It’s strange times for everyone across the globe right now. The Coronavirus pandemic has entire nations on lockdown, with people being asked to stay at home as much as possible. Many people are unable to work; schools, restaurants and shops have closed, and it feels like a large proportion of the world has come to a standstill.

And with so many people doing their best to self-isolate whether they’ve got the virus or not, there has been a widespread concern not only about their physical health but also for the mental health of everyone being made to stay at home.

The good news is, there are some simple steps you can take to practice self care ideas while in isolation. These can help to look after your mental and physical health until life goes back to normal.

Get up and get dressed

It’s important to inject some sort of routine and normality back into your day, despite these strange times. So, it’s a good idea to get out of bed and get dressed each day. Even if you do have a lie-in, just be sure you don’t spend whole days in bed (unless of course you’re unwell and feel bed is the best place for you). And while comfy clothes are totally acceptable when you’re at home, it’s a good idea to get dressed instead of sitting around in your pajamas all day. This is going to be much better for your mental wellbeing than feeling like the days are passing you by as you lie in bed.

Keep working – if you can

If you’re able to work from home, then this will help to give you some focus and a reason to get up and get into a routine each day. Even if you can’t do your job in its entirety, even the smallest tasks such as sorting out your folders on your laptop or planning for the months ahead can be very beneficial.

Make a list of things you want to do

Now you’ve got a lot more time on your hands, it’s a nice idea to make a list of all the things you’ve been wanting to do, but rarely find the time for. For example, cleaning out your garage, starting a blog or learning Spanish. This can be a particularly good idea if you’re unable to work from home and have suddenly found yourself with very little to do.

Eat healthily

It can be tempting when you’re stuck inside and let’s face it, feeling a bit sorry for your situation, to try and make yourself feel better with junk food. While the odd chocolate bar can certainly cheer you up, it’s important that you continue to look after your body and eat healthy food as well, especially with the virus going round; you need to keep yourself as healthy as possible.

Talk to people on the phone

Just because you can’t see people face to face, it doesn’t mean you should stop communication altogether. It’s very easy to feel lonely and isolated at this time, so you need to make sure you still have human contact. Even if it is digitally. The beauty of today’s technological world is that there are so many ways you can stay in touch with friends and family during isolation. For example, WhatsApp messages, phone calls or through video apps like House Party.

Make sure you do some exercise

You can’t go to the gym or your exercise classes anymore – what are you going to do? Again, thanks to our digital world you can find plenty of ways to workout. There are literally thousands of at-home workout video tutorials on the internet and there are also dedicated workout apps if you’re looking for some more inspiration.

If you’re able to leave the house to exercise, why not go for a walk or run. Just be careful to keep your distance from others if you go to a public place like a park and of course, keep your time out to a minimum. Just enough for a good workout and to get those endorphins flowing.

Keep busy

It’s important that you keep your mind busy to keep your sanity. But within reason, of course, don’t feel like you always need to be doing something. Spend some time doing things you enjoy such as reading, blogging or binge-watching your favorite series on Netflix. And with more time on your hands, now could even be the perfect time to take up a new hobby. Have you always wanted to learn a new language or perfect your baking skills? This could be the ideal time to do it.

Keep your space clean

If you’re sitting in a cluttered, untidy house, this will eventually have an impact on your mental health and if you’re sitting in a dirty house this could have an impact on your physical health. Spend a day or two having a good clean up, deep clean the areas of your home you never get round to and have a tidy up. If you’ve been ill, especially if you have had the Coronavirus, be sure to disinfect all surfaces and ensure everything is now sanitary and safe to use once again.

Practice good hygiene

As well as ensuring the space around you is clean, it is also important that you practice good hygiene yourself. Again, especially if you’ve been ill. Continue to wash your hands frequently, particularly if you’ve been out somewhere like work or shopping. When you’re sitting around the house it can be easy to let standards slip, perhaps not showering as frequently as you would or wearing the same clothes more than you normally do. Don’t let your hygiene slip as this can have an impact on both your physical and mental health.

Also, with today’s technology, some clinics already offer consultations over the internet. So, make sure that you still regularly have a health checkup. For instance, if you need teledentistry, you can search for a term like “dentist near me staten island” and it will provide you with a list of dental experts. From there, you can check if they offer teledentistry.

Get enough sleep

Finally, make sure you’re getting enough sleep. This might seem an odd thing to say when you’re confined to your home and could sleep during the day if you wanted to. But with ongoing uncertainty, you might be feeling a little stressed. Not to mention if you haven’t got to get up to be at work, it can be easy to stay up late. But just ensure you’re getting a good night’s sleep and not staying up all night watching Netflix.