent."
Staying home for some time
There are a whole lot of reasons you might be staying home for some time because of coronavirus. In the least restrictive end of the spectrum are the numerous employees, like me, that are performing their jobs from home for the foreseeable future due to their company faked it. More serious are those (such as Sen. Ted Cruz) who are self-quarantining after coming in contact with someone infected with the virus, in addition to those individuals self-quarantining after demonstrating flu-like symptoms. In the most severe end are people that are medically quarantined because they've been diagnosed with the coronavirus. You may also reside in a state, like Italy, or a US county that is under lockdown, where travel has been limited and individuals are being urged to stay home as much as possible.
If you are self-quarantining for any reason, working remotely, or simply feeling anxious about having to do either of these things for some time, there are loads of small ways to prepare yourself which are not simply buying up your grocery store's full inventory of beans (though here is a guide to creating a coronavirus preparedness kit, in the event you want that too).
We asked experts, consulted manuals, and crowd-sourced tips on the internet. Here is some of our guidance:
1. You are able to eat regular, yummy, healthy foods.
Just because you are stocking up does not mean you must stay on nonperishable foods and canned veggies. That's going to become tiresome real fast, and there are loads of strategies to consume the things you normally would.
Fill your freezer with fresh, flavorful soups. Keep pasta on your pantry and tomato sauce on your freezer. Consider the foods that you would wish to eat on a normal day; usually, there is a way to keep those around. As for me, I froze a large batch of taco soup and a whole lot of marinated salmon and made a crunchy quinoa salad that lasts well in the fridge for the week. I also bought eggs, sweet potatoes, peanut butter, hummus, carrots, and a whole lot of other things - ordinary staples for my diet that will endure for an adequate length of time.
2. And bear in mind that food is not just about staying alive.
You do not just need well-balanced meals! You need Cheez-Its, peanut butter cups, popcorn, gummy bears. Really whatever snacks you will be craving if you are stuck inside for some time. There's never been a better time to get ingredients around to bake biscuits. And if you are out here thinking meal prep period could be a good time to get super healthy and just eat lentils, get real. These are trying times. Buy the damn candy.
On that note, remember tea and coffee, if you drink them, and some booze if that's up your street. You probably do not have to stockpile water, but I purchased enough seltzer to tide me over for a little while. Priorities.
3. Avoid being too isolated.
Being forced to remain inside might seem like an introvert's fantasy come true, but if it is in the middle of a global outbreak and everyone is panicking, it is not such a fun and chill time. It took me stuck at home for lonely and stir-crazy.
Check-in with your people. Get on the phone or FaceTime and call your loved ones and friends with some regularity - you will likely need it, and so will they.
And when someone you know really gets quarantined or becoming infected with the virus, be there for them as much as you (safely) can. Call them, or simply send a playlist, some memes, or hyperlinks. And even when you can not go hang out together IRL, look at cooking them a meal and leaving it out their door, which is safe to perform.
"People [need to] know who to call if they do start getting symptoms, [and] know there's somebody who's going to check in on them, they're not going to be isolated and forgotten about," said Hawryluck. "If you are afraid you are going to get ill, what you actually need and desire is to know that someone will care for you."
4. Get a small fitness in.
There are loads of workouts you can do in the comfort of your own home, and doing this can seriously help your emotional health.
Here are a whole lot of exercises you can do with no equipment, and YouTube has tons of stations that provide education in everything from yoga to Pilates to strength training.
And in the event it is still possible to go outside, nothing beats a stroll. Just avoid enormous groups of people.
5. Clean your dwelling.
Not only does this shield against the spread of illness, additionally, it makes being cooped up in your home a lot more agreeable. Here is a big collection of spring cleaning chores you might have been putting off.
6. Go on the internet, but beware.
When the SARS epidemic broke out in 2002, Facebook, Twitter, as well as Myspace didn't yet exist. Now, people are more digitally linked, and the ability to stay in touch over social networking and video chat can have significant benefits on mental health during isolation. "It shortens distances between individuals," Hawryluck said.
But the worldwide web also creates issues which didn't exist during SARS - specifically, the spread of misinformation.
"People are afraid, and that's okay - we're human, there are things in our lives that will frighten us, and this is one of these," said Hawryluck. "But how we manage that fear, I think fear can be diminished if we have accurate information."
Here is a running list of misinformation concerning the coronavirus to keep on hand as you peruse social websites. In addition, be careful of these hawking fake cures online or attempting to infect your computer with malware by sending you suspicious coronavirus-themed mails .
7. Plan out your amusement.
Watch the news, for sure, but do not just stay glued to cable information. "The worst thing people can do is sit around and watch TV or see their screens and search for the hourly update of numbers," Hawryluck said. "I think that only exaggerates the signs of fear and its consequences."
You know those shows and movies you have been meaning to see but never get around to? Create a list - yes, a real list - of the names, and you will never run out of things to see.
However, if spending too much time taking a look at displays is driving you nuts, closed it down.
Get a whole lot of books out of your library. Pull out the board games and puzzles. Have some craft supplies available, if that's your thing.
8. Seek expert help if you are really struggling.
Whether you have been to a therapist before or are only realizing you may have to see one, seeking help with your mental health does not need to wait until you can go outside again. A lot of therapists provide sessions over the telephone or video chat. Here are a whole lot of ideas on how to locate a therapist. Additionally, there are apps to assist you with your mental health.
9. If you're working at home, do it correctly.
Working from home sounds like the fantasy - pajamas all day, slacking off, working from the couch! - but it could get gloomy and unproductive pretty fast if it is not approached the right way.
Matt Greenwell, BuzzFeed's manager of technology, has worked out of his home in Austin for six decades. He advised people new to the WFH life to attempt and maintain a normal routine as much as possible, such as getting dressed and dressing as you usually would, eating breakfast, and using a ritual to indicate a transition to the work day, like taking a stroll.
"The getting dressed piece is a tiny trope, [but] if you do not put effort into yourself, you won't put effort into anything else," Greenwell told BuzzFeed News.
And actually seeing and talking to people matters also, he said. He suggested holding meetings over video chat - and really turning the camera for them.
"Fortunately my wife is at home with me too so we can talk with one another and have lunch together, but when she was not, I would be desperate for human interaction when she got home from work," he said.
10. Remember to remain healthy and exercise good hygiene.
Information is power, and having the perfect info can assist in preventing yourself from freaking out. You do not have to go overboard on the study, but it is a good idea to know about what you should do if you do believe you have contracted the coronavirus.
And perhaps the simplest way to stay healthy is to maintain appropriate hygiene. You don't require a face mask (unless you are sick), but you should be washing your hands frequently (and bear in mind, soap and water is at least as effective as hand sanitizer).
Once that is done, just try to take it easy (and maybe order some dumplings to back up your favorite Chinese restaurant). These are tough, uncertain times, and the best thing most of us can do is be kind to ourselves and our neighbors as all of us go through it.
