by Margaret Aitken
As Covid-19 begins to spread throughout the country, we’re seeing more and more public events cancelled. Some boarding schools have sent students home and some classes are opening online.
It may well be that soon we will all be asked to self-quarantine to stop the spread of the virus. Maybe you are already in self-quarantine because you’re immunocompromised or maybe you’ve just caught a mild case or have a few symptoms. It doesn’t mean that you just have to lay on the couch all day watching the news and worrying.
Here are some fun ideas to tide you over until the doors to the outside world open again and we can resume life again with some new silly stories.
1: Don’t Panic
Remember that the majority of the population is in quarantine, not because we’ll die if we catch the virus, but because we’re protecting the spread of the virus from people it could really harm, such as those with autoimmune disorders, the elderly, the pregnant and so on.
Quarantine is about protecting our vulnerable, so understand how hoarding supplies such as hand sanitiser, face masks and toilet paper might be affecting those who are most at risk. So, do stock up a little more on flu medicine and maybe a buy a little more food than you normally would. If in doubt, just remember to act with practical precaution. We’re gonna get through this. Everything is going to be okay.
2: Practice self-care
This is the perfect time to use that bubble-bath you’ve been saving. Or that dollar-store face mask. Or that nice wine your great-aunt gave you for Christmas. Your concert has been cancelled, the pubs are closed and the universe has blessed us all with a beautiful and bounteous amount of free time. You are a god/goddess. You are sublime. You deserve this.
3: Find out what else has gone viral
Does anyone understand the deal with TikTok? Me neither. But dammit if I’m not going to find out. With Covid-19 taking over so much our news programs, social media feeds and small talk it can be easy to miss other events happening in our proximity. For example, the second case of completely cured HIV just occurred in the UK. The new Pixar movie Onward was just released, and according to most sources, it was pretty okay. Something probably happened in sports recently too. I wouldn’t know.
The point is, Covid-19 has not shrunk the world or the millions of things that go on within it everyday. Sometimes, it’s okay to take a break from the bad news, have a deep breath and look at something you might missed otherwise. It’s not all plague. Sometimes a drought ends in the middle of a thunderstorm.
4: Don’t be Racist
While certain people have the fun little tendency to use global health pandemics as an excuse to show some true and rather clashing colours, Covid-19 is not “The Chinese Plague”. We all know you’re more likely to catch something from a visiting American than your Vietnamese neighbours.
So, if you get the chance, now is a good time to show a little love from a respectful 1.5 ft distance. Treat yourself to some Chinese takeout, stream some K-pop and have a look at Japanese Lolita fashions online.
5: Learn Something New
So, school is closed, you have no structure and you’ve lost control of your life. The video game you’ve been playing for fourteen hours straight now is hurting your eyes and you’ve run out of beer. Time to panic right? No. (Did you skip #1 on this list?).
The current state of things is a great reason to Google all of the weird questions you’ve never bothered to look at until now. Ever had a vague interest in a random activity? Never really looked into it because you didn’t have the time or the motive? Now I’ve given you a motive and you have all the time in the world! School closing doesn’t mean that educating ends. It’s just a really good reason to expand your education into areas of interest you may not have looked at otherwise.
6: Connect with someone far away
While we’re practicing social distancing, loneliness nips at the soul of the unprepared. Fortunately, we’ve caught the pandemic in a brand new age of technology, where no-one is really alone and comfort is just a text away. Corona virus is a great excuse to chat with people you haven’t caught up with in a while. Your long-distance friend. Someone from school you wouldn’t mind reconnecting with. Phone your mum. Or your dad. Cuddle that toy you haven’t given much love for for a while. I know you want to.
And it doesn’t even have to be tech-driven! Mail carries no risk of spreading the virus and how long has it been since you sent a letter? Of course, you’re all wonderful human beings with big brains who can come up with creative solutions for themselves. You may want to channel your fear and frustrations into creative mediums such as drawing or maybe just play with your pet and have fun with your family while you have some time off.
No matter what, stay safe, and look out for each other. That’s we’ve made it through before.
Sources
If anything in this article has stuck with you, here’s some stuff to look at further online.
Information on the virus: https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert
I want to learn more about the virus, but I don’t wanna scroll through boring medical pages: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI90iqFqLXs&list=PLJRbJuI_csVDDJXtC8wm5UcVKV_CNP84j
I want to learn something new: Fun Youtube Channels I recommend.
DissociaDID
Jessica Kellgren-Fozard
How to Cook That
The Try Guys
So, what’s TikTok again? https://www.tiktok.com/en/
Japanese Lolita Fashion?: Here’s a good place to start. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUjVPIEtJd0
