10 Things I Do To Help Keep Sane During Quarantine

Staying inside during this time is important not only for ourselves but also for the lives of others. We all should know this by now, however it doesn’t stop life feeling like it’s been turned upside down as you feel trapped where you live.

Heading into week three, personally, of being under quarantine, here are some things that I have found gradually to make this change in lifestyle a lot easier.

1. Wake up at 8:30am and Don’t Stay Up Too Late

This has been a goal of mine for a while. Being a teenager, waking up early simply doesn’t come naturally to me. For the entire first week of being in quarantine I doubt I got out of bed earlier than 11am, and on one day, I’m ashamed to say, I don’t think I got out of bed until 1pm.

I was so confused why I could not muster anything in me to get out of bed. I had no energy to, no motivation, and unreservedly didn’t want to. My morning routine consisted of sleeping in late and then spending the majority of my morning awake but in bed looking on my phone.

I knew this had to change because not only did I feel like I was barely up before it was time for bed again, but I started really struggling to get to sleep.

Since realising the knock-on effects that not waking up early has had on my day, I’ve thankfully managed to push back when I wake up. Of course this might not be a problem for everyone, and for some people I’m sure waking up at 8:30am will seem like a lay in, but regardless, if you’re like how I was sleeping in until around midday I can’t recommend waking up earlier enough.

This comes hand-in-hand with not staying up too late. I understand that it is easy to feel like it’s okay to stay up late when you feel like there is no time schedule for the day after but this is why it is important to incorporate both of these routines into your life.

Staying up late will make it very easy to fall into a vicious cycle, like I did, of staying up until around 2 or 3am and waking up at midday. In order to fix this takes time. Some things I’ve found that has led me to fix my sleep cycle include doing exercise during the day to tire me out, gradually setting my alarm at an earlier time over several days and mentally planning something that I’d like to do the next day to get me out of bed (this can be as simple as thinking about what you’d like to eat for breakfast the next day)

Doing both of these things will not only increase your productivity during the day, and make you feel like the time you’re spending during quarantine is worthwhile, but will also give you more time to do things you really enjoy during your day.

2. Get Dressed and Washed

This is something I have done throughout my time in quarantine and I've found it a great thing to fit into my routine. Even though you might wonder what the point is if you’re not going to leave the house, getting dressed not only has been found to increase people's productivity but it will also instil a sense of great-needed normality to your day.

Now, I’m not talking about being fully dressed up, looking smart as you might normally do - feeling comfortable during this time is imperative. Lounge wear such as leggings, cotton trousers, sweatpants and loose tops are perfect. As long as they’re clean and not something you’ve slept in the night before, putting them on will make you feel more refreshed to start your day.

Of course, if you feel like it, by all means look as professional as you want to, which will increase your confidence and is likely to make you feel good about yourself during the day. To motivate yourself to do this, I recommend laying out what clothes you will wear the night before, or even just mentally planning what you’re going to wear.

Getting washed, even though it sounds obvious, is also going to really help keep you sane during quarantine. Just because you’re not leaving the house is not an excuse to let your hygiene drop, and I’m sure if you live with other people they will be grateful of this too. Again this will increase the productivity of your day.

Throughout quarantine I’ve continued with my daily skincare routine and have put on a little bit of makeup each morning. I’ve found personally that when my skin is good and I feel like I look presentable that I feel happier in myself. I know lots of people who’ve even done full faces of makeup and tried out new makeup looks during quarantine, not only for fun and practice because they’ve found it makes them feel amazing too.

3. Do Exercise

For me, this is going out on a run in my local park. I’ve set myself the goal of doing this every other day, however I’m really not putting pressure on myself to do this as there’s no need to put yourself down if you’re not hitting all the targets you make for yourself during this time. Having the mindset of doing exercise when you want to because you actually want to do it is the healthiest approach.

If you’re new to running there are plenty of things you can do to get yourself into it. For example, the Couch to 5km app is great to slowly get you from very limited experience in running to being able to run 5km straight. Running for Dementia is also a fantastic motivator and a worthy cause to support while also doing exercise - the idea is you are sponsored by people to log your runs between when you sign up and the 31st August until you complete an entire marathon in your own time.

Running isn’t the only form of exercise you can do, of course, you can cycle too or simply go on a walk. If you don’t have a local park nearby, I’ve found on my runs that the roads and pavements are quiet enough at the moment that you can easily find space to exercise around the streets too.

It is really important at this time to appreciate the time and space you do have outside. Immersing yourself in nature can be a healing thing to do if you’re feeling trapped inside. Taking photos of nature can also be something you incorporate into doing your exercise outside. We don’t know if being allowed one daily excursion outside a day will be continued for much longer with the cases of coronavirus increasing - so now more than ever we shouldn’t take for granted the freedom we have to exercise daily.

