Being trapped inside for a long stretch of time is not only detrimental to your body; it is also detrimental to your mind. Without human interaction and the challenges of daily life, your mind can atrophy. This problem is exacerbated by endless hours watching TV or playing video games, two of the few pleasures still licit in the era of social distancing.
Although it is easier to spend all day sitting in front of a screen, you’d be advised to make an effort to take care of your mind. Here are some steps you can take to preserve your mental acuity from inside your home.
Acknowledge Your True Feelings
These days, we are bombarded with messaging from all over the place. The people on the news tell us one way to think. The people we follow on social media tell us another way. The people we elect to public office tell us a still different way. This signaling can be so loud as to drown out one’s actual thoughts. Take some time to unplug from what the world is telling you so you can take stock of your personal values and beliefs. This will help you develop your point of view, and it will strengthen your ability to articulate your personal views when you need to.
Journal Your Thoughts
The natural follow-up to coming up with your own thoughts is to write them down. Dedicate 15 or 20 minutes each day (ideally either in the morning or at night before you go to bed) to write out your thoughts. Your journal does not need to be formal by any means, but the mere act of typing will allow your true feelings to come into clearer focus.
Write A Gratitude List
What are you thankful for in your life? In normal times, it can be easy to get caught up in one’s routine. Now that you have some time to yourself, put into words the things and people you are grateful for. Better yet, send personal messages to those who end up on your list, so you can let them know how much they mean to you.
Talk to Others
Even introverts need human interaction in order to stay sane. Just because you are able to lie low for a bit doesn’t mean you should shut out the world entirely. Stay in contact with your friends and family. Furthermore, reach out to old friends who you may not have spoken with in a while. There’s no better time to catch up.
Maintain the Regularity of Life
Keeping up a semblance of normal life is very nearly impossible when you can’t leave your home. That said, for the sake of your mental health, it is important to establish some form of routine resembling regular life. Get up at the same time each morning; eat breakfast; differentiate between work time and leisure time (as well as work areas and leisure areas of the house). The human brain was not built to lounge around in pajamas and binge-watch old shows all day, so try to do things that keep your brain active and engaged.
Start A New Hobby
One way to keep your neurons firing is to pick up a new hobby. For example, you could learn how to cook or play an instrument. Alternatively, you could work on becoming a master at a game such as poker or chess, both of which you can practice with people over the Internet. If you are less interested in learning something new, you can just devote more time to activities you are already capable of: e.g. painting or writing.
Enjoy A Massage to Relax
Whatever you do while you are stuck at home, make sure to manage emotions like anxiety and stress. It is not uncommon to go stir crazy from being restricted of motion, so do whatever you can to calm yourself down. Turn off all your distractions and treat yourself to a nice massage. If you have one of NAIPO’s massagers, you can easily add a massage to your daily routine. This will help keep your mind in good shape and even help you forget the major issues currently facing the world.
