After I came back from London end of 2020 I had to quarantine for ten days, as Germany declared the UK as risk country. So I came up with the idea of writing about things you should NOT do during quarantine. And if you read til the end, I’ll tell you how I spent my quarantine.
One year ago, quarantine seemed to be a foreign concept to us. The past few months though, we’ve become quite familiar with the restrictions that come with quarantine and it’s probably one of the most used words of 2020. Being in quarantine is not the worst thing, as long as you’re healthy and don’t have Corona of course. And if you have people around who can provide you with food. To make this time more bearable, there are three things you SHOULD NOT do.
Wait for quarantine to end
One of the most important things I realized is, that you shouldn’t wait for the final day to arrive – the day of freedom. The more you wait for this day to happen, the longer it takes. And you’re wasting all the days in between – where you actually have time to focus on yourself, to do what you always wanted to do, to get to know yourself better. We see quarantine as a punishment. But you know what? It can be an opportunity. Embrace every day and think about what you could get out of it. Give yourself little challenges, set a personal goal you want to reach. Take time for yourself.
Be too hard on yourself
We’re social creatures, therefore quarantine is hard – there is no doubt. It’s a rough time not being able to be close to other people, to be trapped in the house and having almost no independence. Don’t be too hard to yourself if you feel lonely, lost or if you feel like this period is never gonna end. It’s okay and totally normal to have these feelings and I guess they must be part of it. Remember in these moments that you’re not alone – there are probably many others having to cope with the same situation. Try to talk to friends and family regularly, maybe write a diary, release the energy by doing a workout, meditation or yoga. Stay strong, times will change again.
Start an unhealthy lifestyle
In quiet times, where there’s not really much to do we tend to get lazy. And being lazy is not necessarily a bad thing. But there must be some balance, otherwise it will end up in a downward spiral. You become lazier, and lazier, and lazier. Whereas when you keep yourself active the opposite happens – you keep being active.
There are also studies that reveal a link between certain diets and their impact on mental health. A healthy and balanced diets can therefore improve your mood and your mental wellbeing. Like we tend to say in German “Du bist was du isst” or “You are what you eat”. How should your body be able to give you a good, positive feeling when it doesn’t receive appropriate food? Right. So eat healthy and keep moving! Here’s a recipe.
During my quarantine I could do home office, which was a game changer as it gave me a task for at least 8 hours a day. However, I made a list with things I wanted to do or achieve during this time: practicing piano every day, reading, practicing handstand, working on my blog. This list gave me things to focus on. It was like an anchor when I didn’t know what to do. I mindfully spent time with myself and tried to enjoy every day as best as I could. I didn’t want to look back to this time one day, thinking I wasted it.
If you’re in quarantine right now – stay strong, you can get through it. It’s an opportunity for yourself.
