The Access Review: Surviving Isolation
Daisy Brookes/Ekko Cosplay
The world is an incredibly stressful place right now. I don’t think I’ve ever been so anxious over the state of our future and what tomorrow holds, and it’s easy to feel lost and overwhelmed. The news is different from every broadcaster, the Government advice changes every day and false information is spreading fear and panic. I can’t pretend to know what’s going to happen, honestly I have no idea, all I can say is that right now we owe it to each other to be cautious, compassionate and kind.
As someone who’s been chronically ill for over a decade, I know a thing or two about isolation. Back in 2010 I went nearly 2 months where the only instance I left the house was for hospital appointments and treatments. I’ve spent weeks stuck home or in hospital, and I’m hoping with a few of the tips and tricks I’ve learnt over the years, I might be able to help people avoid cabin fever.
As of right now (20/03/2020), Covid-19 is a contact transmitted virus, meaning that self isolation and social distancing are the only real ways to avoid spreading it on. That means staying home unless absolutely necessary. I understand that for many people this abrupt interruption to routine is hard to handle but we have to do this to protect those around us.
Please, if you can, stay home. It’s not going to be easy and boredom is very difficult to fight I know.
Hopefully these tips will help ease the stir crazy:
Open your windows and get fresh air in the house every day. You’ll be surprised how quickly the air in your home gets stagnant and that’ll leave you feeling groggy and run down. If you’re in the country, open your doors and get a breath of fresh air whenever you can. I promise this’ll ease those headaches.
Try to get dressed every day as it’s very easy to get in to a pyjama slump. I’m still guilty of this sometimes but I promise you it’ll be easier to manage the days dressed, even if it’s just changing from pyjamas to trackies, keep your in bed clothes for sleeping.
Keep to your regular sleeping schedule. Another thing that’s very easy to slip in to is staying up super later and sleeping in even later. Losing your sleep routine eats into that feeling of normality, and once out of whack can be hard to fix. At first it’s great to think you can finally get a lie in, but it’s scary how quickly that lie in can go from 10am to 2pm.
On the topic of sleep, try to eat breakfast at the same time every day. Like I’ve mentioned above, keeping routine is going to be your saviour.
If possible, try to do some sort of exercise. I’m not talking anything majorly vigorous, but keeping your heart rate healthy and body active stops you from slumping. Work around your own body and limits, I'm lucky enough to have an exercise bike but even if it’s just walking a few laps of your flat or house, it’ll make a difference. Make a game out of it.
It can be super tempting to slip into the motions of playing the same video game for hours on end every day but I would suggest you take a break every few hours. You’ll grow bored of even your favourite game when that’s all you do.
I can’t recommend enough downloading a brain trainer app of some sort, it does what it says on the tin and can keep you busy for a good chunk of time each day.
Where possible, start a project, make it your Quarantine Goal to work on something from start to finish. Maybe you’ve got an old 1000 piece puzzle you’ve never done or a costume you’ve been putting off and have all the supplies for?
It’s very easy to feel like you’ve lost your spark for creativity when your down and out, branch out and try new things to keep yourself busy.
Having a nice bath or shower can save your day. Just like getting dressed, it will make you feel better. If you’re feeling rubbish about yourself, take a shower.
Another way to reboot a day is to have a nap. I know it’s not for everyone but if you are able to take a little power nap it can reset all the bad feelings and spark you up again.
Snacking is your enemy. Boredom and hunger are pretty well linked, and snacking on food all day messes up your routine, you won’t want to eat dinner when you’re used to it and next thing you know you’ll be eating yogurt at 3am. I’m not saying don’t treat yourself to a snack but eating to fill the boredom void is not the one.
When possible, video chat your friends! Communication really is key right now. Share lunch over Skype or sync up your chats and watch a movie together. Keeping in contact with people will keep you positive.
If you think it’ll make you happy, do the thing. Do the make up test, binge the tv show, sketch, write, sing. It’s really that simple.
I know lots of people live in shared housing where their only personal space is the bedroom, where you can though, break the monotony and venture out of your room. Staring down the same four walls is guaranteed to drive you mad.
Remember that it’s okay (and understandable) to feel like you’re wasting your time, it’s hard to adjust to a such a big change. Just try to remind yourself that everyone is in the same boat right now and there will be times ahead where things will feel normal again.
You don’t have to be productive 24/7 to be valid.
Time to Survive!
That last one is something I try to tell myself every day. Your value is not directly linked to what you do on the day to day. These are trying times for us all, everything is so uncertain and it’s easy to feel lost but as long as we remember that we are in this together and continue to help each other, we will be okay.
I can’t promise all these things will work for you, hell they might just sound like pious waffling to some but they’ve helped me over the years overcome boredom and isolation. These aren’t the only things you can do either, over the past few days I've seen wonderful recommendations all over the internet of people coming together to help others fight the boredom. I never would have gotten into cosplay or started writing if I hadn’t searched out for new things to do whilst stuck at home. There’s always something new to try and some way to pass the day.
Although social media is proving stressful right now, we are so lucky to have it. We’re able to stay in touch with each other, work on things together and push through this all with help and support. It’s okay to be scared and overwhelmed, but being able to reach out and stay in touch with people in the same situation is going to help us all get through this. I encourage you all to try and talk to someone every day where possible, especially if you are isolating alone. Lastly all I can say is stay safe and be kind. Think of those around you who will survive this because of the isolation precautions put in place, we’re doing it for them.