Following work out routines is also a great option, and this is something you can do at hom if you are unable to go outside. There is a plethora of free videos you can follow on Youtube. 'PE with Joe’ is a live broadcast of different exercises to do which is shown every day at 9am on Youtube and caters to people of all ages and abilities. You can also easily search online for specific work outs for parts of you body you would like to focus on, for example an abs work out, a legs work out, e.t.c.

With the increased time the majority of us will have now during the day, for example if you currently not working or having more time not having to travel to work, or like me home from university, there is no excuse not to keep up your exercise.

During this time when the health of so many is sadly compromised, if you are able to put in the effort to improve or keep up your health it is highly worthwhile. Of course, remember while doing exercise outside to keep social distancing and to wash your hands as soon as you get home.

4. Do Yoga and Mindfulness

This is something I’m looking to start incorporating into my lifestyle on a day to day basis. Yoga and stretching is great to do after exercise (and will encourage you to continue if you’re not waking up with sore muscles) and is a really peaceful activity to incorporate into your day.

Yoga with Adriene is my absolute favourite account to follow for yoga practices. Not only has she put out videos for specific practices, such as a sunrise yoga, yoga for when you’ve been sat working at a desk and yoga for runners, but there are playlists on her channel that you can watch to teach you the very basic poses for complete beginners. She also does 30 day yoga challenges that you can follow, leading to amazing effects on both your body and your mental strength. Her videos range from short 10 minute practices to full 1 hour sessions.

Some of my favourite videos of hers include:

Mindfulness is also key to help stay calm and centred during this time, it’s also great for your mental health. I’ve used the Calm app which, with paid subscription, offers a wide range of different mindful practices, ranging from meditations and sleep stories to relaxing music and mental fitness videos. There are also meditations that you can search for on Youtube to follow for free.

Other options include simply setting aside time to sit and listen to music you love, or perhaps listening to podcasts. Some of my favourite include Desert Island Discs, In our Time and TED talks, each of which you can have a good look through and find ones that specifically interest you.

Practicing mindfulness is so important during this time, as having good mental health and the ability to take time for yourself to relax, and maybe reduce any anxieties you have, is going to greatly help you get through this challenging time.

5. Treat Yourself

With all this in mind you must remember to treat yourself as well! For many this is likely going to spring to mind eating unhealthy treats - unfortunately this isn’t what I’m referring to. By treating yourself I mean setting aside time to look after yourself and do something you take genuine pleasure from.

Whether it’s baking, cooking or watching a TV show or film you haven’t had time to see, these are all things you can incorporate into your day to help keep you sane in these stressful times. Not only will doing the things you enjoy lift your mood, but bare in mind that you should take advantage of the extra time you now might have now to have some fun.

Personally I’ve enjoyed baking a delicious vegan banana bread following a BBC Good Food recipe, trying out Dalgona Coffee which has now become a favourite of mine, and watching some films to check off my list of films I want to watch.

Podcasts again are such a fun media to get into if you haven’t already, they also can be really relaxing to listen to. I listen to my podcasts on Spotify, but you can also access all of them on Apple Music. Some really entertaining Podcasts I love include ‘My Dad Wrote a Porno’, ‘Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain’ and ‘Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness’. However, there are a huge range of Podcasts available from comedy shows to dramas.

Something else you can do to treat yourself during this time is self care. This not only will make yourself feel amazing but will lift your spirits if you’re feeling down. Examples of self care can be having a relaxing bath, painting your nails, doing a face or hair mask and exfoliating. This will boost your confidence and really make you feel good.

6. Art

Being creative during this time has not only been something I’ve really enjoyed, but also something I’ve found has been a well-needed break from being concerned about the current pandemic, and has allowed me to concentrate on something else.

I’ve set myself the challenge of doing one piece of art every day during quarantine in my notebook, which is something I’ve so far been successful at. Art is something I’ve always enjoyed but have rarely set time aside to persue, so it makes me really happy to be able to do some art now. It allows me to channel my mind into something creative which is really fulfilling and I’ve even noticed an increase in my ability to draw too.

Art doesn’t have to be in the form of drawing, which I personally enjoy, but it can expand to embroidery, tie-dying clothes, poetry, creative writing, painting, playing instruments, writing songs and even creating at-home videos. Having a creative outlet is really important for some people, especially if you feel claustrophobic in your house, as it provides escapism too.

It’s important not to put pressure on yourself to create masterpieces and something perfect during this time - simply the act of doing something creative should bring you happiness.

7. Eat Healthily

When you’re already feeling stuck at home for most of the day the last thing you want to feel is sluggish, bloated and maybe even feeling guilty for eating unhealthily. With extra time on our hands there is no excuse not to spend more time cooking from home which is always a healthier option to to getting takeaways. This can be great fun too if there’s a new recipe you’d like to try out.

