Stress during an infectious disease outbreak often comes from worrying about your health and the health of your family. It can also come from disruptions to your normal routine such as changes in sleep or eating patterns. The high amount of stress involved with self-quarantining requires you to do more to consciously support your own physical and mental health. Here are a few things you can do for your own wellbeing:
Make time to be alone
While self-quarantining can make you feel isolated, being quarantined at home with the kids may make you feel overwhelmed. Make time to be alone without distractions. If you live with your spouse or partner, take shifts where one of you watches the kids so that the other person can work, relax, or go for a walk.
Take a break from the news and reach out to others
Constantly watching and reading news stories about COVID-19 can be upsetting. So can scrolling social media and reading an endless stream of posts about it. Take a break from the news cycle and connect with other people. Keep in contact with your close friends through phone or video chats. Just because you can’t go out and be social doesn’t mean you have to give up being social altogether. You can even engage in virtual conferences to check in with your coworkers or even just socialize with friends.
Take care of your body
Continue to take care of your body even if you can’t do things like go to your gym or attend your regular exercise classes. To promote relaxation, practice breathing exercises or meditation. Exercise regularly, whether by taking on-demand exercise classes, using a home exercise machine, doing yoga, or doing body weight exercises. Going for a walk is also an excellent way of staying active and it’s great to do as a family. You can easily get some exercise and get out of the house while maintaining healthy distances from others and avoiding crowded areas.
Employee benefits often put a heavy emphasis on employee wellness to ensure that you’re happy and productive when you’re working at the office. When working from home, however, it can be difficult to make time to focus on your own wellness when you’re too busy trying to provide for your children. The key to a harmonious self-quarantining experience for parents and children alike is for parents to make sure they’re taken care of first. By taking regular breaks, getting exercise, and sticking to a routine, you can teach your kids how adjust to this new schedule.
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