How to Take Care of Yourself During Quarantine
Self-care is very important when you have to stay home during this quarantine, whether it’s by giving yourself a spa day or caring for your mental health.
One important way to provide self-care during the quarantine is to make a schedule. Set a time to wake up early, put on some makeup, and put on brand new set clothes, instead of the ones you have been wearing for days. This is important for your mental health. If you let yourself go, then this could cause physical and mental changes to your body. It can cause you to not care anymore about your appearance or the way you act. You could have been the most energetic person out there, but now you are a lazy couch potato.
Another way to cope with the quarantine is to think about these few things: What have you always wanted to do but couldn’t? What do you want to achieve (whether it’s getting fit or eating healthier)? And how are you going to maintain/keep track of what you want to do? Sometimes school or work can get in the way of activities that you have always wanted to do, which gave you an excuse. But now you have no excuse. This is the time to get moving and stay productive. So go out there and achieve that perfect beach body, or learn how to play an instrument you’ve always wanted to play, or pick up a new hobby because now you have all the time in the world to do that.
And it’s right in the comfort of your own home. So stay productive, get off that couch, and do what you want to do while staying safe!
The Rostrum was curious about what other Westies are doing to stay positive during the quarantine. Here’s a sampling of what people said:
Dan Gallipoli, senior: Develop a routine. The reason this feels so odd and unorganized is that the school gave us a clear schedule five days a week. Try to make a schedule to replicate that feeling, i.e. wake up at 8, eat breakfast and shower by 9, do your schoolwork until 1 with a lunch break at 12, read a book/watch a show/do any hobbies you now have more time to do, eat dinner, and then relax.
Leonarkis Espronseda, senior: I try to do a list of things I’ve always wanted to do but never get to do it, so every day I have something to keep me motivated.
Emily Merola, senior: By having a little bit of a routine every day I think my mental health has been better. For me, this is just drinking coffee in the morning, working out after I finish my coffee, checking Google Classroom for assignments, and then at night making sure I do my skincare. It leaves a lot of open time but just those small things every day make a big difference and keep me on track.
Chris Olsen, senior: I have tried to do at least one “productive” thing a day, like baking or playing an instrument. It helps you feel less lazy and you are getting things done.
Hayat Ghaffar, senior: Reflect on gratitude: Sit or lie down quietly in a relaxed posture. Close your eyes and bring awareness to your heart center. Begin to relax into the rhythm of your breath flowing in and out. Now take a moment to reflect on your day and bring to mind something you are grateful for – it could be a person, a situation, or a simple pleasure that brought you joy.
Maryn Lovallo, senior: Work towards gaining more good habits. For example, I have been following this workout schedule at home to give me some motivation to be at least a little productive during quarantining. If I start working out in a day rather than watching Netflix, I basically am on a productivity roll from there. I tidy my room after I shower, make food after that, read the Bible, do my school work, and I also have found myself reading books for fun. If I start my day with Netflix or social media, I will be tied into it for the majority of the day, and it will be difficult to peel away to do things that I need to do.
We also asked students to send us photos of things that are helping them stay positive in the quarantine. Here are some of the pictures we gathered:
