With lockdowns and stay at home orders being issued all around the world, many people are finding themselves stuck indoors. If you recently traveled, have been exposed to someone with Covid-19, or if you have any similar symptoms, you will be advised to practice self-quarantine inside your home. This is a social distancing measure that could hopefully prevent the virus from being spread.
Most people have not experienced being in quarantine before so it can be a challenging situation. This can be particularly difficult if you are not a homebody and you thrive being outdoors. It is natural to feel anxious, fearful, and bored when you are unable to go outside the house. Because of this, many people look for different ways to cope to ease their negative emotions. It is, however, important to keep in mind that in order to stay safe and healthy, there are things that you should try to stay away from. Here are seven things that you should avoid when in self-quarantine.
Unnecessary contact with people
The main reason you are in self-quarantine is that it prevents you from spreading or getting the virus. While it can be frustrating to be inside the house, don’t disregard the advice of experts by still going out and meeting people. If you live in an apartment complex, you shouldn’t be neighbor-hopping or doing house parties. If you live with other people in the house, isolate yourself in a separate room especially if you are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms.
Alcohol
There have been many news reports about people hoarding wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages. The common excuse is that since there’s nothing else to do at home, they might as well drink and be merry. While you might think that a few glasses of wine won’t hurt, making this a daily habit can quickly turn into an addiction. Keep in mind that alcohol can lower your immune system and with the ongoing pandemic, the last thing you want to do is to weaken your body’s defenses.
Recreational drugs
The uncertainty brought about by the coronavirus pandemic is taking a toll on people’s mental health. There will be people who might be tempted to self-medicate and treat their anxiety by taking Xanax or other anti-anxiety medications even if they have not been prescribed by a doctor. Some would probably take marijuana, dab weed, or even LSD to try to forget about what’s happening. However, taking drugs will only provide temporary reprieve because the long-term effects will be hurtful not only to your life but to your health as well.
Just like alcohol, taking recreational drugs has been shown to weaken your body’s immune system. Depending on the drugs you’re taking, you may experience serious side effects that your body might not be able to handle. Additionally, you are making yourself more susceptible to the virus.
Junk food
The coronavirus pandemic is a serious public health emergency. This is the time to make sure that you load up your diet with nutritious food.
Skip the sugary food and junk food. Instead, focus your diet on healthy proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. When you eat healthily, you are making yourself stronger. You are prepping your body in case it needs to fight any diseases.
Depressing news
The news reports about Covid-19 can be upsetting. While you should definitely update yourself on essential information, avoid watching depressing stuff 24/7. This will only mess up with your brain and cause you more anxiety. It will also be helpful to limit your social media use and do other productive activities instead.
Stress
Worrying nonstop will not help you survive this pandemic. It is natural to feel worried but don’t spend your entire day agonizing about what’s going to happen. This will be damaging not only to your mental health but also to your physical health. Since you’re at home, take this chance to do relaxing activities like taking a long bath, meditating, yoga, or practicing self-care.
Toxic behavior
When you are unsure of what’s going to happen, it is understandable for you to feel angry and irritable. You might notice yourself becoming more annoyed over small things or shouting at your kids or people you live with. While this may be your way of coping and venting out your frustrations, these types of toxic behavior will not help anyone. It will only upset you more and make you feel miserable. Just slow down and relax. Take deep breaths and take things one day at a time.
If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse, help is available.
Contact Morningside Recovery by Lighthouse today.
