Only three months in and 2020 is already not doing the world any favors. Even though the coronavirus is in right now having major rippling effects on our social lifestyle, not everyone understandably wants to be reminded of this dreary situation 24/7.
The more attention you give the beast, the more challenging your daily lives will become.
Luckily, there are various methods that can be taken in reducing the stress and anxiety that is associated with the virus. Don't worry, every one of these activities can be done in a quarantined space.
5. Watch a movie or TV show.
Now, I know there was just an indefinite ban on movie theaters in New Jersey, California, and other major areas around the world, but that's where streaming luckily comes in to serve your entertainment needs.
If there is a film or series you have been anxiously waiting to watch for the past few months but just haven't had the time, now is probably the best opportunity for a binge. Being transported to new worlds of wonder and imagination is a great way to relieve your mind of all of the panic and stress of the world for a few hours.
It would probably be best to stay away from popular epidemic movies such as "Contagion", "Outbreak", and "I Am Legend". The point is to take away all of the fears and paranoia, not build on them.
4. Stay off of social media.
As entertaining as all of the memes and tweets are, the more time spent on Facebook and Twitter will only build the growing anxiety within you. As more news concerning the virus is released to the public, clickbait headlines won't be far behind.
The worst part of it all is that many of these publishers relaying information will tend to mislead or misinform their audiences with headlines that get people to click as opposed to revealing the truth. With each passing day, your social media feed will become filled with nothing but Corona headlines and topics. Some headlines that may be assuring and others that will just cause more unneeded panic in an already stressful daily life.
So, it's better to just save yourself the hassle completely and tune out all of the noise... at least for a few weeks.
3. Meditate.
You don't need to go outside to relax your body or mind. An area that most people don't take advantage of to help with stress and anxiety is the practice of meditation.
A calm state of mind will do wonders for your physical and mental wellbeing during a high-stress situation that the world is facing now. The best part is that it's not a too physically taxing activity to commit to, either.
You can sit in the classic cross-legged position on the floor with your eyes closed, with maybe even a little bit of music in the background. When you're home, just find a specific spot away from the family for a bit and perform the meditations there for the full effect.
Whether it's two hours or two minutes, just try to dedicate a portion of your day to yourself to help relieve some stress.
2. Listen to music.
Remember how I said to tune out all of the noise? Well, in a way, it was literal. Angsty teens blasting music to evade the troubles of life... your time is now.
Music is a huge contributor to navigating the trials and tribulations of life without going completely insane. Create a Pandora or Spotify account and set up a diverse playlist of favorite songs to listen to while in quarantine.
You may even come across some music artists or groups you've never even heard of before, which is great. The wider the selection, the more opportunity to become immersed in the warm and harmonic worlds of Earth, Wind, and Fire, rather than the maddening echoes of celebrities infected by corona.
The lyrics of the songs manage to tell stories of life even more detailed than a novel.
1. Sleep!
It is a known fact that you cannot go on forever without getting some shut-eye. If a film fails to take your mind off the dramas of the world, then you may be in need of some sleep.
Sleep is not a bad thing at all, either. If anything, it is the only essential people need, even more than toilet paper. When you sleep, you enter a realm where, even just for a few minutes, problems at large cease to exist. Not to mention the fact that our bodies need time to rest and recharge itself after each day, even if it may not be the preferred eight-hour duration.
It isn't until you're reawakened that everything starts flooding back. If you haven't already, enjoy and savor each moment in bed. Corona can't attack you in Dreamland.
Coronavirus is, without question, a huge matter of concern and needs to be taken with the utmost seriousness, but we still have to live our lives as well. Having a healthy state of mind will go a long way in combatting the unusual circumstances of the whole situation.
Through it all, remember to relax and stay away from all the headlines and stories that may seem out of the ordinary. Not every story out there is going to be entirely believable.
In the words of Bob Marley, "everything's gonna be alright."
