As COVID-19 has spread across the world, it is increasingly more difficult to remain calm and not panic. And now other events threaten our safety during civil unrest. Find at-home activities to stay calm and centered has become a necessity.
Our leaders and health experts say in our homes in order to prevent spread. If you need to outside, then practice social distancing and wear a face mask. It may feel overwhelming. Like you can’t cope, help but crazy inside and solely focus your attention on what is happening with the world outside. A first step to deal with overwhelms to limit how much news you watch. Especially some of the overhyped reporting that only propagates fear and anxiety. First and foremost, get updates and facts from reliable sources, and then focus your attention elsewhere.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we earn a commission when you purchase through these links.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we earn a commission when you purchase through one of these links.
You can avoid contact with other people and wash your hands more carefully, but your ability to remain calm comes from within yourself. Take some necessary steps to reduce your stress and anxiety and promoting calmness. We’re going to go over three of the best ways that you can stay calm and centered in times of COVID-19 panic!
Meditation & Mindfulness
So, you’re anxious and stressed as a result of the rapid spread of Coronavirus. If you’ve never attempted meditation or any mindfulness techniques in the past, this is the perfect time to try them out and get some practice under your belt. It one of the effective at-home activities to stay calm and centered.
According to the Mayo Clinic, meditation can play a huge role in helping you to maintain your mental and emotional health, even benefiting aspects of your physical health. Here’s what meditation can do for you.
- Greater outlook on life (positivity)
- Increased feelings of calmness
- Greater self-awareness
- Reduced levels of anxiety and stress
- Improved focus
The best part is: There are plenty of different types of meditation. For me, it’s spending time daily in quiet time with God, praying, and reading the Bible. Being reminded He is with every moment creates calm, comfort, and hope.
You can also try yoga or pilates. Or even just some quiet time listening to soothing music or sitting in your backyard.
Finding a Creative Outlet
You might be stuck in the house for the next few weeks, but that doesn’t mean you have to resort to going stir crazy. In fact, it probably increases your feelings of panic during such trying times!
This is a great time to try out some new (or old) creative hobbies. When you’re focused on building or creating something new, you’re reducing the amount of focus on the negativity surrounding you. That means creativity is a solid way of helping you to relax.
A creative outlet can be almost anything.
Here are a few things you might want to try out:
- Painting, coloring, or drawing.
- Organize your family photos and create some new photo albums.
- Do some DIY projects for your home – Pinterest is always a great place to find projects.
- Start a journal or try your hand at writing short fiction or poetry. Or start your own blog.
- Learn a new craft or bring back an old one you’ve not had time to work on.
- Read – take advantage of your free time to read a new series of fiction or catch on to the one you’re behind on. Reading helps get your mind to stop focusing on problems for awhile.
- Find projects you can do with your family members to strengthen your relationship. Maybe start making special ornaments for Christmas or create scrapbooks you can send to grandparents you can’t visit.
- Start a garden. Grow your own salad or start some flowers from seeds. You’ll be surprised how good caring for plants makes you feel. And later you can enjoy the rewards of fresh veggies or beautiful flowers to view.
Basically, the goal here is to find an activity or task that requires an intense amount of focus and makes you happy. You won’t even notice that you spent the last hour drawing your favorite cartoon character.
Giving Back & Helping Others
It’s completely natural to be fearful of the unknown, but giving back to others can help you to tackle this fear once and for all. When you’re giving back to the community or helping those in need, you’ll be working to spread compassion and happiness rather than fear and anxiety.
With so many people sick or self-quarantined, most people aren’t permitted to leave home. However, these individuals do still have needs that they now can’t meet on their own.
As long as you’re keeping your distance and not exposing anyone to the virus, you can deliver food and groceries or do things like their yard work. It’ll make you feel good about yourself while also helping those who need it! So, call your neighbors, post something on your Facebook to let those in need know you are available and how to get in contact.
Check with your church or local charities that may have ways you can help in their efforts to assist those in need or essential staff at hospitals, etc. Volunteer Match has 1000’s ways you can help others, even from the safety of your home.
Final Thoughts
You can’t do anything yourself when it comes to curing or stopping the spread of COVID-19, but there are things you can do that can reduce your panic and invoke an overwhelming sense of calmness.
By taking advantage of mindfulness, looking for a creative outlet, and even giving back to those who need it. Use these at-home activities to stay calm and centered, and you come out stronger and better than before.
Leave a Reply