Hi everyone. I know this has been a hard time for most people, so I hope all of you are well. Today I would like to share with you some tips to help you get through this time, specifically concerning the topic of staying home. What’s funny about this situation is that before it happened, all people claimed they wanted to do was stay home all day. Well, now that we have to do that, everyone is losing their minds, and understandably. It gets pretty monotonous and it can really mess with your mental health. So, with that, here are six tips on how to stay home without letting the coronavirus kill your mental health. 

1) Create Structure

 Make a schedule each day and keep to it. Maybe know that at 10:00 each day you are going to go on a walk and at 12:00 each day you are going to have a nice slice of avocado toast. I make this type of schedule throughout the day, finished with a family dinner, and an episode of “Game of Thrones.” It can really be fun if you let it be. For once in your life you are in charge of your own schedule and how you are going to spend your day. While you may be limited, you would be surprised by how creative you can get at home, to which I will get into later. Also, while I do hate to admit it, doing schoolwork or work throughout the day does help with this structure. 

2) Exercise

 Give yourself a daily goal for physical activity. I know I tend to talk about this a lot, but now that I have more time on my hands, I find myself exercising more than I ever was before, despite being locked in small quarters. Your whole day can change if you just go outside for a walk, bike ride, or a run. I have been walking and biking around my neighborhood a lot with my family, and I have also been driving to some parks for a change of scenery. I would suggest Thompson park in Holmdel for really nice trails. Besides using the outdoors for some exercise, there are also thousands of YouTube videos to lead you in exercising, stretching, and yoga. No gym is needed, yet they are still very effective. I would highly recommend looking up Sydney Cummings and Maddie Lymburner on YouTube. Even aside from YouTube, many fitness instructors and trainers have turned to Zoom to host their workouts. I love this option because you workout live with them and others to feel like you are with everyone in the same room. They are also great because while ordinarily you would have to pay, they are completely free! I take Nicole Ravaschiere’s cardio and sculpting classes and Erin Pasko’s cardio dance classes. Nicole is a Tandem Cycle instructor and Erin is a SoulCycle instructor. You can find them their Zoom links on their instagrams: @fitwithcoles @erinpasko.

3) Create Goals and Learn Something: 

 If you wake up each day and don’t have a meaning or some goals you want to accomplish, then you start to question everything all together. My sister and I have compiled a list of some cool things that we want to accomplish during quarantine such as getting better at a new language, learning how to do a split, reading at least five books, watching classic movies, learning a new instrument, etc. Now is the time to accomplish goals and start your passions. Of course, these goals can be larger than the ones listed above such as finding a different career option.

4) Stay Connected: 

Call or video chat with at least one person every day. Use this opportunity to contact people who you rarely have time to connect with. Look up some people you’ve fallen out of touch with and say hi. My family does fun meetings over a Zoom call with our cousins. We have some appetizers and try to lift each other’s moods. 

5) Keep Balance: 

Certain activities, such binge watching tv, feel good when we’re doing them but can depress us when we’re done. Keep activities in balance so you have a variety that includes mental stimulation, physical activity, connection with others, fun, personal growth and accomplishment.

6) Think Positively: 

This experience could either be viewed as an adventure that you will tell stories about someday, or it could be thought of as a catastrophe. We are all home. You can choose to make fun out of the situation or wallow in pity each day about your boredom. Use this experience as a way to better yourself and to try things you have always wanted to do. 

Also try to limit the sources of negativity. Of course, we all need to listen to the news to get information about the situation. There is no reason to update yourself more than once or twice a day. Even look at some other news stories besides the virus. 

I hope this helped you look at this quarantine in a new light. I do not mean to minimize the severity of the virus, but the fact is, we are all home so there is no point in making our situation worse. Stay safe everyone and hope to see you all soon!