Quarantined? Here’s How to Stay Mentally Healthy
Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash
Quarantine.
I’d heard the word before, but it felt distant, faraway, something from a foreign land.
I never thought it would be a part of my life, my world, my reality.
Me? My family?
I feel trapped, claustrophobic, stuck.
My family is stuck inside these four walls—this house that seems to be getting smaller and smaller with each waking hour.
I feel like I’m going “stir crazy.”
What is “Quarantine”?
According to Cambridge Dictionary, quarantine is “a period of time during which an animal or person that might have a disease is kept away from other people or animals so that the disease cannot spread."
Before, when I heard the word “quarantine,” I thought about traveling with my dog from Morocco to the U.S. We were always warned not to travel through England, as they often quarantine domestic animals in transit.
Now, when I hear the word “quarantine,” it takes on a whole new meaning.
The distant word, “quarantine,” now stands on my doorstep. The faraway, foreign land now sits in my living room.
In my part of the world, we are in 15 days of enforced quarantine. We are only allowed to go out for medical emergencies, groceries, gas, and work (if you can’t work online from home). Our movements are restricted and controlled.
Others of you might be in self-isolation or in a “shelter of rest.” Wherever you are, you are probably staying inside, far from the rest of the world.
Photo by Emma Simpson on Unsplash
What is the History of Quarantine?
Quarantine might be a new experience for me and for you. However, there is nothing new about quarantine.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “The practice of quarantine, as we know it, began during the 14th century in an effort to protect coastal cities from plague epidemics. Ships arriving in Venice from infected ports were required to sit at anchor for 40 days before landing. This practice, called quarantine, was derived from the Italian words quaranta giorni which mean 40 days.” Thankfully, for now, we are only in quarantine for 15 days!
There’s a U.S. document called the Executive Order of the President that contains a list of quarantinable diseases. Among them are cholera, diphtheria, tuberculosis, plague, smallpox, yellow fever, viral hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola, and severe acute respiratory syndromes. Perhaps the recent Covid-19, Coronavirus, falls under the severe acute respiratory syndromes.
In any case, many governments around the world are encouraging their citizens to stay at home—for at least 15 days in lockdown. The hopes are that these drastic measures will slow the spread of this deadly virus.
How Do You Keep From Going Crazy in Quarantine?
Claudia W. Allen is a licensed clinical psychologist and Director of the Family Stress Clinic and the Director of Behavioral Science in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Virginia’s School of Medicine. She speaks out about the needs of protecting our mental health during a time of self-isolation or quarantine.
“We’re all worrying about whether we have enough food, toilet paper, and medications to stay comfortable in a quarantine, but one of the biggest challenges of quarantine will be to our mental health,” she said.
She goes on to say that being stuck at home, whether in self-isolation or enforced quarantine, can cause a major dip in our mood. We need to be on guard and prepared to battle these emotional swings.
“While telecommuting initially sounds like an unplanned vacation, in reality, isolation, lack of schedule, and not enough to do are a foolproof recipe for depression.”
Here are her suggestions to stay mentally healthy:
1. Get Dressed. Set your alarm for your normal time, shower, and get dressed. Don’t stay in your comfy pajamas all day, every day! Act like it’s a “normal” day, even though you are staying inside. It’s all about your mindset.
2. If working from home, stick to your regular routine.
“Be proactive and lay out an intentional structure for your day. If you’re telecommuting, stick with your usual work times or something similar. If you’re not working, create a schedule of mealtimes, reading time, phone time, exercise, chores, etc. Write it down,” says Claudia Allen.
3. Create a schedule for your kids too.This resource gives sample schedules by age.
4. Plan out your week. Make a weekly schedule and make weekends different (special breakfasts, projects, etc).
5. Go outside. Try to sit in the sun, go for walks, look for green, leafy areas.
6. Be intentional. Use the extra time to learn something—a new hobby or skill. See our new article,“60 Things to Do When Stuck at Home.”
7. Beware of too much social media. Use it wisely for connection with family and friends, but don’t overuse it. Studies have shown that it can increase our feelings of loneliness and isolation.
8. Be a helper. Serving others can really boost our mood. Call or email those who may be lonely and vulnerable.
9. Spread out. “Create some space between those cohabiting. People quarantined together run the risk of crowding each other and creating irritation. Plan ‘together time’ (meals, watching movies) and ‘separate time’ in separate rooms, if possible (working, reading, learning).” If space is an issue, try listening to music or wearing noise-cancelling/reducing headphones.
10. Shift your mental space. Try mindfulness activities or adopt the mindset of an observing journalist. Journal what you do and how you feel each day. This mindset creates distance between you and the situation and reduces stress. It also allows you to see positive and interesting aspects of the experience.
We are all in a situation of confusion and uncertainty right now. None of us knows how long this will last or what tomorrow will bring. The situation might feel chaotic and out of control, but there are things we can do to overcome the chaos.
What we do know is that we have today. There are some practical things within our reach. So, let’s make the most out of today and make sure we stay mentally healthy while we are stuck inside our four walls!
Other articles that might interest you if you are quarantined:
See Beyond has the following services available online:
Counseling: working through unpleasant memories or emotions, wounded relationships, trauma, anxiety, depression, etc.
Coaching: creating new awareness to help you move forward toward a goal
Debriefing: processing something that is in the recent past for a new understanding
Spiritual Direction: space to explore your personal journey
Personalized Care: an ongoing relationship that can include the three previous services
Marriage Counseling: training couples to communicate in a way that helps them overcome roadblocks and set attainable goals
Training: in interpersonal skills and customized to your needs
Works Cited:
https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/historyquarantine.html
https://news.virginia.edu/content/how-protect-your-mental-health-during-quarantine