- 3 min read

Staying Home Doesn't Need to Drive You Insane

I'm what you might politely define as 'busy'. And, being 'busy', I would help you elaborate by saying that I like keeping myself moving forward; I don't like standing still.

So, writing this on day 10 of home quarantine, I'm finding it tough not being out in the world with other people, or having the option to go and sit in a coffee shop and check emails. There's an almost daily inevitability about feelings of cabin fever and anxiety about how this all ends. I realise, however, that these are unprecedented times. Nothing other than being responsible for yourself, and those around you, matters right now.

But life must, in some way, move on alongside all of this: entrepreneurs still need to build their businesses, people still need to do their jobs from home, and others will continue to search for new opportunities. The issue is how to rise above the uncertainty and stay productive right now. Here's what I've been doing to do just that:

Create a Structure

Start and end your day at the same time. If it's possible with your job, try to do the same kind of tasks at the same time every day; for example, if you're an entrepreneur that might mean dealing with emails and social media in the morning and working on sales in the afternoon. This is a powerful trick for training your mind and getting it used to what is a 'normal' activity at any given time of the day.

Watch as your pattern of focus, hunger pangs, and even the people in your house start to sync with your structure when you keep it the same each day.

Stay Home

You don't need to go to the supermarket every day. Really.

If you have the option where you live, order food and groceries online and get them delivered. If you do need to go out, take a list, buy enough fresh food to last you 4 or 5 days, and keep your distance between people inside the store and when queuing.

Be responsible and stay home as much as possible.

See the Sky

Saying that, do get some sun or daylight whenever you can. If you have a garden take your breaks in it. Use your balcony, open your curtains and windows. Focus on something natural when you take your breaks, rather than the screen of your laptop, phone, tablet, etc.

Keep Active

If you usually count your daily steps, your chosen step-counting app will probably be taking great joy in telling you that you're not meeting your goals right now.

But the robot has a point: you need to be moving more, and staying home isn't conducive to that. Luckily most gyms and personal trainers are posting daily workouts to help keep you fit while you're staying home. Follow local gyms on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube, and see if they have any workouts for you. If you can't find any feel free to send me a message and I can send you killer the at-home workouts I've been using.

Talk to People

Employees, colleagues, friends, family. Check-in with someone different every day. It takes you out of your head and allows you to listen to what other people are thinking about right now. This can help both of you realise you're not as isolated with your thoughts as you might sometimes feel.

Decompress

Do something that doesn't involve technology when the day is over. Read a book or magazine that isn't reporting on current affairs, draw, write, meditate, start that knitting hobby you've been secretly wanting to try. Take your mind away from viruses, illness, global markets, bills, the future. Do something that forces you into the moment.

My current way of doing this is by learning Spanish - something I've been wanting to do for ages and now finally have the time because I'm not filling it with something else outside of my apartment!

My Current Day?

It looks something like this:

7.30 am: Wake up
8.30 am - 9.30 am: Reply to emails and social media
9.30 am - 11 am: Take an online Spanish lesson
11 am - 4 pm: Work, with a 30-minute break for lunch.
4 pm - 5.30 pm: Take a break on the balcony (if it's not raining) and do a 30-minute workout
5.30 - 7.30/8 pm: Work
8 pm onwards: Dinner and decompress