Written By: Je’Ana C.

As Covid-19 continues to rage on, many of us have been forced to self-isolate to reduce the spread of the virus. Looking after your mental health during isolation is important - lack of social interaction is known to increase the risk of anxiety and depression. Even if you have a partner and kids to keep you company, the loneliness of not seeing friends and other family members may get to you. Below are just some of the ways in which you can stay sane during self-isolation.

Related: 10 THINGS YOU CAN DO AT HOME WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING

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1) Stick to a routine – but allow some variety

Sticking to a routine can often help ward off mental illnesses such as depression; however, too much routine can have the opposite effect. We need variety in our lives to keep things exciting - variety is the spice of life. While keeping to a basic routine, try to add small variations to your day, such as cooking new meals or trying new forms of entertainment. Kids are particularly likely to need this variation.

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2) Be physically active

Physical exercise helps to flood the body with feel-good endorphins and also helps to keep our minds sharp. Make sure that you are finding ways to stay active in self-isolation. There are many exercises that you can do at home, as listed here https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/at-home-workouts. Motivate yourself by sticking to a fitness schedule. You may also be able to find ways to exercise with kids.

3) Exercise your brain

Much like exercising the body, exercising the mind is essential for lifting our mood. If you’re not working and don’t have the patience to learn a new skill or take up a new hobby, a straightforward way of exercising your brain could be to try solving puzzles. You could try completing traditional puzzles such as these crosswords at https://www.pennydellpuzzles.com/crosswords/books/. Alternatively, you could look into puzzle apps.

4) Look for healthy distractions

You can keep your mind occupied by looking into healthy distractions. This could include learning a new skill such as a new language, a musical instrument, or a new craft. Alternatively, it could consist of practicing an existing hobby more in-depth

such as gardening, baking, or reading. Try not to spend all your time in front of a screen - too much screen time can contribute to anxiety and depression. If you’ve got kids, there may be many family activities that you can carry out at home to stay distracted.

5) Get creative with video calls

While you may not be able to interact with people in person socially, you may still be able to have face-to-face conversations with friends and family via Zoom. If you find that such conversations end up being repetitive or awkward, consider fun ways of spicing up your video calls. Arranging a quiz night or a games night via video call could be one way of doing this. By having an activity to focus on, you’ll find conversation much easier and you’ll feel as if you’re getting a deeper level of interaction.