The Covid-19 pandemic has thus far claimed almost 4.5 million lives. And while some nations like the United States and the United Kingdom are currently vaccinating in large numbers, the situation is far from over. Nations with vaccination programs haven’t reached everyone, and the Delta Variant spreads through underdeveloped countries like wildfire. And while life is beginning to get back to normal, there are still fears that another wave could hit.
Talk to a Professional
At the moment, we certainly live in uncertain times. Watching the news in the morning is enough to make you insane; wildfires engulf the world, Covid killing everyone, and now turmoil in Afghanistan, again. With everything going on, it’s expected that you might feel depressed when isolating. However, charitable helplines like the Samaritans are excellent at providing advice and guidance through difficult times. So no matter how alone you feel, you never have to be.
Seek Health Advice from Alternative Means
Because of restrictions and fears of infection, you may not feel like seeing your doctor at their practice. However, you should be aware that lockdown procedures don’t apply to healthcare services. However, not everyone is comfortable attending a public place at the moment. But you can use the internet to see medical professionals. For example, Simple Online Doctor will put you through to a doctor for various problems and allow you to order prescriptions online.
Keep in Touch with Friends and Family
Feeling afraid to go outside or indeed being ordered to isolate can cause feelings of loneliness and isolation. For example, during the pandemic’s peak between 2020 and 2021, surveys found that depression rates accelerated significantly. Help yourself by staying in touch with a simple phone call, texting, and video conferencing. Alternatively, you can share your feelings online through social media like Facebook and Twitter. There are also support groups on these sites.
Spend More Time Doing Things You Love
If there’s one thing Covid isolation will give you, it is more time. Typical guidelines recommend at least 10 days alone. This doesn’t sound like a long time, but for some, it can be unbearable. Therefore, you should try to use your time effectively, and you can do this by doing the things you enjoy the most. Whether you love video games, building models or playing an instrument, you can use the 10 isolation days to significant effect and a little “Me Time”.
Do Some Extra Work Online
Alternatively, you could use the extra time to keep yourself busy and make some extra cash in the process in your leisure time. The internet is an excellent source of extra money. However, unless you can offer a very professional service, you might have a hard time finding reasonable pay rates. The gig economy, online surveys and selling products are among the most common methods of making money online.
List the Things You Want to Do After Covid
The pandemic won’t last forever, and either self-imposed or ordered isolation is a relatively short time. However, restrictions mean that you cannot do the usual things you enjoy as they may not be available. Or you might be waiting a little longer before you feel safe to use public facilities. But that doesn’t mean you can’t plan when you want to return to your usual routine. So spend some time planning your favourite things for a day out with friends and family.
Do a Spring Clean
What better way to spend spare time than cleaning your home? While it isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, cleaning is a proven method of coping with stress and for anxiety and depression:
- The vigorous movements required feels like exercise, which lowers cortisol and increases serotonin.
- A sense of achievement and peace of mind comes from knowing you are living in a clean environment.
- To remove clutter, simply throw away anything that doesn’t inspire joy.
Get Odd Jobs Done
In addition to cleaning around the home and removing unwanted items, you could take the time to get some odd jobs finished. No home is perfect, and there is always something to do. For example, light bulbs may need changing, so install new energy-saving bulbs. Leaking sink? Check the tubes and tighten any seals. You could also maintain critical systems like HVAC, air filters or blocked drains. Again, just look around and check what needs to be done.
Use the Time to Decorate
Once you have cleaned your home and made sure it is in perfect working order, you could spend some additional time giving it a makeover. 10 days is more than enough to decorate, and the best way is to spread it over a few days. Plan it out, and don’t try to do everything in one day. While you may be in isolation or apprehensive about leaving home, you can order paint supplies and wallpaper online from outlets like Amazon.
Stay Up to Date with the News
Of course, one of the best ways to alleviate feelings of unease about any situation is to stay informed. Almost every news channel holds daily news briefings about the latest Covid-19 news. The problem is uncertain for everyone, and it is changing all the time. The UK’s green, amber and red lists are a prime example. Because we cannot know what will happen tomorrow, it is helpful to stay as positive as possible, as help could be just around the corner.
In Summary
The current pandemic is an uncertain situation for everyone that could change for the better or worse at any moment. Self-imposed or ordered isolation because of fear of infection can cause or exacerbate loneliness and depression. Because of this, the number of people suffering over the last couple of years has increased significantly.
If you are struggling, you don’t have to. Primarily, you should stay in contact with friends and relatives using social media and communication devices. In addition, you can speak to charity and medical professionals for advice and ordering prescriptions online.
The silver lining of the Covid-19 cloud is that you might have more time to yourself. And you can use this time effectively by tidying the home, decorating or doing odd jobs. Alternatively, you could use the time to relax and do some of the things you enjoy, like playing games or hobbyist activities like building models of learning a musical instrument.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.
