With all that’s going on right now, I’m sure it’s not easy to keep your chin up and feel positive about the next few months. But as we begin to self-isolate and practice social distancing, it’s more important than ever that we look after our mental health as well as our physical. So as gloomy, scary and uncertain the world may look right now, here are 19 reasons to stay positive, and make the most of each day as it comes.
1 – Time to do all the things you’ve been putting off at home
Staying at home all day means you can finally set time aside to do that thing you’ve been putting off for ages, whether it be cleaning your flat, organising your wardrobe, or just reading that book you’ve had lying around.
2 – You can still jam out to your favourite music
You might not (should not) be able to go to your favourite club anymore, but there’s no one stopping you from putting on your favourite tunes and dancing around the house. It’s important to keep the good vibes flowing, so why not use the money you would’ve spent on all those nights out, and invest in a speaker so you can put your favourite playlist on blast all day.
3 – We can widen our cooking repertoire
With nowhere to rush off to, why not spend all day in the kitchen trying out that ridiculously long recipe you’ve always wanted to try. If you’re lacking in inspiration, you can always join a Facebook cooking group, like Subtle Asian Cooking, and see what delicious dishes the rest of the world is eating to soothe their souls.
4 – You can still explore the world
Ever played GeoGuessr? Google it. The game drops you in a random location somewhere in the world via Google Street View, and encourages you to scroll through the area for clues before guessing where you are. You can play a round of 5 locations per day, or pay $1.99 a month (outrageous, I know, it used to be free, but it’s well worth the money) and play around with over 40,000 maps.
5 – You can still go on cute dates… from home
As if a candlelit dinner wasn’t cute enough, you’d be amazed at just how many places you can visit from the comfort of your own home. Museums such as the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Van Gogh museum offer virtual tours. Or cuddle up to an interactive Netflix adventure (like You Vs. Wild) or have a board game night.
6 – You can bring the restaurant food to you
Especially in the UK where the restaurants have not officially closed but we’ve been urged to stay inside, now more than ever independent businesses need our support to stay afloat during these trying times. Plenty of restaurants are still operating (albeit on a takeaway basis) but it really does some good, and when did you ever need an excuse to order Deliveroo? Many generous restaurants like Gajin Sushi and Sushi Me Rollin’ are also using the money made on sales to provide free meals to hardworking NHS staff.
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7 – The world gets to breathe a little
With all the people staying inside, busy roads have become quiet, polluted skies have become clear, and much like us, our planet has been given space to heal. The murky waters of the Venetian canals are now so clear you can see small schools of fishes swim through them, as well as swans and even dolphins!
8 – We can workout from home
YouTube alone has an endless supply of at home workouts that you can do, with minimal equipment or even just your body weight and minimal space. Fitness Blender has been a long-time favourite of mine, with a huge variety of high intensity workouts that keep the heart rate up.
9 – Time to go on long, uninterrupted walks
Spring is just around the corner in the UK, and there are plenty of beautiful parks to walk down at a safe distance from other people and just clear your mind as you surround yourself with nature.
10 – You can still learn a language
Your trip to Spain might be cancelled, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work on the language for next time from home. DuoLingo offers free lessons in over 30 languages in a multiple choice beginner friendly quiz setting. How cool would it be if you came out of all this fluent in a new language?
11 – We can still learn from home
In addition to most of us having the technology to continue our university degrees online, many companies offer free online courses that award you a certificate upon completion such as the Shaw Academy, which teaches courses in Digital Marketing, Photography, Financial Trading & Investment, and more. Plus, it’s a decent way to boost your CV.
12 – We can go to the theatre, kind of
Playbill announced that you can watch over 15 broadway plays from home including Rent, Billy Elliot and Peter Pan. Live theatres on the other hand have had to close down abruptly in what must be a scary and unsettling time for people in the industry.
13 – We have time to be creative
When you’re working a full-time job or on a full-time educational course, it can be hard to set aside time to be creative. Some people really do need a creative outlet in order to be happy, so give yourself a DIY project, or anything you’re passionate about, and give yourself something to be excited about working on.
14 – It’s a chance to focus on ourselves
Ultimately, this period of self-isolation is an opportunity to reflect on the things we’ve been too busy to think about. It’s a chance to look back, and reset our goals and our expectations of ourselves. It’s a chance to focus on taking true care of ourselves, and giving ourselves time and space to heal. We can still go to therapy online, and that’s something you may not have had the time to do before.
15 – Brings us closer to family
Whether you’re physically moving home to be with family, or you’re staying and your family is calling every day worried sick. This pandemic has brought us closer to the ones we love, and it’s a chance to remind ourselves that we are loved and part of a community that depends on each other.
16 – We can still face-to-face…time.
Especially since most of us are locked down at home, all your friends should be online, just one call or message away. Check on each other. Call each other and keep each other company even if it’s just with your voice. We are physically distancing, but we do not in fact have to distance ourselves socially.
17 – Things are already going back to normal
In China, people are already starting to come out of self-isolation and life is returning to some semblance of normality. Over half of the people who have been infected with the virus around the world have recovered, and the world has made great progress in finding more about how to treat and test for it.
18 – This is only temporary – you are not going to die
As much as some people are making this pandemic out to be some sort of apocalypse, but it isn’t. Chances are, we’re all going to make it through this, especially if you’re as young as I am. But we still need to be considerate to those more vulnerable by staying home and doing our part to socially distance ourselves.
19 – We’re in this together
We might be socially distancing, but we’re more connected than ever. People all around the world are spreading hope and joy and ways to keep each other entertained, and we will all get through this scary, boring, unpredictable time together.
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