<p>Almost all of us, currently, are involved in some kind of lockdown or quarantine. Although it’s a necessary evil, to prevent the contagion from spreading further, isolation can have a huge impact on our mental health. There are several peer-reviewed studies that report a number of <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30460-8/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">psychological effects, including post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger</a>. However, right now, there are things you can do to take control and look after your mental health during self-isolation during Covid-19.</p>
<h2>Differentiate The Days, But Establish A Routine</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="999" height="666" src="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/Freelancer-Time-Drawing-1.jpg" alt="How Make the Most of Self-Isolation During COVID-19" class="wp-image-10562" title="How Make the Most of Self-Isolation During COVID-19" srcset="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/Freelancer-Time-Drawing-1.jpg 999w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/Freelancer-Time-Drawing-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/Freelancer-Time-Drawing-1-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 999px) 100vw, 999px" /><figcaption>Stick to your schedule.</figcaption></figure>
<p>We are all creatures of habit. We like our breakfasts to be the same, and we eat lunch and dinner at similar times every day. But at the same time, we wouldn’t want to have sushi two days in a row (well…most of us anyway!). We hate Mondays, and often look forward to the weekend. The thing about quarantine is, if you don’t establish a routine, the days will start to blend into one another. If you’re not working from home, you might find it hard to know what day it is, as every day can feel like a weekend. So, create your own at-home routine: Try dressing up on Mondays, having a Zoom lunch with your friends on Wednesdays, and a virtual dinner party to celebrate Fridays. Do the laundry every weekend, like you’ve always done, just to establish a bit of normalcy in your life.</p>
<h2>Move It Or Lose It</h2>
<p>It’s very tempting to just videostream or watch TV all day long. But this is a recipe for disaster!. Although in many countries you can’t take your daily “constitutional” as the Victorians did, you still have to be friendly to your future self and take care of your present self. There are a lot of exercise gurus who are taking their platform to YouTube right now, and this is the best time to learn a new regime. Don’t forget to also exercise your brain. There are plenty of free online classes that you can take, too. The prestigious <a href="https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)</a>, for example, offers virtually all of their course materials online. If that’s not your cup of tea, you can download apps like SideChef to learn how to cook, or Duolingo to learn a new language.</p>
<h2>Start A Project</h2>
<p>If you’ve been cooped up for weeks and started to get bored, start a project. You can <a href="https://www.trueprofile.io/member/resources/writing-a-journal-can-help-you-cope-with-stress" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">write a journal</a>, cook your way through that recipe book like that movie Julie & Julia, or renovate your room. You can even try to learn a new language! What’s important is that you set a goal and alleviate boredom. </p>
<h2>Hold Out For Hope</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="634" src="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/Black-Woman-Facing-Horizon-1.jpg" alt="How Make the Most of Self-Isolation During COVID-19" class="wp-image-10563" title="Self Quarantine Sanity" srcset="https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/Black-Woman-Facing-Horizon-1.jpg 1000w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/Black-Woman-Facing-Horizon-1-300x190.jpg 300w, https://production-prod-trueprofile-blogassets-origin.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/03/Black-Woman-Facing-Horizon-1-768x487.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>
<p>Go on with your life like before because there’s an end to this. If you have been looking forward to working abroad, like many of our readers, things are looking bright for you. Employers worldwide are clamoring for healthcare professionals and some are offering juicy compensation packages. As medical workers, you are exempted from most travel restrictions and are even welcomed by many countries. Don’t let this quarantine derail your plans. Prepare your documents by getting them <a href="https://www.trueprofile.io/member/resources/why-you-should-verify-your-documents-now" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">verified ahead of time</a> so that you are ready to get employed as soon as possible!</p>
<h3>Get ready to boost your career once quarantine is over. Get your <a href="https://trueprofile.io/member/register" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TrueProof</a> now!</h3>
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