When 2022 started, I knew people who were looking into a year where the grasp of an unknown virus could finally be put to the past. Plans can now be put into motion. Transitioning into the new normal was something everyone was anticipating.
Travel has opened up between many countries, and while some don’t require quarantine periods, a handful of them still do. And here and there, some cities are still experiencing lockdown periods. I thought I’d share some of my favorite indoor activities between quarantine and lockdown periods. As you’ve probably heard many times, long quarantine periods have really affected mental health. Here are some ways we can still be healthy in mind, body, and emotions.
Healthy Things We Can Do Indoors During Quarantine
While waiting for the coast to clear, here are some activities you can do to help you make the most out of the “stay indoors” mandate.
Refrain from Obsessing Over the News
With our to-do lists reduced to limited indoor activities, following the news may be one of the most tempting things to do. However, experts also believe that being too anxious about every news placed out there can take a toll on mental health during lockdowns.
Instead of drowning ourselves in the news, we can be selective with the information we take in by only relying on trusted sources and becoming very careful with info we want to entertain. 
Start a Gratitude Journal
It’s inevitable that sudden schedule changes, the disruption of routines, staying indoors longer than usual can throw us into a spiral of anxiety. Mindfulness is one of the best remedies for anxiety, and one way to be mindful is to start a gratitude journal.
Choosing to be grateful for specific things in this time of tremendous uncertainty and fear can help us rewire our brains to learn how to live in the moment and not be too consumed with the unknowns of the future.
Communicate Early and Clearly with the People You’re Living With
Sharing a small space with people for an extended period can wear you out. Parents now have to care for kids who are supposed to be in school. Those who live with other transients in the city have to deal with cabin fever and work around new dynamics.
If you’re living with people – especially in cramped spaces – talk and set boundaries early so it won’t run you out in the weeks to come. 
Hop on the Fitness Trend Again
One of the perks of staying at home is finding more time to work out on your exercise goals. Exercising during lockdowns includes less lethargy, reduced anxiety and stress, more energy, and more happy hormones. Exercising is also an excellent way to destress and purge the toxic energy from cabin fever.
Have a Distant Reiki Healing Session
Being stuck indoors can cause us to have pent-up negative energy within us. The news coupled with stress at home and work can make you absorb more negative vibrations than usual. When this accumulated negative energy piles up, you can find yourself more exhausted, struggling to focus, losing interest in what sparks you up, making you restless, and could even affect your sleep. Distant Reiki sessions can remedy that.
You can schedule a Distant Reiki session to help you clear out some of those mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and or energetic blockages. Distant Reiki sessions are just as practical as in-person sessions. The person receiving Reiki treatment will reap all the benefits of Reiki just the same. Just as we need WIFI to connect with others globally, qualified Reiki practitioners who are skilled in Distant Reiki sessions can support you just as much as they would during an in-person appointment. And the big bonus is, if you drift off into sleep during your Reiki session, which many people do, you can fall asleep knowing that you don’t have to move an inch at all, in the comfort of your home or quarantine hotel.
Extend a Helping Hand
Service is a powerful oxytocin-making machine. Oxytocin, the hormone that helps us feel warm and fuzzy inside – is the chemical that works when we volunteer to assist someone, give goods freely, or offer support when they need it the most.
Service produces oxytocin, and oxytocin allows us to dispel the gray feelings that can easily come when in isolation.
Hong Kong is home to local volunteer groups that you can contact and see how you can get involved while being stuck indoors. And if they don’t, maybe you can prepare care bags full of necessities such as toothbrushes, clean tissues, disinfecting wet wipes or hand sanitizer, alcohol sprays, utensils, etc., that you can hand out to those in need when you’re able to hit the streets again. You’ll really be putting time into good use!
Start a New Hobby
Have you always had something in mind that you’ve wanted to pursue for years? Yoga? Pilates? Painting? Calligraphy?
Now that we are more encouraged to stay at home, we can once again pursue hobbies that get lost in the hustle and bustle of our regular routines. By the end of your quarantine period or lockdown, we can already call ourselves experts in one more hobby by the end of your quarantine period or lockdown.
Read A Good Book
There’s nothing like putting your phone and other notification devices aware and reading a good book. With a good book to get lost in and your favorite beverage, time will fly by. 
Take Long Walks (If Allowed During Partial Lockdowns)
With deserted streets, the empty pavements serve as a perfect place where you can take long, serene walks. Walking is great for the mind as it allows you to be present at the moment. Taking long walks also lowers anxiety and stress, which lowers blood pressure and cortisol levels. This activity is also free. If you’re not able to walk outside, then walk around the house. Bet you didn’t know how many steps it takes from your front door to the further part of your living space; I sure didn’t!
Restrictions vary from city to city, so make sure to check local news for information on time blocks where you can go out. 
Remind Yourself That This Too Shall Pass
Even the most stressful periods will end. Make the most of this time indoors, dedicate it to something to make it more meaningful. Set goals if you want to achieve something during this period. Make it fun if you will because why not? Getting caught up in the what if’s of the future can be overwhelming, so take it one step at a time, one day at a time, reminding yourself that this challenging time will soon pass.
Work this time for our own good. You need to spend your days sulking. With the right activities, you can emerge from the lockdowns stronger, better, and happier than before.
