I wanted to create a list of things that can be easily done for those of us who are looking to make this quarantine period productive, especially for those who struggle with depression and anxiety when motivation is fleeting. It’s so hard not to focus on the bad stuff!

In this blog, I detail ideas my community and I came up with during one of my live streams for things to do during quarantine to avoid COVID-19 panic and feeling cabin fever.

Although I am extremely fortunate in my life right now with how my family understands my mental health challenges, my prior family would shame me for being “needy” or “too sensitive" making it important that I made my self-care inconspicuous. That’s why I wanted to offer a list of gifts that are incredible on their own, but great discrete mental health helpers too.

“You just need to get out more,” is not a solution to mental illness. That is not how our minds work. Unbalanced chemicals and similar issues will remain with you, no matter where you are. Yes, getting out there helps your mind reach new spaces, and for some, might even be the long-needed jolt, but that is by far, not the case for all.

Since I had been a kid, I always had a fairly easy time sticking up for other people. If someone was getting made fun of, I would gently speak up that the comment or verbal “poking fun” was hurtful.