Let Quarantine be Altruistic and not forced

Just as we can hear havoc called COVID-19 all around us, just as we all can feel an anxiety factor in the minds of people around us, Just as people have forcefully detained themselves in the four walls of their rooms or special quarantine centers in and around the city, there are still more psychological factors which are affecting the mental and physical health of the people around the globe.

To go into the depth of this quarantine phase we first need to understand the term itself. Quarantine is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been exposed to a communicable disease, but do not have a confirmed medical diagnosis. In simple terms, we can say that a person forcefully or wilfully has to detain himself so that he can help in not spreading the disease. In the case of Covid 19, a person has to be quarantined for 14 days and needs to be tested twice in 24 hours at the end of the 14 days to be certified as COVID NEGATIVE and hence given a license to move freely.

However the physiological and psychological effects of not using quarantine and allowing the disease to spread might be even worse. However, depriving people of their liberty for the wider public good is often contentious and needs to be handled carefully. People who have been in this particular situation might land in a phase called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the effect of which they have so much stress, anger, confusion and anxiety that most of them fall into a predicament called depression. This is one activity where the person is not only suffering and fighting from this evil called Novel Corona but also addressing social and economic stigma. 

“When a photographer can’t change the scene, he changes his angles and lens to capture the best of that scene. Similarly, when you can’t change a situation in your life, change your perspective to get the best out of that situation.”

I have seen these lines spread across social media these days which makes wonderful learning for us so that even after confronting so many dilemmas we still keep our self-motivation alive. Below are a few pointers that people can take into consideration in any such situation.

• Eat Healthy Feel Better – In our daily routine life we are not paying much attention to the nutritional value of our food, this is indeed the right time to watch out our eating habits. Eat right to fight this deadly disease is the mantra of this hour. Also add many plants and herbs like Ginger, Turmeric, Black Pepper, Giloy (Tinospora Cord folia), Neem Tree leaves into your diet to build your immunity. You can also take your dietician’s advice on the same. Eating healthy will also enhance your mental health and physical stamina.
• Physical Activities can be a stress buster – It is understood that people are quarantined for a fear of disease but even in this course, they can still practice dancing or yoga or exercises to keep a balance between physical and mental health as such activities can keep blood and oxygen circulation in your body to a right kind of level. It will also provide a sense of fulfillment in your life as such.
• Meditation – This is a technique that is widely entrusted and advised by scholars across the globe. There are many easily available videos on social media and on youtube to refer to. Doing it will be soothing to your body, mind and soul. Utilize this time to connect with your inner self and propagate your self-love. Meditation not only gives you the strength to fight this disease but also generates an overall self-awareness within.
• Go back to basics – If you have not been a person who took up your passion for dancing or singing or playing your favorite musical instrument or painting or sketching or reading or writing poetry or watching your favorite TV series or playing Sudoku from a while then this is the right time for everyone out there. As human beings, we all desire to build on our hobbies but due to a busy lifestyle we forget doing it and eventually they hide somewhere inside our hearts. So this is the right time to revive our long lost passion and start living it in a new way altogether. I am sure this can do wonders in your life to come and you will never regret your isolation and start to use your energy in the right direction.
• Talk to your loved ones – Even if you are not allowed to move here and there, you can still use your phone and laptops to connect with your friends and relatives whom you have not talked from quite a while. This will not only help you fight your boredom but also give you emotional and mental satisfaction.
• Make your Year Planner – We all know this is a financial year-end time, so give yourself an extra level of push and plan your year in advance. Make a note of all that you wish to do and achieve in this year. This way you can utilize your time in foreseeing and planning your future activities and also keep your mind active.
• Build upon your interest areas - We all have some weaknesses. We all need pieces of training in one or another aspect of our lives. Some of us have communication problems, some of us might be digitally challenged or some of us might to longing to learn a new skill to add value addition in our self. There are so many websites like up grad, udemy, etc. providing online courses for skills development. So this is the right time to pursue your interest and keeping yourself busy and engaged.

It is easy to loosen up on your self-confidence and patience but with tips like these we can build up our own personality and fight isolation with dignity and pride.

Let’s filter our trauma and spread life within!

Swati Jain

(Life Coach)