Six tips to surviving quarantine

McKinley Jones

Special to Village News

On March 19, Governor Newsom ordered that all California residents stay at home to help stop the spread of Covid-19. This might cause concerns about mental sanity due to staying home all day with small children or dying from boredom. My family and I have been self-quarantining, and these are six tips I have found to help significantly.

1: Keep your house clean

Organize your garage or the “crap drawers” secretly becoming mountains. I have found that keeping your house clean keeps you happier. As well as giving you something to do to kill the time. Keeping your house clean will allow you to like being there more, which is useful when you can’t leave it.

2: Do something you love

Read a book you enjoy, have a marvel marathon, listen to music, draw a picture of your favorite animal, etc. Thankfully Netflix isn't canceled that would truly be a cause for global panic. Doing something you love will eliminate time but also keep you happy because you are doing something you personally enjoy.

3: Connect with family and friends

It can get depressing being isolated and not having human connection. We live in a digital age with text messaging, social media, facetime and other ways to communicate. Use these tools to your advantage and stay connected.

4: Write about your experience

Writing is a great way to stay mentally sane and healthy. Quarantine is hard as well as life right now bottling your feelings will only make matters worse. Writing about your day will allow you to express your feelings. Rather than taking them out on your quarantine buddies causing issues to later be blamed on being hangry. Your future grandchildren or children might also appreciate a primary source for their Covid-19 history report.

5: Good self-care

Having good self-care helps you feel more alive. I have found on days where I didn’t brush my hair or wash my face, I was more sluggish and negative. Days when I did my hair and changed out of my pajamas I felt more alive and ready for the day resulting in a better day. Self-care will allow you to be more physically healthy and sanitary as well as help you feel ready to make the most of each day by starting it outright.

6: Create a loving environment

This is the most important. The days when my family fought more and treated each other unkindly were the days that felt the longest and felt the most like we were trapped. The days when we served one another such as playing with younger siblings or doing the dishes without being asked seemed to fly by and were by far the most fun. Creating a loving environment will allow you to be happier and enjoy your days more.

All of us in the Bonsall Fallbrook area and the rest of California are in the same boat. Quarantine won’t be easy, but we can try our best to make it as positive as possible. Happiness is not given, it is created.