7 Ways to Stay Calm in Self-Quarantine

Hello sweet friends, Riana here. WHAT A WILD WEEK. I got home less than a week ago from our tour mid-cancellations.

Only nine days ago, the top trends for Americans on Twitter were related to memes of Peter’s mom from The Bachelor Finale. !!! Seemed trivial then, but even more ridiculously trivial now.

…what a difference a week makes, right?

For many of us, now we’re sheltering in place, worried for our jobs, safety, health, families far away, and the state of our world economy because of the impacts of COVID-19.

ABC reports most American lives have been “drastically” affected by this pandemic, and ONLY 5% of Americans at this time “have no concerns at all.” (source: https://bit.ly/2J5jbWg) Literally, we’re ALL. IN. THIS. BOAT. TOGETHER.

I’m introverted, and a deeply creative sensitive soul. I recharge alone. I rarely feel “lonely” because I entertain myself easily. (Essentially: I feel like my natural skills were designed for this crazy time!) However, I was also diagnosed with clinical depression in high school, and more recently, anxiety is something I am constantly working to quiet down and tame. Sometimes the hermit lifestyle helps me. And sometimes… it’s very challenging to feel well.

Like many of you, I feel and absorb the collective panic and fear easily. I need to be cautious and aware of my actions, who I speak with, and how I process news and information to protect my energy and wellbeing. I’ve been practicing this for years, so this week has been a huge catalyst for me to step into a leadership role, to guide others— and to be an emotional support for those struggling. I’m not a doctor or a psychologist. Take what resonates, leave the rest. I’m also imperfect at using all these tools myself! But I know each one of these have helped ME immensely throughout my life, so I want to share, in case it helps you too.

So, here we go, I’m gonna share with you 7 actionable things you can do TODAY to bring MORE CALM and LESS ANXIETY to your experience in self-quarantine (from an expert in the hermit lifestyle!)

7 Ways To Stay Calm in Self-Quarantine

1. JOURNAL + WRITE
Writing can be a physical anchor for us, especially when we write by hand. Writing by hand provides a direct link from your brain to the paper in a physical way that you just can't get by typing or bludgeoning your phone screen with your thumbs. Many of you know I have a gratitude practice and I journal regularly. This has helped me so much this week.

Write what you’re grateful for each day you’re quarantined. (Yes, even if you can only think of two or three small things!) Your appreciation for life will deepen— especially on hard days— when you’re able to describe in writing what you’re thankful for, and why.

Writing poems, short stories, a few lines about how you’re feeling right now, or a short snail mail letter or email to a friend can be really uplifting for your spiritual and mental health. Write down what you can control, and release what you can’t. Each day, I spend time writing posts for Instagram, content like this blog post, journal entries, gratitude lists, personal thoughts, and several pages for my book I’m working on.

2. LIMIT NEWS + SOCIAL MEDIA CONSUMPTION
This goes without saying, but it’s extremely easy to get sucked down the rabbit hole of the media and news coverage right now. I urge you to set some personal boundaries around how much time you spend scrolling news articles and sites, even if they’re reputable and reliable sources for you.

Decide what your cap will be, and stick to it. Is it:
-       10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at night?
-       3 articles a day?
-       Only check-in at lunch?

No matter what your preferences, decide right now to be conscious and aware of the time you spend reading and consuming videos, political rhetoric, and news updates from the media.

Facebook, Reddit, and Instagram can be black holes of time and energy right now. I’m making a concerted effort to contribute more than I consume. I use the platform to post my own content and reply to people, more than I use it for scrolling my feed mindlessly and endlessly without interacting.

Some other ideas + tips:

Now is a perfect time to unfollow or “mute” any accounts or friends who are spreading fear, negative or hateful posts, or things that don’t align with your own health and sanity right now. 

Lastly, I’ve set some boundaries with my family. I’ve been walking a lot outdoors with my dad, and we have agreed our walks are to enjoy nature, get fresh air and keep each other company, and we keep it a “COVID-19 FREE ZONE,” meaning we keep the conversation positive and focused on things other than the virus situation.

3. MEAL PREP + HEALTHY EATING
Over the last few years, I’ve really prioritized meal prepping, batch cooking, and cooking in general. I normally cook and prep meal components and ingredients for the week, so this transition to home life feels normal.

Meal prep (in any season) keeps me on track to consume nutritionally dense vegetarian food, and feel nourished in my body.

Anxiety about grocery store shelves emptying and running out of stock is very common right now. One way to help yourself reduce anxiety is to get ahead of this “lack” based mindset and focus on what you DO have in your home right now. Take stock of what’s in your pantry, and appreciate all the food that’s already here!

