Are you beginning to lose your sanity during quarantine? You are not alone. Many sources say we have successfully flattened the curve of the Coronavirus, but this is far from over. Some even say there is a second wave coming. Lynn Schleig of Paxinos says, “I work for a local hospital. Our numbers are coming down and beds are opening up. However, I’m not sure that means we should go straight back to normal. Those beds could easily fill back up.” Many people have gone back to work and businesses are slowly starting to reopen. While it may feel like things are going back to normal, we have to remember to be careful.
Depending on where you are in Pennsylvania, there may not be a lot of cases in your area. Some regions of Pennsylvania don’t have a lot of cases or even deaths. Per the CDC, there seems to be more negative cases than positive, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be careful. We also need to take into consideration that these numbers only count for the people who have been tested. Those not tested may have had a mild case and weren’t aware of it. This also means they could have passes it to others. It is hard to have accurate numbers when not everyone shows symptoms or gets tested. We must still take proper precautions and practice social distancing to prevent that second wave of cases. This is far from over, and we need to make sure we are aware of our surroundings and keeping the proper distance between yourself and others.
According to the CDC, we should be washing our hands or using hand sanitizer if we don’t have the resources to wash our hands. We should be doing this after touching anything that others could have touched. We should also wash our hands after sneezing or coughing and covering our coughs and sneezes! We should try not to touch our faces, especially eyes, mouth, or nose. We should continue to stay at least six feet from one another and avoid gatherings. This part can be hard, but we need to think of our elderly and the people with underlying health conditions.
Another thing we should be doing is wearing masks. This prevents you from spreading your germs to others. This works especially well when everyone else is doing the same. Finally, we have to make sure we are disinfecting things after use! Things we use the most should be sanitized daily. We all are attached to our cell phone, which means they are constantly being touched. Disinfecting your phone daily can help keep you from contaminating yourself and other surfaces. Other things include wallets, keys, faucets, handles, door knobs, and more.
Even though a lot of people have gone back to work, there are still others who have not. These people are probably starting to go a bit insane as they are forced to stay home all day. According to an article by Business Insider, 55% of people mentioned in a survey that the coronavirus has affected their mental health. It can be hard to find something to occupy yourself all day every day that you are stuck at home for. “I don’t think I would have gotten through this without motorcycle rides,” says Christian Clemens, of Sunbury. Many of those people are also now alone because others have gone back to work. This can be very lonely, and they may be running out of ideas.
Some things to do while trapped inside according to Psychology Today are: contact friends/family, exercise, read, watch shows, cook, or go outside. These people stuck in quarantine may be feeling very lonely, but think of your elderly who are used to meeting up with friends or having visitors. These people need the human contact and if they live alone, they are probably feeling very lonely. Pick up the phone and call grandma/grandpa, teach them how to video chat, or call a friend. There are so many ways to communicate in today’s society, take advantage of it!
Another great idea to keep busy is exercise. Sometimes sleeping in makes you feel worse. Getting up early and exercising may be a great idea to start off your day right. Exercise has both mental and physical health benefits. If it makes it feel less like exercise, go outside. Go for a nature walk. The fresh air will make you feel better. Maybe it is as simple as playing outside with your dog. There are so many things you can do outside that are also good for your health.
If exercise isn’t your thing or it isn’t nice enough to go outside, try reading a book. We have probably all seen a book we wanted to read but told ourselves we didn’t have the time. Now we do have the time. If you really don’t want to read, maybe watch a new show. Netflix has been consistently releasing new series to watch. Now would be the perfect time to start and finish an entire series to keep you occupied. Finally, if nothing else works for you, try a new recipe. There are recipes all over the internet and one place we are allowed to go is the grocery store. Try that recipe you have always wanted to try. Learn how to make it the way you like it before your next gathering.
There are so many emotions going through us right now. It is such a crucial time for our health and many of us were not mentally prepared for this. However, learning to take care of ourselves and being aware of what is going on will help us to get through it. We all just want things to get back to normal. Taking the correct precautions and paying attention to others around us will eventually get us back to normal. Stay safe and stay sane!
Bloomsburg Infographics 