Tips for Surviving Quarantine Life

Like most global citizens, I am working on surviving self-imposed quarantine. I am one of millions now  staying home due to the threat of Coronavirus (COVID-19.)  It has taken me a while to resume blogging here because, like many of you, I have been in a state of shock.  It’s hard to believe that this health crisis is here, and here in what seems like an instant. Not only must we survive the threat to our health, we must now survive another economic slowdown or recession.  I started this blog 12 years ago during the Great Recession of 2008.   My goal on The Recessionista then is the same as my goal now, to provide readers with helpful tips to surviving the crisis while still living their best life. It’s important that we treat ourselves well during this time.

We survived the 2008 crisis, and I believe we can survive this crisis as well, if we are careful and mindful.  I don’t pretend to have the answers, but there are a few things that I am doing to try to use this time wisely that I want to pass on in the event they will be helpful to others.  In stressful times, it’s easy to forget that there are things we can do to take care of ourselves.   I am living in California where the entire state is now under a shelter in place order.  Other parts of the country are not sheltering in place yet, but if you can do that and work from home, I encourage you to try it.  Here’s what I am doing to pass the time and survive the solitude of quarantine life.

The display of diffusers in the Saje Wellness store on Abbott Kinney in Venice, California

Tips for Staying at Home and Staying Healthy

1. Use the time to make your surroundings as comfortable as possible.  I find myself cleaning my home more, organize items and putting things away more often.  I am now working from home full-time using a computer, so I have more time to enjoy my home, more time to organize my closet, clean my kitchen and do laundry than I am ever had before.  I no longer have to rush to the office or spend time commuting. Instead of spending time on overcrowded freeways, I just walk down the hall to work at my computer.
2. Consider getting a diffuser or a humidifier. I’ve been enjoying my Saje diffuser.  This is something I wrote about years ago, but I haven’t used it much. If you have a diffuser, get it out of storage. If you don’t have one, think about investing in one.  A diffuser is a great way to keep both create a pleasant environment and benefit your health.   Diffusers can improve respiratory health, promote good sleep and help to elevate mood. Consider using essential oils like lemongrass, eucalyptus, oregano and lavender to scent the steam coming from your diffuser.  According to Organic Facts,  “Inhaling essential oils can improve inflammation in the respiratory tracts, boost immune health, and help eliminate colds and coughs.”  I am using an Everlasting Comfort humidifier with a tray for Essential Oils that I bought on Amazon in my bedroom to help purify the air and promote better sleep.  Good sleep is the basis of a healthy immune system, and I have noticed since I started using a humidifier in my bedroom, I am sleeping deeper and not tossing and turning as much in my sleep.
3. Observe the five tips recommended by the CDC to help stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19.)  They are:
   1. HANDS Wash them often with soap and water.  Handing washing should be done as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” to yourself twice
   2. ELBOW Cough into it
   3. FACE Don’t touch it
   4. SPACE Keep safe distance, practice social distancing of at least 6 feet.
   5. HOME Stay home if you can–go out for only for essentials.
4.  Use technology to help you stay in touch with friends and family so you don’t become too isolated. I am using Face Time on my phone and Zoom meetings to stay in touch with people.  Some days I struggle with bedhead, so I don’t always do video conferencing, but I try to do it on a semi-regular basis. I find it helps to see people.  Virtual happy hours and coffee breaks really help!
5. Try to cook fresh foods and eat a healthy diet.  I find I have more time to do cooking, although I don’t shop in store as much.   I try to cook with and eat immune boosting foods like spinach, kale, berries, sweet potatoes, broccoli & cauliflower.  Even chocolate can be a powerful immune system builder!  A great reference is the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s list of immune system boosting foods.   Generally, I find myself eating more of a plant based diet, both because meat is not as readily available as it was and because I have more time to prepare and cook vegetarian dishes now that I am working from home.  I’m purchasing what I need and not stock piling anything.  So far there are no food shortages in my area.
6. Use the time to catch up on reading, movies, writing, meditation or your hobbies.  Before the shelter in place order, I hadn’t read a book cover to cover in some time. I also had’t been writing or taking the time to catch up on movies.  Now I am doing all of these things. Listening to music also helps.  I binge watch documentaries on Youtube, watch movies on NetFlix, Amazon, HBO and pay-per-view to catch up on entertainment.  I use the guided meditation videos on YouTube.  I look forward to getting back to sewing which I haven’t done in years, simply because it’s been easier to buy things.   A good resource for learning how to live in quarantine, is a video recently posted by actor Cameron Douglas on Instagram.  Cameron talks about what he learned about living in captivity and how it can be a very valuable time for self-reflection.  I definitely recommend putting Cameron Douglas’ video message about Quarantine Life on your watch list.

Foods to help boost your immune systems during cold & flu season from Good4 U.

During this time, I’m hoping all my readers are doing well.  If you have tips about surviving quarantine life or sheltering in place, please leave them in a comment here on the blog.  The power of community can help get us through this difficult time.   This a time to slow down and nurture our spirits and the planet.  I have no doubt that we will see the planet start to reset as pollution from driving our cars and flying in planes starts to slow down.