While I know for some people access to food might be limited over this time, on Channel 4 Jamie Oliver has started a ‘Keep Cooking and Carry On’ series where he gives out recipes with things people are likely to have already in the house, coming up with delicious dishes such as a cauliflower mac ’n’ cheese, minestrone soup and even pizza.

Eating full and proper meals will also help keep you from snacking on unhealthy food, which is important as health experts have found that people on average are likely during this time to be burning up to 400 calories less a day due to reduced activity.

Having a focus on healthy eating during this time will really help anyone feel good about themselves, and help you feel less lethargic especially if you are being less active than normal. Taking the time to eat healthily at this time could even kick-start a new healthy lifestyle for you once quarantine is over.

8. Work

For me work means continuing with my online university work, but this will vary from person to person. Of course people who are employed will continue to work, but for those, like me, who are not it is still important to keep your mind active.

If you are in education and have set work to do, such as coursework, classwork, assignments and online lectures and seminars, it is highly important to keep these activities up. We must all remember that life will continue after the coronavirus so it is important not to fall behind just because you’re not continuing with your average daily schedule. This can be tricky, especially if you lack motivation or feel as though the days are passing buy quickly or blending together. Keeping a checklist of things you need to finish is a great way to help you keep on top of your work.

Setting aside hours of your day to do work will also help keep a sense of normality to your day, and could be an opportunity to even get ahead on work you have set for the future.

If you don’t have any set work to do keeping your mind active is crucial for your mental health. This can be achieved through reading, doing crosswords or sudoko or even puzzles and board games.

9. Staying Connected

Being stuck at home every day can be incredibly isolating, even if you’re with family or house/flatmates. Therefore, staying connected to friends, family and the outside world is integral for your emotional and social needs, but also will be a lovely thing for the people you’re connecting with too.

Staying connected online is a really easy way to do this, while also complying to social distancing rules, which can be done via email, text, phone calls, social media websites, FaceTime and Skype, for example.

Not only is it fun to catch up with friends and family who you might be missing because of the quarantine, but keeping in touch with people who might potentially be vulnerable to the disease is potentially lifesaving. Checking these people are healthy, or need any assistance such as food being dropped off, is something we can all do to help fight the coronavirus and keep more people safe - that is if you are capable of doing so.

Social connection during this time is more important than ever, especially for people who are more extroverted and take their energy from socialising. Quarantine is also a great opportunity to check in with friends and family who you might have lost contact with and would love the chance to reconnect with again.

Connecting with your local community is also another way you can feel united with other people during this time. In the UK, for example, every Thursday at 8pm the public are encouraged to stand on their doorsteps and clap together to give thanks to our National Health Service for all the work that they’re doing. Why not connect with your neighbours to do something similar, for instance down my road one of my neighbours sent round an email to organise our street singing The Beatles song ‘With a Little Help From My Friends’ from our doorsteps which really evoked a sense of camaraderie between us all.

Despite all of this, I will also stress that limiting the time you spend online will really help keep your mental health in a good place. Connecting with your immediate surroundings is a much healthier way to get through these times rather than living through accounts you might follow online.

Linked with this, I think it can be really detrimental to your mental health to be continuously glued to your TV screens or radios listening or watching the news. Although I think we all have a duty to be conscious of the rules put in places for our safety by governments, and to be aware of the scale and danger of the pandemic, to only be concerning yourself with this can be highly anxiety-inducing with reporters and news outlets having the tendency to scaremonger in their stories to get viewers watching. This is not going to be good for your mental health, so I personally only watch the news once a day at 5:30pm during the UK government’s daily update and have breaking news notifications turned on my phone.

10. Give People You’re Living with Space

Being at home all the time, spending lots more time than usual with the people you live with is naturally going to be challenging. High tensions due to stress regarding the pandemic, and all the other anxieties that it has brought with it, might lead to increased arguments and agitation with the people you live with too.

Feeling like you’re on top of all the people you might be living with can be annoying for everyone, and won’t make your time at home any easier. Therefore, giving yourself space and time alone will be much needed over time.

Maintaining or building a positive relationship with the people you are living with during this time is an integral part of staying happy, and sometimes the easiest way to have a good relationship with others is to have times when you’re spending quality time together, but also having a sensible amount of time apart.

These are some of the things I’ve learnt through trial and error, or have found to be really positive things to incorporate during my lifestyle during quarantine. None of us know how long this time will last, so building and keeping these healthy habits will grow increasingly important to we survive this worrying time.

I hope you have found this helpful, and maybe take some of the things I’ve written about to fit into your own daily routine.