Everyone is stuck at home and literally, no one enjoys being stuck at home. Earlier we used to enjoy but as of now, no one enjoys being at home! We all know that we humans are social animals and we need to interact to survive on this planet.
But being in quarantine disables us from doing so! Well, being in quarantine can feel lonely and frustrating, especially when you are an extroverted person.
It’s normal to be stressed when you are staying indoors and interacting with fewer people, especially when it is added with a fear of encountering with the virus. These factors could increase the chances of developing a mental health issue, like anxiety or depression.
Now the question is, "What is the best way to get through this period?" There are many strategies that you can implement to ensure your well-being and good mental health. Most of these involve either distracting yourself or finding better ways to connect with your families and friends! In a nutshell, not following those conventional ways of socializing will not only help you be safe from the virus but also you won't be prey to depression.
So, let me share a bunch of ways to socialize yourself in some non-conventional ways!
1. Plan your entire day!
Try to follow a schedule, and keep a track of all the things you do. All these kinds of stuff will help to be productive in these uncertain times. Let me share my story!
These days I have done bullet journalling. Bullet Journalling is a way to keep a record of all the things you do. In a bullet journal there are 3 types of logs:
Yearly Log -> For recording the things that you want to do in the year.
Monthly Log -> For recording the things that you want to do in that peculiar month.
Daily Log -> For recording your daily activities.
You don't need to purchase a costly notebook to bullet journal. A simple notebook or a diary even that you might have in your home will do! Also, if you don't have a notebook, then you can go with iPad apps for building bullet journals. Bullet journaling not only helps you to track your daily activities, but it also boosts your productivity!
2. Learn new things!
"Learning is a lifelong process." A well said proverb, but now it is the time to implement it in full measures. Learning new things keeps you active and refreshed. Try to learn unfamiliar things it can be as simple as learning to code to as difficult as cleaning your wardrobe.
Let's say that you want to learn about web development. Keep yourself engaged in the learning process. If you are just starting, then you might learn about HTML.
Experiment with HTML. After HTML, try to learn CSS after learning CSS. Apply CSS in the project that you made with HTML.
It will keep you engaged and you will love to do it. After CSS, add the magic of JavaScript with it and continue flourishing with it. It will not only add a new skill in your resume but also make you think logically.
Because the economy of every country has fallen, employment rates have been reduced especially to those who are interested in STEM subjects. So, to be part of the race you need to develop your thinking.
3. Do the things you wanted to do!
You may have wanted to create videos or host podcasts. Well, you can start recording now. I know that your smartphone camera is decent enough to shoot things!
For me, I always wanted to start a podcast along with writing things. This quarantine enabled me to work on that aspect. I am developing a website to host my podcasts. Similarly, like that whatever your passion is, try to pursue it right now. Because "today is the perfect day to start"
4. "Long story short" is invalid now!
Share those interminable stories that you have kept in your head or might have not told because those stories need time to be explained! Remember those old stories and explain them to your friend! You can even make it a game, where you share some stories with your friends you haven't told before.
You can name your game whatever you want like I named it "Unravelling" an amusing one! So, in this game basically, we unravel those stories which we had left earlier because either of us was running out of time! We unravel those stories on a turn basis and each month we declare a winner those who had unraveled more stories would be the winner.
5. Sleep Well!
In those days, you might have thought, "God! Give me some more time to lie on the bed". Now, it's the perfect time to lie on the bed and grab some extra sleep that you might have missed because of your hectic schedule.
Earlier, I used to be on the bed for around 5-6 hours, but now I am on it for 7-8 hours. It has removed the bags I have had developed because of not sleeping well. So, grab a pillow and go to your bed!
6. Connect with friends!
To continue social interaction, talk to your friends and family members using different video chatting services available across the globe like Facetime, Google Duo or Skype. I would say that you must not use Zoom because there are a lot of privacy concerns in Zoom which needs to be addressed. Also, you can do Netflix Watch Parties.
I usually do Netflix watch parties with my friends and remember we do these things at a scheduled time. As I said earlier that you need to be on schedule.
7. Time to write
You might have written a lot of diary entries during your school time. It's the time to do it again, not for marks but for yourself! Start writing, recording all the things you have done all day long in your diary.
Writing improves the thinking process and contributes to the development of critical thinking. Apart from all this, writing improves your reasoning. You think logically and qualitatively. It helps you to turn your opinions into arguments.
8. Time to write (Part 2)
If you are deeply interested in writing and want to showcase your works to the world, then start story-writing. Story writing depends upon your imagination and creativity. Start writing any story genre.
It can be a minor story of a normal school going kid who dreams big or a horrific romantic story. Whichever your genre try to be more elaborative and distil a sense of astonishment in your readers. Story writing doesn't require you to contact publishers to publish your stories, but you can be your publisher on different platforms available over the Internet like Wattpad!
I hope that these things will help you in curbing loneliness from your life and you would be happy as you used to be in those good old days.
