Avoiding Cabin Fever under Quarantine

My family and I have been watching news channels with every waking moment. I’ve been refreshing my Twitter feed every other minute, hoping for some good news. But one thing that I have learned in my twenty years of living is that when life gets tough, you have to make the most of the simple pleasures in life to get through it. So, I have comprised a list of things you can enjoy in this self-quarantine. 

1. Art – You don’t have to be an artist to enjoy drawing or painting. Focusing on creating something can encourage a self-meditation of sorts. A simple sketch of a nice meadow or a calming mountain peak will take up a good portion of your time—or paint a dragon terrorizing a town—whatever your fancy. 
2. Cleaning and organizing – This is a fun one for me. I think it’s a little weird that I love to clean so much. During this time it might be beneficial to clean and organize your things. Maybe investing in a planner and writing down dates could be helpful for the future online courses. I have personally reorganized my closet and deep cleaned my room and bathroom. You can detail and vacuum your car to make it look new again. An organized mind is a happy one. 
3. Learn a hobby or improve on one – Something that terrifies me is baking. So with the new time on my hands I thought that I could get over my fear of the dastardly oven. Your new hobby could be learning a song on the guitar, a magic trick or a new yoga pose. YouTube is filled with fun, new hobbies just begging for you to try and learn them. 
4. Indoor exercise – With the gyms and public spaces closed, it might be harder to keep healthy during this time. But there are multiple ways to stay fit and happy in your own home. Youtube creators like this one by Pamela Reif (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UItWltVZZmE) have multiple videos on working out with limited to no equipment for home users and beginners. But nothing beats a small jog around the neighborhood (dogs recommended but not required).
5. Take a look through old photo albums – Depending on your access to old home photos and videos, this might be a wonderful way to spend intentional time with your family and listen to all the stories that you may not have remembered from your childhood. One thing I learned from doing this is that I loved a very fluorescent pink Justice sweatshirt when I was seven. 
6. Read that book on your nightstand that has been begging for attention – There have been several books that I have been wanting to read. Not only does it spark some imagination, but the book can relax you and take your mind off of the world’s news for a moment. Some great books are “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kathiliani and “The Secret History” by Donna Taratt. 
7. Have a movie marathon – Movies and popcorn are always great, especially the classics. Some movies I can recommend are “Bladerunner,” “Midnight in Paris,” “About Time,” “The Last Samurai,” and “JoJo Rabbit.”
8. A dance party for one is always fun – Finding a random playlist on Spotify to listen to while doing any of the above activities is a good option. But to get in a good workout and to get out excess energy, a dance party is a good way to beat the 3:00 p.m. sluggishness. A quick dance party (anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes) will be sure to brighten your mood any day of the week! 

This list is only a springboard for what you can do. As always, be mindful of the health and safety of yourself and others when engaging in activities. Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content. You can mix Pine-Sol (or bleach) and water in a one-part Pine-Sol, two-part water mixture to disinfect surfaces in your home. Always wash your hands when you get back home with antibacterial soap. 

Please don’t let this self-quarantine scapegoat your happiness. Invest time to see how it can adapt and what you can do to sustain it. Stay healthy and stay safe!

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