8 Self-care tips for self-quarantine
illustration by kat vellos
Here in the Bay Area, a Shelter-in-Place order is now active across six of our region's most populous counties. This (temporary) new normal means the cancellation of every non-essential outing. To keep people safe and to flatten the curve, over 7 million of us are required to stay home until April 7 if not longer; I thoroughly expect it will last longer. Any time we need—not just want but critically need—to exit the home and cross paths with anyone that we don’t live with, a 6-ft #physicaldistancing perimeter is also required.
The day-by-day adjustments have been happening so quickly. During each of the last few weeks, I’ve made a different change in my life to adapt to the public health guidance that applied at that time.
Since we’re now just one step away from the final lever—a total lockdown like the kind we’re seeing in Italy—I’d like to proactively share some tips for coping with self-quarantine in case you’re here waiting it out with me in the Bay, or if you're expecting similar changes in your area soon.
If you’re not already facing similar restrictions on movement, now is a good time to get mentally ready to do so in the near future.
8 Self-Care Tips for Self-Quarantine
Breathe. Really. The value of being able to take clear, healthy breaths has never been more clear. Deep belly breathing helps increase your lung capacity, and it calms the nervous system. Multiple times a day, intentionally pause to close your eyes, inhale slowly until your belly expands all the way, then exhale just as slowly. Feel the gift of air in your lungs.
Stay hydrated. Dehydration can suppress the immune system and adequate hydration can boost it. Also, the fact that we have access to unlimited clean water to drink is miraculous in and of itself. Drink up.
Wander through dreamland and catch up on sleep. During sleep, your body makes cytokines which are a type of protein that targets inflammation and infection. If a long night of sleep is hard to achieve, then stock up on 20-30 minute naps when you can.
Roam the pages of books that lift you up. Dig into the books you’ve loved the most or bought but haven’t read yet. Even though my book is called We Should Get Together — and we should definitely not be getting together right now — about three quarters of the advice in the book can be used from afar to nurture your platonic connections. This is a great time to strengthen your bonds, as we're really going to need each other in the weeks and months ahead. I put a book club discussion guide in the back of the book, and here are 14 online book clubs you can join right now.
Explore learning a new skill. Getting lost in the flow of focused practice is a great way to feel time flying by. Khan Academy and Udemy are a great place to start.
Dive deep into meditation. If you’ve felt like you didn’t have time before to pick up a meditation practice, now’s a perfect moment. Here are 25 meditation resources from apps, to recordings, to meditative music.
Get up and get dancing. This is especially fun if you live with another person but if you live alone then have a long distance dance party. Call a friend and take turns each naming a great dance song. Then you each play it on your end, and put your phones down while you dance, shake, wiggle, and shimmy to the music. Dancing is a powerful way to reduce stress, increase endorphins, and boost your immune system. Plus, it sounds much more fun than “exercise” even though it’s that too.
Get together virtually. Proving how much we crave togetherness, forced isolation has birthed a world of new options for people to get together online. Yesterday morning I attended a virtual potluck hosted by The Great Discontent and I woke up this morning to an invitation from a friend to join a virtual sound bath, and there are also virtual: choirs, happy hours, concerts, cooking classes, drawing classes, dance parties and more. On Friday I'm hosting a virtual support group for speakers and workshop facilitators affected by the pandemic. If there's a gathering you've been wanting to attend or host, try it now virtually. Millions of people are home, available, and craving connection. We're going to really need each other in the months ahead. Cultivate your connection, now more than ever.