4 Distractions to Get Through Social Isolation During COVID-19

As humans, I would argue, the thing we resist the most is change. And during a quarantine lockdown, we’ve been experiencing a lot of it. Isolation, working from home, joblessness—all things that are hard to adjust to during a regular course of a year, but now are hitting everyone and all at once. Sure, the only thing constant in the world is change, but this change comes with feelings of guilt and dread, and for some, worse mental illness symptoms.

The opposite of change, I would argue, is finding a new normal. Creating new habits and finding a way to be productive despite everything around us shifting.

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! Our brains are hard-wired to do that, so in a normal situation, we know what to avoid. But currently, that is overwhelmingly everything.

A typical list like this might include watching TV or journaling your feelings, but I wanted to offer up things that will altogether distract your mind from what’s outside, focusing instead on something new.

1. Join a new community

There are thousands of live content creators streaming on Mixer, Twitch, Facebook Gaming, and elsewhere, who are working hard to offer a distraction. If you have a hobby, chances are someone is demonstrating it on the internet, and with live interaction.

Head on over to such streams, and you’ll find that each also includes a bustling community whose members already have something in common with you. You can chat with these folks and the streamer, exposing yourself to new opinions and thoughts from people all over the world. It is not only a great distraction, but it is certain to keep you feeling socially connected, and thus less lonely. We’re already all isolated, so letting yourself to stay alone instead of actively connecting with others is not a great way to feel better emotionally.

Don’t want to hang in a live stream? Too shy? Check out the millions of Facebook groups that are out there instead. Maybe now’s the time to find an awesome subreddit, and for that matter, figure out Reddit.

“But,” you say, “I don’t have the emotional bandwidth to connect with anyone right now”. That’s ok. Try this instead.

2. Craft it up!

Make something. Maybe finally open up a YouTube tutorial on knitting and go for it. Perhaps you have always wanted to paint a birdhouse or fill in that coloring book you got from your aunt two Christmases ago. This is especially essential for people who need to see something tangible as a result of their work.

Maybe walk around the house doing all the things you’ve always meant to do, wipe the baseboards, learn how to fix that leak in the tub, or play the ukulele. If you’re an avid crafter already, you can also take this time to organize all of your ribbons and stickers (finally).  

Knitting needles, wooden birdhouses, and screwdrivers are not considered essential needs by the way, which means that they should be easy enough to order from Amazon or another online retailer.

3. Exercise

An object in motion stays in motion. But I also say a sitting object is likely going to keep sitting. Once I am cozy under a blanket, it feels impossible to get up even to walk my dog, let alone do some crunches.

Start small. Maybe do some pushups. Maybe create a pushup challenge for yourself. Start with just one a day, then two, then three, see how far you can get by the end of this isolation period. Yogi? Now’s the time to finally figure out how to do a handstand/headstand.

Not sure how to do any of these things? You guessed it. Back to YouTube you go! There are some excellent channels like Yoga With Adrienne and P90x, just waiting for you to find the motivation to start.

4. Learn self-care

Meal prepping, canning, painting your nails. These are all things I personally never usually have time to do. Go online and type in “ideas for self-care.” Now skip all the articles trying to sell you stuff and get some ideas. This might be the moment you finally order that weighted blanket or take a long bubble bath everyone is always toting about.

Don’t know what self-care means to you? Now is the perfect time to try out things and see what makes you feel a bit better. Then, make a list of these things and refer to them whenever you are feeling low.

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The point of these exercises isn’t to pretend that the world isn’t imploding. It’s just that there is only so much information and negative news we can take before we break down.

And before you get nervous because you must know the happenings around the world, you likely would not have gotten to this overwhelming point while remaining completely ignorant. Give yourself a break from it all. The news will be there when you’re done.