stay at home order
So what if there's a stay at home order? Keep calm and om ... Source: Anthony Wallave/AFP

Is the stay at home order during a global coronavirus pandemic driving you crazy?

Don’t fret. Not everyone is a homebody at heart who can stay cooped at home over the span of several weeks. 

Chances are, you’re probably already feeling the effects of physical isolation with the call for social distancing (or is it “physical distancing” now?) blaring from all directions, be it emails from your university to messages from your favourite social media influencer/MP/Prime Minister or President or all of the above making their rounds on social media, taking a mental and emotional toll on you. 

You may have had very little time in preparation to be a hermit, but que sera sera.

We know it’s not easy, but here are some things you can do to make the most out of this stay at home order: 

Invest in yourself

stay at home order

If you’re going to be cooped up at home, use this time to develop your skillset. Source: Tony Karumba/AFP

If you have to forcibly be at home, why not make the best out of this situation and develop a new skill that would enhance your competitiveness in the job market, or give you an edge over your peers?

Whether it’s picking up a new language on Duolingo or taking a free course (or courses) on Coursera, which offers a wide range of topics from business and technology to healthcare and physical sciences, there’s no limit as to how you can best use your time at home.

Stay positive and use this time wisely!

Exercise

It’s so easy to gain weight when you’re being sedentary at home. 

Ben Zwiehoff, German national team’s racing cyclist in the mountain bike cross-country discipline works on his balance on his bike in his flat, where he trains for the Olympics due to the spread of the novel coronavirus in Essen, western Germany, on March 24, 2020. Source: Ina Fassbender/AFP

No more commutes via public transportation or walking across campus, which can easily help you reach your 10,000 steps per day target. 

Before you know it, a major concern is fitting into your jeans once classes resume on campus after the COVID-19 dust settles.

Before that happens, you may want to take matters into your hands and start putting aside 20 – 30 minutes per day to exercise. 

You have zero excuse – there are plenty of exercise videos on YouTube and Instagram for some inspo, so keep yourself fit and healthy.

Get your friends on Zoom or Skype and do it together (remotely) if that would help improve your motivation to exercise.  

Keep in touch with family and friends

Not an introverted soul? That’s OK.

stay at home order

Life goes on even for the UK cabinet under a stay at home order. Source: Pippa FOWLE/10 Downing Street/AFP

Not everyone enjoys long bouts of being at home with just me, myself and I. 

If you’re an extrovert or ambivert and plan on coming out of this stay at home order sane, you’ll need to keep your spirits up and stay mentally healthy by regularly communicating and keeping in touch with your family and friends via video calls, Whatsapp or HouseParty.

Too much isolation from people is never a good thing, so make use of our digitally connected world and check up on your friends and try initiating conversations with your pals. 

Meal prep

We’re living in precarious times, which means you’ll want to be careful about using food delivery services as you’ll be in close contact with another individual. 

stay at home order

A spectator eats kimchi during a kimchi making festival in Seoul on November 2, 2018. The traditional Korean dish of spicy fermented cabbage and radish produced during the event is distributed among South Korea’s poorer households, and traditionally marks the start of the winter season. Source: Ed Jones/AFP

Use this time to hone your cooking skills and prepare more home-cooked meals to not only save cost on food, but also in preparation in case food delivery services are disrupted. Here’s a list of immunity-boosting ingredients you should use according to the people who know best, ie. our mothers.

Cooking is an essential life skill, and not one you want to be caught without.

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