The pandemic got us all worked up with all the self-quarantine and social distancing just so we won’t catch the virus. A lot of people are already getting more and more restless about the situation as the isolation is hitting not just our social life, but also our mental health.
There are studies that the feeling of dread, the laziness, and the lack of drive to do anything are common feelings at this time. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes that aside from our fear of catching the virus, the sudden changes in our routine and the lack of contact with our friends and families takes a toll on our ability to function normally.
Aside from staying alive, we want to stay sane. To help you out, here are some ways you can manage your FOGO (Fear of Getting Out) and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) during the pandemic:
Keep a routine
The first thing you have to manage during this quarantine period is yourself. Keeping the right attitude is what will help you go through this COVID-19 season with relative ease. Instead of considering your place as a prison, determine the things you usually go through in your normal day that you can still do even if you’re just inside your home.
What is important at this time is not to drop the usual things you do or the important events you usually celebrate. Go through your calendar, check on the dates there’s a celebration and prepare a house party. It can be a virtual house party. It’s graduation season so you can also send out cheap graduation announcements to your friends and celebrate with them online. There are ways you can keep a positive outlook about the situation and live like there’s still a semblance of normalcy.
Reach out, keep in touch, and stay connected
Social media is one of our lifelines at this time. Aside from accessing your much needed news updates and memes on your social media feed, you can use your social media to keep in touch with your friends and family. You can schedule a video conference with your friends to check on how they are doing or to just start an online discussion about anything.
While most of our interactions now are online, you can also stay physically connected even with the physical distancing. You can drop by your friends’ houses and slip take care notes or thank you cards under their door. It’s a small gesture to show that you care. You don’t have to drop by a store to get a card either because there are available options online. You don’t have to violate any social distancing rule to accomplish this.
Experiment and Discover
All of a sudden you have so much time in your hands. Most people are using the stay-at-home season to discover their hidden talents. Some are now spending more time in the kitchen, trying out new recipes and concocting new dishes, while some get in touch with their more artsy side by going into painting or digital photo editing. This graduation season you can help your friends or any people you know come up with graduation invitation ideas. You can visit and follow @basicinvite on Instagram for some creative invitation pegs.
Being more creative and seeing yourself come up with actual output can help make you feel more productive. With these activities, you also make better use of your free time.
The social distancing required of us by this COVID-19 pandemic can be self-isolating. Remember that we are doing it to save actual lives. To survive, it is important to actively come up with ways to maintain our social connection. Interacting with other people is not just a matter of not missing out on things, it’s a matter of taking care of our and our loved ones’ mental health as well.
