These days, safety, health, and wellness seem to be on everyone’s mind because of the Coronavirus outbreak—rightly so! COVID-19 has mostly everyone on house arrest. How are you embracing your new normal? I hope you are navigating through the pandemic emergency. Why? Because quarantine boredom can lead to anxiety and mindless eating.
Since AstraZeneca mandated all field reps stay home on Monday, March 16. My day starts and ends with Zoom after Zoom calls to connect with my sales district, my Harrisburg team, and other pharmaceutical reps in the region. I am anxious about studying and passing a respiratory assessment with a 90% score. Thank God for the 100%,
Last weekend, my hubby put out a cooking challenge – to make a meal with whatever is in the house. I roasted broccoli, baby red potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and pre-made frozen Phillips Maryland Crab cakes in the freezer. Our daughter, Channing, made her signature homemade chili. Stay tuned for what the hubster comes up with for his menu.
Now is a great time to do something different, learn a new skill, get that exercise routine going, or take walks to clear your head. I’m learning how to navigate our smart television using streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
I don’t want to watch endless television, so I use the TV as an escape and much-needed distraction. On the television to-do list, we should get our money’s worth with streaming and internet television services during this quarantine time. I’m just watching the popular romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians.
Once again, the magic of music connects a multitude of people. DJ D-Nice held the hottest quarantine party, bringing joy to social distancing. The Saturday, March 21, evening session started with the disc jockey asking for 200 followers, which ballooned into over 100,000 listeners. The followers included music icons, celebrities, and people starving for connection.
If you have a webcam and an internet connection, you can still host virtual dinner parties, happy hour, pajama parties, workouts, game nights, karaoke sessions, and more. No webcam; don’t forget FaceTime, Skype, and Microsoft Teams.
In the age of Coronavirus quarantine, the new and creative ways we live, adapt, and adjust are wellness for the mind, body, and spirit. We are social people who must fill the void created by social distancing. Online editor Rebecca Weingarten said, “Boredom can lead to boredom compulsive behavior. She recommends substituting. Can’t do this? Do that. Nature abhors a vacuum, so fill the time with good, fun, and interesting things.”
You can work from home like a boss to help reduce boredom and anxiety. CBoredom the following tips for physical and mental well-being:
◊ Set up a station if you don’t have a home office
♠ Aim to maintain a healthy lifestyle – proper diet, sleep, exercise, and social contacts
◊ Stick to your regular work hours and maintain a separation between work and home life
♣ When working, take 5 – 10 minute breaks every hour, preferably away from your workstation
◊ Wear whatever you want unless you are doing Zoom video conferencing
♥ Limit time spent scrolling news and media updates to reduce anxiety
◊ Try to remain positive
♦ Find pockets of time for relaxation and activities that bring you joy, such as listening to music, arts, crafts, and or other hobbies
Don’t fill the void with mindless emotional eating, drinking too much alcohol, and online shopping. Fill the void with fun, exercise, learning something new, reconnecting with family and friends, or focusing on keeping your immune system healthy.
Have you tried anything new? Me? Besides handling television technology and making DIY liquid hand soap when my containers run low, I’m filling my weekend void. And it’s safer for me to FaceTime my 83-year-old Mom, who has underlying medical conditions. I signed up for a TikTok 101 tutorial with Aspire Blogger Influencer Marketing.
How are you balancing your health and well-being during the Coronavirus quarantine? Please share your comments via this Facebook post to log into Disqus.
As always, thank you for reading. Have a safe and healthy week.
