Social distancing measures exist
for a reason, and that's to slow the spread of viral transmission from people
who come into close contact. Hosting a party at home or crowding into a bar
when they reopen will jam people together in a room, giving any lingering
coronavirus on an asymptomatic host the prime opportunity to infect others, who
then could pass it along.
1. Clean your home
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| Clean tour home as well as country |
It can be hard to find time to
deep clean your home during the normal schedule. But since you have a bit more
time on your hands now, get into those places that don’t get cleaned often like
under the bed, in your kitchen cupboards or even your walls.
2. Are you a social butterfly -Be a social butterfly—on the phone
There are at least half a dozen
people, at any given point of time that you need to call back. An elderly aunt,
that slightly touchy friend, or your former colleague—you really meant to call
them back, but … you know how it is. This is a good time to find out how your
friends and family are doing; if the seniors among them are coping well. Spread
the warmth and stay bonded.
3. Show yourself some love
Your pet gripe has been that you
never get any time for yourself? Over the next three weeks, indulge in some
self-care. Ask your partner to give you a hair massage. Or, make a face pack
using ingredients at home.
Here’s a simple hack: mix three
tablespoons of lemon juice with a tablespoon of turmeric powder, apply it on
your face, leave it for 15-20 minutes and then wash if off. This will leave
your face moistened and glowing.
4. Do an online course; skill up/re-skill
Several reputed universities are
offering free online courses. They range from public speaking to blockchain
technology and almost everything in between. Standford University’s
online.stanford.edu and MIT’s openlearning.mit.edu are among the most popular.
TED-Ed (ed.ted.com) is another
platform that has high-quality videos on various topics. There are many other
online learning websites that charge you for the courses, but it may be worth
the time and money. Check out sites like Udemy, Skillshare, Coursera, and
others. Some human resource departments of companies are asking their employees
to skill-up during the lockdown. Try to go back to your office with skill-sets
that may serve you in the future.
5. Start a blog
This could be a great time to
build your audience, especially if you have relatively cheap, indoor hobbies
that you can share.
Interest in pastimes like cooking
and board games has shot up over recent weeks – if your hobbies are trending, why not set up a blog and share your knowledge? You can set up a WordPress
account and blog for free, and take it from there.
6. Meditate
Meditation and mindfulness
doesn’t just help people stay calm – practitioners around the world rely on it
to help them focus, remain present, and appreciate what they have.
It’s a simple concept that can be
hard to master, but you can start now, at home, and see if it works for you.
7. Improve your communication skills
Worried that being home by
yourself is eroding your communication skills?
You can actually improve them
while you’re at home to help you smooth over workplace tensions, excel at group
work, and add in-demand soft skills to your CV.
8. Read or listen to a book
If your new year’s resolution was
to read more, you can definitely achieve that this year.
You can finally tackle the huge
stack of novels next to your bed or (if your bedside is actually pretty tidy)
you can find something interesting on Many Books. If you prefer audio books,
try out Audible for free.
9. Don't get too comfortable
Not to be the bearer of bad news,
but as a global society, we can't say for certain what will happen next -- if a
sudden surge in new coronavirus cases will make it necessary to reinstitute
quarantine measures, as has happened in Singapore and Hong Kong, or, worse, if
a new strain emerges.
10. Don't stop washing your hands
Of course you'll continue to
practice common hygiene, but remember that relaxed restrictions won't
necessarily mean that the coronavirus outbreak is over, even after a vaccine
eventually arrives. There may be economic reasons for schools and businesses to
reopen, while the virus continues to spread, albeit at slower rates than today.
Remember that the goal of stay at
home orders and thorough hand washing is to keep hospitals from being
overwhelmed with patients in critical condition and minimize your risk for
acquiring life-threatening symptoms.
Hopefully, the good hand-washing
habits you've acquired during this time will stick around, including longer,
more thorough washing with hand soap, and more frequently after coming into
contact with people and common surfaces.