Toss any expired food in your fridge and wipe it out. Disinfect countertops, fridge handles, knobs + drawers, faucets, and trash cans. Organize your food storage containers and lids in your cabinets, so you feel like when you DO go shopping, you have clean and organized food containers ready-to-go.

Utilize local farmer’s markets and local grocery stores at non-peak hours, and practice social distancing. Go when it’s essential, but avoid public places as much as you can. See if you have a local co-op that’s open, and consider membership.

Don’t over purchase, and don’t take the last of an item off the shelf. As long as distribution centers will continue to operate, there will be food and toilet paper back on shelves. Be patient and allow elderly people and those with immunocompromised systems to take first priority. This practice alone of extending calm, help, patience, kindness, and peace to others will help your brain stay in functioning “normal” mode— and not go into an anxious panicked state, and it helps others stay calm and appreciated, too! Win/win!

4. CLEAN YOUR SPACE
Is there anything better than a fluffy stack of warm, fresh towels? Or a warm, clean, bed of fresh sheets straight out of the dryer?! Appreciate the small luxuries like fresh laundry at this time if you have a washer and dryer at home. See laundry as a calming and cleansing self-care ritual versus a “chore” right now.

Since we were little, my mom always tells us if we’re having an off-day: “GO CLEAN SOMETHING!”— and my mom is almost always right. If you’re feeling unsettled, anxious, bored, or confused… crank up some music and GO CLEAN SOMETHING!!

Making your bed as soon as you wake up, scrubbing a toilet, disinfecting your kitchen, or putting all the dishes away brings an immediate sense of cleanliness and order to your physical space, which can translate to a feeling of “order” and control in your mental and emotional space, too. 

5. MAKE SOMETHING WITH YOUR HANDS
If you’re now working or studying from home, chances are technology and your devices are now, more than ever, at the forefront for human connection and connection to the outside world. Reducing anxiety also means committing to— and practicing— small boundaries with electronics. You don’t have to go full digital detox in order to feel the effects. Turn your phone off for your lunch break or an evening, turn off Netflix one night this week, close the laptop… and do something with your hands instead!

Here’s some ideas:
-       Write a snail mail letter
-       Cook a soup
-       Bake a new recipe
-       Draw
-       Doodle!
-       Read a book
-       Art journal
-       Knit
-       Paint
-       Frame some photos
-       Clean + vacuum
-       Organize your medicine cabinet
-       Sort a messy drawer
-       Make a craft project
-       Carve a stamp
-       Make jewelry
-       Lysol wipe your life
-       Pet your cat (or dog!)

6. SING
While I happen to be a professional singer, you absolutely don’t have to be to enjoy the amazing benefits of singing for FUN! I sing every day, little songs to myself, in the shower, in the car, while I’m outside. On tour, I get to sing for thousands of people live each week which is pretty cool. Though it may be awhile until that opportunity returns in real life, I’m gonna keep singing for myself. Highly recommend it. The quarantined people on their balconies in Italy are onto something— just sayin!

If you need a hopeful, positive, encouraging anthem right now, watch our sibling trio’s song “Three Deep Breaths” on YouTube.

7. MOVE YOUR BODY
Arguably the best way to stay sane— requiring no special equipment, and no cost— is to move your body every day. Get your heart pumping, and your lungs expanding. You don’t need to hear this from me, because you know this. It doesn’t need to be fancy. Walk. Jump. Run around. Join an online class (so many are happening, and so many are FREE, like this one through Les Mills— I used to teach BodyFlow!)

Every single morning this week, I get up, I stretch, then I dance and jump around by myself while my coffee is brewing. (my I AM STRENGTH playlist on Spotify is my personal jam, although you can choose whatever music you want!) I do enough to get my heart rate up, warm my body, limber up my spine, and start inhaling and exhaling deeply. Despite what’s happening in the world around us, in those moments, it feels like the best day ever and I’m grateful my body is able to do it.

I’m also walking at least a mile or two each day, and heading into the woods often for nature walks! It’s life giving, and I hope you can experience a little bit of fresh air, sunlight, and nature wherever you are. I should also say that long showers, self massage, quiet time, and lots of sleep does wonders at this time.

I hope this helps you during this crazy time. What are you doing at home that’s helping YOU? I’d love to know if this list helped inspire you. What area of self-care are you focusing on the most right now? Let me know in the comments below, or come say hello on Instagram @riananelson !

Be well and be kind,
Riana