Mallory Knee
If there is one thing we know out of all of this, 2020 has not been the year anybody expected. Canceled trips, online schooling, tons of unknowns—all of these things are quite discouraging. That said, our sanity and our survival need to try and find some positives in this madness. If you need some help reducing anxiety and flipping hard moods around, we’ve listed a few wonderful ways to stay happy and healthy in self-isolation. There’s not much we can control right now, but how we react and how we maintain our physical and mental health is one of them!
Get into an Exercise Routine
At first, it was really easy to just stay at home and sit on the couch, but the longer we’re isolated, the less lazing around is the coping mechanism we need. As staying at home has become more of the norm for our bodies and our minds, it’s important to implement some healthy habits into our routines as well. Getting back into a workout routine doesn’t have to be intimidating—just start with some walks around the block so your body can feel those endorphins again and remember how terrific movement feels.
Limit Your Social Media Time
Too much screen time isn’t just bad for our eyes; it’s bad for our mental health as well. More often than not, social media use is a comparison game—we may not even recognize it consciously, but as we scroll through TikTok videos and Instagram posts, our thoughts can easily switch from “that’s cool!” to self-deprecation. Do yourself a favor and put a limit on how much time you can spend scrolling through social media—it can be more than it used to be, but there should still be a limit.
Pick up Some Helpful Hobbies
Now is the perfect time to delve into hobbies! You may not be the most artistic, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pick up a paintbrush and enjoy the relaxing qualities of painting. There are a ton of hobbies you can pick up that will improve both your mental and physical health—we have a few of our favorites listed below to give you an idea!
- Cooking (try out some new, healthy recipes)
- Crafting (painting, knitting, embroidery, etc.)
- Journaling (bullet journals, happiness journals, etc.)
- Gardening (plant some fresh herbs to use in the kitchen)
- Learning a new language
Plan for the Future
The future may not look the way we expected it to look, but that doesn’t mean we can’t plan for when things are a bit more “normal” again. Plan out a trip with your friends—where would you go? What restaurants or cafés would you visit, and what sights would you see? Tourism may be on hold right now, but you can still plan to have a more structured idea of where you’ll want to go when all of this is over. You may not be able to plan in exacts, but you can get some ideas on paper.
Stay Connected with Loved Ones
One of the most beneficial ways to stay happy and healthy in self-isolation is by reaching out and staying connected with loved ones. You’ve probably already seen all of the recommendations to try out Zoom and HouseParty, but there are other ways to stay connected than just with video chat. A simple text in the morning can go a long way, or maybe you can start having pen pals! Get creative with how you stay connected, and you’ll feel your happiness skyrocket.
