Wisdom Bits Talk: Ten Ideas To Survive Social Distancing, Lockdown & Feelings Of Isolation

Here we are in lockdown, social distancing and/or isolation. What are we going to do so that we don’t go crazy with anxiety, or boredom, or loneliness? Here are 10 tips that might help us make it through this trying period with strength and positive endurance. You can try one of them, some of them, or all of them. Or, they might inspire you with new coping ideas of your own.

Wisdom Bits are short talks to help you live the positive lifestyle that you deserve.

Transcript

Hi,

This is Stefania and this is Wisdom Bits.

Tiny bits of information,

Tiny nuggets to help us live a better life,

A more positive lifestyle.

Here we are in lockdown,

Social distanced or self-isolated.

What are we going to do with ourselves so we don't go crazy with anxiety or with boredom?

Here are 10 ideas to survive social distancing,

Self-isolation and overabundance of me-time.

Number one,

Sleep.

No,

You don't have to put yourself into a deep sleep like Snow White,

But getting enough sleep is important.

You need to be at your best energy to keep an even mood.

It's easy to fluctuate up and down between happy,

I don't care,

And sad when you're totally fatigued from lack of sleep and have no energy.

But getting a good night's sleep or even taking a short nap during the day can raise your energy level and enable you to deal more positively with the current world health situation,

Virus and its effects on your daily life.

Number two,

If you're feeling tense and wound up,

Just breathe.

Breathe in for four,

Hold and then breathe out for four.

Try this a number of times until you feel a bit calmer.

Another method of breathing is called alternate nostril breathing.

It's often done in yoga.

To do this,

You lift your right hand up towards your nose.

You exhale completely and then use your right thumb to close your right nostril.

Then you inhale through your left nostril and then close the left nostril with your fingers.

Open the right nostril and exhale through that side.

Then inhale through the right nostril and then close that nostril.

Open the left nostril and exhale to the left side.

That's one cycle and you can continue this for up to five minutes or you can just do a few.

Don't make yourself dizzy,

Just do a few to clear your head.

And then you always complete the practice by finishing with an exhale on the left side.

The next thing,

Yoga.

Yoga is so good for us.

There are many beginner yoga apps which we can put on our phones and devices or we can look at YouTube and follow along with the instructors in their videos.

Yoga is very good because it slows us way down,

Which helps,

Which will help to some degree to release any anxieties.

Because you can't have an anxious mind that's running amok while at the same time doing a slow considered yoga session.

And don't worry if you're not super flexible.

There are many,

Very many beginner poses which most people can do.

So don't worry if you're not the bendy type.

As a matter of fact,

You can even find on YouTube chair yoga.

So it's for pretty much everyone,

You know,

To some degree depending on your situation.

But yoga is very good for slowing us down,

Helping us to focus.

Number four.

Let's lose ourselves,

Lose yourself in the peaceful world of coloring.

Nowadays there are so many apps that we can use on our phones or tablets for coloring.

We can make it a meditative experience by coloring mandalas and spiritually oriented themed things.

Or we can just do it for fun.

Coloring nature scenes,

Animals,

Anime.

When you start coloring,

You get so much into the experience that you can think of nothing else but what color next to put on your design.

If you're not good at using colors,

There are some apps in which the colors are numbered so you just pop them in.

But the important point is this is an activity that takes your entire attention.

Really,

You can't think about anything else when you're working on that picture.

And it can be very relaxing and fun and you end up with a little mini masterpiece.

You can also buy coloring workbooks.

They're very popular now but since we're in lockdown and we really can't go out shopping unless you were to find one at the grocery store or something.

Try an app.

Number five,

Learn new stuff.

Now is a good time to learn a new skill for fun or for future employment or if you want to own your own business at some time in the future.

Start preparing for it now.

Many of us have plenty of time so start preparing for it now.

You can find many how-to videos on YouTube for various subjects,

Various fields and you can study that way for free.

Or there are many online courses with which you can study such as Udemy or there's another one called the Center for Excellence or there's probably some more that I don't know about but those are the two that come to mind.

Or you can teach yourself a language with an app such as Duolingo.

