The Quarantine Quronicals
By Mark Lynn, co-owner of Bay Functional Fitness and The Golden Bull, personal trainer
It’s very common for athletes to refer to what they’re doing and the intensity of it as ‘suffering.’ They might say they were able to dig really deep and make themselves suffer after a grueling training session or race. I once had a sports psychologist ask me, “Were you able to stop whenever you wanted to?” I answered incredulously, “Yes. Of course.” He then told me that I was not, indeed, suffering.
True suffering is a condition that we have no control over. If you can decide immediately to change your circumstance, then you are voluntarily inconvenienced. Let that hit home. Our collective condition of weathering a global pandemic is largely out of our hands in terms of things we can actually do to affect the pandemic other than our shelter-in-place mandates. Without being too dramatic, this is one time in many of our lives that we could qualify as suffering. We must acknowledge that. This is traumatic and we should navigate our current lives as such.
Be kind to yourself and your quarantine mates.
If you wake up and are unmotivated to be productive, that’s okay. You’ve likely never been isolated involuntarily. While it seems intuitive that this free time would afford opportunities for productivity that is not usually available, these are weird circumstances. It’s hard to be productive with so little certainty. Try to pick one thing to get done each day. Getting that one thing completed will often lead to inspiration for further productivity. DO NOT beat yourself up. That’s definitely not productive. When you are kind to yourself, you will, in turn, be kind to your quarantine mates whether they be partners, roommates, or extended family. Give people slack and ask that slack be given to you. This is hard for everyone. Irritability is high. Take a step back and be kind.
Exercise—Move your body!
Go outside and walk/run (6 feet from others, of course). Jump rope. Get yourself a home strength training routine. YouTube is a workout video haven. Exercise does wonders for mental health, which often suffers under these conditions. It doesn’t have to be much. Just move. Have that be the one thing you get done. I bet afterward doing other things will seem less daunting.
Don’t read the news all day.
It’s easy to scour the internet all day searching for the latest on COVID-19 and what’s being done to get us back to normal ASAP. Nothing can be more anxiety-inducing than that. With so many resources available, some more factual than others, you could literally waste all of your time deciphering information. Spend an hour maximum per day educating yourself on our current situation. Get in and get out. Then go exercise. Don’t exacerbate anxiety in an attempt to be informed.
Get sleep—but not too much!
Getting adequate sleep is essential for boosting your immune system. Make sure you get plenty of sleep. On the other hand, sleeping too much is a sign of depression, even if you’re not a typically depressed person. Get up. Move. Exercise. Energy begets energy. If there is a day that you need to give in, give in. Be kind to yourself, but make sure you self monitor. If you are depressed, acknowledge that. Take steps to elevate your mood*. Get the right amount of sleep to where you’re rested and energized, not so much that you’re sluggish and mired.
Hang out with friends
What!? How!? Yes, hang out with friends—virtually! There are many free video conference platforms. I was skeptical at first as I don’t even like talking on the phone with people, but after the first hang out with friends, I was sold. We joked. Had a drink. Talked about our respective situations, commiserated, consoled, as well as cheered each other on. Keeping those connections and stemming the isolation is important! It’s easy to let those things go. Make an effort. Reach out to your friends and family if they’re not reaching out to you. Do this!
While it may sound cliché to say, we truly are all “suffering” together. This isn’t going to last forever, however. Keep that in mind. We will be on the other side sooner than later. But in the meantime, be kind. Exercise. Be informed, but not obsessively. Sleep plenty, but not too much. See your friends and family; technology is our friend.
See you soon!
*Please note that if you are clinically depressed, be sure to seek help from your mental health provider.