How To Cope With the Mental Struggles of Quarantine

Bowser is waiting for me in the hall. He is a 70lb Amstaff who needs his exercise. He doesn’t care about the virus. It’s 4:40am. I have three pit bulls who all take an early morning walk before I get an hour or two of peace to get writing done. 

My wife is up next. She is either ready to work out or to work. She really misses the gym. We all do. I turn the broken office light on for her. I haven’t gone to Lowes to replace it, and I don’t plan on going either. We are about 99% isolated but for serious needs. 

By 8:00am we are conducting 3rd grade, a freelance writing business, a day care for my 4-year-old and conference calls in the upstairs office. We have never used so many rooms in our home. The day drags on. I slog through the morning calamity with a cup of Disaster Coffee. 

By midday we all need some distance and relief. I am writing outside with the hens. We all know the night will bring family time. That is all we are left with is family time, or quiet time to worry about the future. 

Isolation has been beautiful but brutal. It has forced us all to slow down. I am not one for long vacations and, like others, I am ready to get back into the world…

Your Isolation

The stories differ a little but for most Americans the isolation and national quarantine is taking its toll on us all.

I can hardly imagine life for those who do not have a family or someone at home. Lonesome is a powerful agent. This moment in time has brought to the surface great things and terrible things. Our patience wanes and we might lose our temper. However, we also have more time to spend with the same people that make us lose our patience.

There is a sense that this is hardly sustainable. We must get back to life, sooner or later. If I had to guess. This is just a guess, but I think parts of America will be grounded at least until June.  How do you plan on dealing with that?

The good news is, I have some solutions to help you get by and make the most of this isolation.

Physical Fitness

It has been proven that physical exercise and diet can have a serious effect on our mental stability. You might think that gym goers are obsessed with their physique and that is what drives them, however, it’s much deeper than that.

Exercise differs from person to person and what might be a grueling workout for some could be a simple warm up for others.

The remedy for this isolation is to include some form of exercise each day. Yes. EACH DAY! Just commit to it. Doesn’t have to be a knock down drag out workout but each day you should workout.

This could be a jog around your community or a powerful kettlebell workout.

Entrepreneurship

During the great depression America reached 23% unemployment. We are at 16% now! That is a big deal!

You might be reading this on your porch and worrying about when you will become a percentage point in that stat. You might be worried about losing your job at the worst time possible. However, it might be the best time ever to follow that dream of yours and start a business of your own.

Writing a business plan is a vital step in starting a successful business. Most people don’t have the time for it, so it never gets done. Now you find yourself with nothing but time.

A simple ecommerce business or a consulting business could give you the freedom to both work from home and to make it through a tough economic time. We are heading into a very tough economic time.

Meditation

Meditation is one of those things that gets sideways looks from many people. It works. User error is what gives it a bad name.

“So, I just sit there with my eyes closed and hum?” SARCASM

Meditation is the act of shutting down the noise, internal battles and worries of daily life off, if only for a short time. This can be done in 5 minute or 5-hour increments. Of course, most people don’t have time to meditate for hours.

Close your eyes and repeat this mantra in your head: I am prepared for this and for what’s to come. Focus only on those words. If you have trouble focusing on just this than you should do it even longer. The first 5 minutes your mind might be all over the place but in 10 minutes you might be gliding over nothingness.

Being outside helps me focus.

After meditation you will find life much clearer and a newfound patience.

Cooking and Baking 

While not as cool as bandages, bullets and beans, baking is a serious superpower. There has been an explosion of people creating sourdough starters and baking bread at home during isolation. That has interested me to no end.

You can bake for all three meals if you like. You can even bake cookies and biscuits for in between meals.

As a prepper you should be able to take flour and a few other ingredients and turn them into something delicious. Cooking techniques and recipes allow you to step into that picked over supermarket and make a week’s worth of good meals.

Conclusion

This isolation has been tough on us all. Don’t forget about your kids. You might be stressed out and struggling with your new routine, but your child’s new teacher is a stressed-out parent and a computer screen.

Most people are creatures of habit and don’t like to try new things, however, it might be just that time. It might be time for some new things. You might find that physical fitness, meditation or just the calm of baking bread can put your pieces back together in this stressful time.

Also, don’t discount your ability to make money online. This virus is the beginning of a rough time and having a new income source will only help you.

Up Next:

• 16 Survival Movies For Entertainment & Education
• 7 Ideas to Help You Make The Most of Your Quarantine Time
• Talking To Kids About COVID-19 And Having An Emergency Preparedness Plan