You can have an app or you can study on your computer or there's Busu which is another language app or there's what's the other one,

Babbel.

You can study with those.

Learn a few words for eventually we are going to be able to travel in the future so you know learn for traveling or learn for exchanging ideas with people online or learn to stimulate your mind and expand your horizons.

There are so many free apps that you can learn with,

So many subjects that you might have thought I'd like to learn that one day.

One day is here.

In learning it keeps you from getting bored because you're stimulating your mind.

Number six,

Reading.

Listening to podcasts.

Now is a good time to getting around to reading all those books that you've been meaning to read or if you're like me you've got quite a selection of books on your Kindle that you haven't even started or that you have started but you haven't finished.

This is your time for virtually uninterrupted reading sessions and it's a good time to read some inspirational books as well to keep your mind in a positive vein to keep your spirits up because we can be positive one minute and then the next minute afraid but read some positive information on a regular basis to keep strong.

Number seven,

Exercise.

Get those endorphins released and flowing.

Endorphin release generally happens when you activate your natural reward system with activities like exercising.

Then when released the endorphins can help relieve pain,

Reduce stress and they might cause a feeling of euphoria or just feeling better feeling good.

So do something to keep moving and help keep everything working properly.

It's easy during this time to just do a lot of sitting around and our gyms might be closed but again there are plenty of apps and YouTube videos that we can join in and get the sweat on.

So don't think you have to buy an app if you if that's not in your budget right now.

Plenty of free YouTube exercise videos.

Just if you're working with YouTube work at your own pace or even with an app.

Don't try to do everything exactly like the instructor if you're not that fit.

Just do your own pace.

Anything is good.

Anything to keep you moving,

To keep the blood flowing,

To keep us energized.

Taking walks in your neighborhood is good as well.

You can get a bit of sun and most importantly some fresh air.

Those kind of things can lift our mood as well.

Just even if you walk around the block just get some air.

Get out of the house or flat or apartment.

It'll make you feel a bit better.

Number eight.

Connect.

Reach out to friends and to your colleagues.

Find groups with common interests and communicate.

We can't gather physically at this point in time but you can communicate via Facebook or other social media via zoom,

Via FaceTime,

Via email or Skype or apps such as house party or whatsapp.

You don't have to be alone.

Sure if you like being alone it's fine but sometimes you might want a little break.

So connect.

Sometimes when we are alone that's when the fear thoughts or the negative thoughts or the uncomfortable thoughts can just run wild because there's just nothing else going on so they just take over.

But if you can get them out and talk to somebody about them you can possibly feel a lot better.

And interacting with others just makes us feel part of a community.

We're not just isolated mentally and spiritually.

Physically might be but not mentally and spiritually.

We can still reach out and communicate electronically.

Number nine.

Practice gratitude.

No matter how bad things may seem there is always something to be grateful for.

For one thing,

Your life.

You've got a roof over your head.

You've got food in your house.

Some people have more food than others but you've got some food in your house.

There's always something good.

If you're feeling down try to think of things that you're grateful for.

Write them down or record yourself saying them on your phone.

Then you can listen back when you're feeling down.

And the final one.

Number ten.

Eat well and take care of yourself.

Try to eat nourishing meals and not snacks and sweets all during this trying time.

Try to come up with some interesting recipes using whatever food you've got on hand.

You could even select whatever ingredients you've got to work with and google it and see what comes up and give it a go.

Experiment.

Have fun.

But eat well.

Eating well is good for our minds as well.

And take your vitamins to hopefully keep your immune system and energy levels in balance.

Just in whatever way works for you,

This is the prime point.

In whatever way works for you,

Take care of your health as best you can.

Survive.

A strong body can help us keep a strong mind.

So give these ideas a try,

Whichever ones appeal to you.

Give it a go.

You deserve it.

You deserve to be strong.

You deserve to be happy.

You deserve to survive.

You deserve to go through this period in as positive a way as you can.

Taking whatever growth energy you can from it and sharing the love with others.

You can do this.

Give these ideas a try.

And those are my 10 ideas to survive social distancing,

Self-isolation,

And that overabundance of me time.

Many blessings to you.

Bye for now.