The importance of keeping your body & mind healthy during times of unrest.

Looking after yourself while you’re self-quarantining.

Self-quarantine can quickly feel a bit boring, these tips can help you stay well during your time at home.

If you’ve been in contact with someone who has novel coronavirus (COVID-19), or you’ve returned from overseas travel, you will have been asked to self-quarantine at home.

The reason the Government is asking you to self-quarantine is so if you are carrying the virus – and you could have it without showing symptoms yet – you don’t pass it on to anyone else. Self-quarantining properly will help you prevent getting your friends, family and co-workers sick, as well as all the other people you usually come into contact with everyday that you don’t know.

Self-quarantining however, can be pretty tough.

These are some tips for looking after yourself while you’re in self-quarantine. 

Wait, what’s the difference between self-quarantine and self-isolation?Good question! While both will limit your movements, self-quarantine is what the Government will ask well people to do just in case they’re carrying the virus. People who are actually sick with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will be asked to self-isolate – depending on how unwell they are, this may be done at home or in a healthcare facility.

Looking after your mental and physical health while self-quarantining
At first, getting two weeks off work or school might have seemed like a fun holiday. But those who have had to stay at home due to illness in the past will know that being forced to stay inside and away from others for more than a day or two can quickly become boring and even anxiety-inducing.

Keeping mentally and physically well will help self-quarantine feel more pleasant. And if you do happen to get sick, it may help if you’ve been as well as possible beforehand.

Get some physical activity
Getting your body moving can improve how you feel physically and mentally. You’ve been asked to stay inside your own home boundaries, which means you might not be able to do some of the types of exercise you would normally enjoy, but there are lots of ways to keep moving while inside the house or backyard.

We suggest:

• Trying some of the workout routines Healthier. Happier. have put together – No Running Cardio is a great way to get your heart pumping while staying on one spot.
• For something a little more chill, you could do a yoga routine each day. There are plenty of free classes on YouTube, so you can choose something that suits your abilities.
• If you’re a regular in the weights room, you might be missing your time at the gym. But you don’t have to visit the gym to be able to pump it up – there are lots of common household items you can use as hand weights. Grab some cans of food for bicep curls, or a bag of flour to add weight to your squats. 
  
• Remember – you don’t need a fancy gym to get some physical activity.

Get your nutrients
If you’ve stocked up on some longer-lasting foods, like pasta or rice, make sure you still add some fruits or vegetables, and protein to each meal. Remember that frozen or canned fruits and veggies are a great option if you’re not able to access fresh food like you normally would.

If you’re able to use your kitchen while you self-quarantine (some people who share houses with others will be required to not share common rooms such as kitchens), why not spend some of your time trying out new recipes? You can find easy, healthy recipes for all types of meals on Healthier. Happier.

Drink plenty of water
Are you in the habit of drinking enough water every day? Dehydration doesn’t make anyone feel good, so make sure you’re getting 6-8 glasses of water each day. This will be a great habit to take with you once your self-quarantine period has ended.

Get creative or learn something new
Keeping your mind engaged is good for your mental wellbeing and a great way to spend time, something you might find you now have a lot of!

You could start a creative project or get back into an old hobby, like drawing, painting, knitting, writing or wood working. Or you could use this time to learn a new skill – there are lots of free apps to help you learn a new language and online tutorials for everything from learning how to do a handstand (make sure you’ve got some room for this one), to mastering photography. Podcasts are a great, free way to engage in learning about new topics.  

Get some rest and relaxation
While binging on TV for the whole day will get old quickly, you should still take time every day to switch off and relax. Turn off the news and stay away from other virus alerts for an hour, and get cosy with a good book, movie, TV show or whatever entertainment takes your fancy.

This could also be a great time to learn some relaxation or meditation techniques. Smiling Mind has a free app to help you meditate, while Black Dog Institute has factsheets with mindfulness and relaxation activities.

Get plenty of sleep
Keeping a routine of going to bed and getting up at the same time will help you sleep better and feel rested during the day. If you’re having trouble nodding off, follow these suggested 10 steps to better sleep.

Use medications as normal
It’s really important that even though your day-to-day routine might have changed a lot, you stick to your routine when it comes to taking prescribed medicines. If you find that less structure in your day means you’re forgetting to take your medications, set alarms to help remind you.

Connect with others
Connection with community can be a huge boost for our mental wellbeing. Just because you’re self-quarantining, doesn’t mean you have to be completely cut off from everyone. Luckily, these days we have phones and the internet to allow us to speak with our communities even if we can’t meet face-to-face.

Some fun ways you can connect with the outside world are:

• If you know others who are self-quarantining, start an over-the-phone movie or book club.
• Bust out some pen and paper and write some old-school letters to people you haven’t seen in a while.
• Video calls rather than texting or talking means you can talk to more than one person at a time and see everyone’s faces.
• Remember – just because you’re self-quarantining doesn’t mean you have to miss out on normal celebrations completely.

Manage anxiety
It’s normal to feel some stress or anxiety when something out of the ordinary happens, and this situation is pretty unusual. There are lots of ways self-quarantine could make you feel – worried about your health or your family and friends, frustrated or antsy at being stuck in one place, or concerned about the things you’re missing out on, just to name a few. It’s important to know that it’s okay and normal to feel any emotions you’re having. The tips above will all help you look after your mental wellbeing while you’re in self-quarantine.

If you’ve taken steps to support better mental wellbeing but are still feeling stressed, overwhelmed, worried, or just not like your normal self, it’s important to tell someone. This might be someone close to you like a family member, friend or colleague. You can also talk to a mental health professional on 1300 MH CALL (1300 642 255) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Remember that while this situation is unusual, in Victoria, we’re in a good position to make the effects as minimal as possible. Our health system is prepared and our services are equipped to take care of the population.

Source:
Queensland Government Health Advisory 
Victorian Government Health Advisory