Keep your mind and body refreshed during quarantine
By: Jools Pulcher, Art & Life Editor
- Let’s start off with the easiest way first: just get up and stretch. Stretching is an excellent way to remove the fatigue and nervous energy built up in your body and mind. With most of us working indoors at computers for long periods of time, we could all use a stretching break.
- The second way is what we’ll call a surroundings check. Close your computer and look around you. Do you have any unwashed dishes in your vicinity? Any empty cans? Get rid of those. Are there any small chores you could do? Dishes in the sink, a load of laundry in the hamper? Take care of those. Not only will this keep your space clean, which will help your mental state while you work, but this will also help relieve some extra energy that has built up while you were sitting down.
- Similar to number two, number three on our list is a check of sorts. This time though we are just going to do a quick wellness check. Listen to your body and ask yourself a few key questions before you do any more work. Have you taken your meds recently? Have you had water recently? Have you eaten recently? Have you showered recently? Have you gotten rest recently? And last, but not least, have you taken time to do something you love recently? As students in an online setting, it’s easy to get absorbed in all your homework and projects and forget to do a few things. We all do it, but make sure you are checking on your internal settings just as much as you are checking in on your external ones. We are going through a difficult time, so be gentle with yourself and make sure you are taking care of yourself.
- Alright, now that you have done all the important stuff, let’s get into the fun ways to combat restlessness. First off, get out into nature. Whether you go out in your backyard or you go on a walk in your neighborhood, being outdoors is sure to relieve some of the tension in your mind. If you are taking a walk, go as slow or as fast as you like, but listen to the sounds of your neighborhood, stretch those muscles and let your body soak in that sunshine. If you are in your own yard and it’s clean enough to do so, take off those shoes and walk through the cool grass barefoot, smell those flowers you planted or that bonfire your neighbor started. Take a moment to take in your surroundings, be in the moment. Sometimes the best way to alleviate the stress all of us are under is to remind ourselves that we are human, and our experiences are more than a term paper.
- Listen to some music, and this is something you can do while you work or do something else. But for this example I recommend, just sitting and listening to your favorite music. Dance to it, or just relax and close your eyes. There is no wrong way to listen to music and music can help you in a number of ways.
- Make a new type of food! It’s a thing now to see people baking or cooking, and that’s because it helps. But more than that, it can help you discover a new food that you may love making long after all of this is over. Food, like music, is a large component of culture that is insanely interesting as there are endless combinations and opportunities for exploring what you like. So try out that new recipe, dust off that recipe book, or fire up google or Alexa. You might find something you love.
- Read a new book, or wrap up that one you have been meaning to finish. I know many of us don’t put the time into reading that we used to. And that’s okay, with Netflix and every other streaming service you could ever think of, plus all of our other day to day stuff, reading can just be a time consumer that we just can’t normally afford. But reading can be a great way to escape into another way, spend some time, encourage ourselves, or even learn something. So pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read and take some time for yourself.
- Think of your favorite hobby. Whether that’s scrapbooking, gaming, hula-hooping, watching netflix, or riding a bike. Take a few minutes each day to dedicate to that specific thing. Since we are all in quarantine, we have plenty of time on our hands. Don’t push yourself to do work 24/7 while we are all home. Burn out doesn’t mix well with trauma and cabin fever. So take time to do the things that you love.
- Need a new hobby or your old one’s just not hitting like they used to? Do some exploring, try that cool thing you saw on the internet. Just be sure to be safe while doing so.
- This list isn’t all there is. As humans, we do some of our best and most creative work when we are bored. If these things don’t alleviate your restlessness, don’t worry. We are all human and we are all unique and different. What works for some of us won’t work for everyone. But, we do have quite a bit of time in quarantine. So, if you can’t find something here to help you, do some research or some exploring into what you like to do, or what helps you. And remember, we will all get through this. I have faith in you, dear reader.
