15 ways on how to relieve stress during coronavirus isolation

April 25, 2020 Caitlin Shogren

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It’s been about a month into my coronavirus isolation, and, I don’t know about you, but I’m fairly stressed regularly.

Now, I do have mild to moderate anxiety, so I can become easily stressed in unknown situations. The coronavirus has been an unprecedented event for many people, even with some of the predictions and historic events surrounding pandemics. Most people alive have not survived through a pandemic or responded to a pandemic.

If you’re like me, you could seem fairly normal on the outside, in everyday life, but still, be internalizing many stressors.

This is not a healthy, nor an effective, solution to your problems. You might need a few recommendations for easy to find resources or activities to help your anxiety that doesn’t revolve around a television.

Any of these activities could take you between five to thirty minutes to lessen your stress during your isolation period. If you are feeling overwhelmed, try one of the activities or resources first, and then return to try something else.

Scents

Scents play a fairly large part in keeping you calm and relaxed. These scents especially revolve around soothing and relaxation.

Lavender

Lavender is well known to promote stress relief and relaxation. I prefer to smell lavender, however, you can mix it into certain baked goods as well.

You might find the best lavender products to be candles, lotions or washes, or oils. Whether you have it every once in a while or daily in the shower, lavender is known to be one of the most soothing scents for many people.

Citrus

I love citrus scents and routinely look for them in perfumes and body washes. It’s sharp enough to keep me alert but it has a calming quality that reflects being outside. The faint scent of citrus is great to keep focused throughout your workday at your makeshift workplace in your home.

Citrus can be in a variety of scents. Lemon, lime, and orange are the most common types found in scented products. If you’re needing help to focus, try cleaning with some lemon scents or having some orange juice throughout the morning.

Mint

Besides giving you fresh breath, mint is a great scent to keep your focus. You might eat a mint, but adding the scent also helps your brain to retain focus and stay calm in stressful situations, especially if you have routine or spontaneous teleconferences during coronavirus isolation.

Usually mint is an additive with another scent. It can be paired with a variety of scents, including the two above, but it’s calming benefits help. I’d probably try to find it in your bath products or oils.

Food and drink

First, take a drink of water and remind yourself when you’ve had some vegetables. Then limit your caffeine, fried, and sweets throughout the week. This will help you from heightening your stress and anxiety levels.

If you are still stressed, try one of these other digestible items.

Apple Cider Vinegar

I think apple cider vinegar is a great bedtime helper. I learned of this trick when I was going through the death of my dad. I learned about adding apple cider vinegar to a glass of water, about two tablespoons are all you need, to help settle your stomach.

Essentially, apple cider vinegar is great in helping acid reflux, which tends to flare up when stressed. Coronavirus is stressful for everyone, no matter your circumstances, and isolation isn’t great for anyone either. And you can now have apple cider vinegar gummies, if you can’t handle the taste.

Gum

If you are working throughout the day, remotely or in the office due to coronavirus, gum strips are a good way to keep focused and relieve stress. Pop in a piece for a few minutes and then continue with your task for the day.

Most gums come in a variety of flavors, and some with low-calorie options. Try finding some with citrus or mint flavors to add a sense of alertness. Doing the habitual, repetitive motion of chewing gum helps you focus on something other than the task at hand.

Tea

There are many benefits of having tea, either in the morning or the night. You can take tea at either time or both. Tea’s effects are dependent on drinking certain types during certain times of the day.

I would highly recommend some chamomile tea before bed to stay calm and promote sleep while green tea is a great way to have the most similar boost to coffee in the morning with more benefits. Teas tend to have many different benefits that will help you through this isolation in various ways.

Activities

There are lots of activities that don’t require a bunch of room or equipment to be helpful to your health. Most of my preferred activities don’t even require screen time. Attempt one of these activities if you need a moment of zen in your daily routine.

Read a book

You might be a bit tired of Netflix after a month in isolation, so pick up a book to unwind rather than turning on the TV. It doesn’t matter if it’s a classic favorite or a new novel or maybe even an audiobook, just pick up a book that catches your eye.

I favor this stress-relieving activity because, even if I’m stressed, I can still be productive. I can learn more about the industry I’m in or become more self-aware without having to physically do anything at the time. My next splurge at the book store is going to be Joy at Work by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein.

Take a bath or shower

Taking a hot bath or shower is my go-to when I’m fairly stressed but I’m paralyzed when confronted to do something about it. Surrounding yourself with steam and warm water helps relax your muscles and eases any tension you might be feeling.

Whether you are alone or with others during isolation, having some alone time in the bathroom might be limited but also some of the own time to have a sense of reprieve. Try to find pleasant or relaxing scents to help calm and relax you.

Listen to music

I’ve been surrounded by music for most of my life. My taste in music can reflect my moods and energy throughout the day, similar to many people. It can range from listening to Eminem to classical music throughout my workday at home and longer.

Some of the best advice I’ve heard regarding listening to music during work is to listen to video game music. It helps you stay focused on your tasks throughout the day. In contrast, you might listen to classical music if you are trying to go to bed.

Exercise

Staying indoors can impact your exercise routine, especially if you’re reliant on a gym or class to get your daily 30 minutes of activity in. Each of these activities requires no or few pieces of equipment and has a plethora of videos to search through on YouTube or your preferred search method.

Yoga

Despite if you believe you are flexible, yoga is a great exercise. Yoga teaches you to learn deep breathing and focusing techniques. While the main component is exercising, yoga still has a variety of benefits for everyone.

Yoga also doesn’t take much equipment or space. If you have a yoga mat or a block to help stretch and to keep your balance, it could help you exercise more effectively but it isn’t necessary if you want to start and try yoga during isolation.

Dancing

Have you heard the saying, “Dance like no one is watching?” This is the best time to take that saying in its literal sense. Isolation means no one can judge you and you can dance to whatever you want.

You don’t even have to do this for a very long duration. I would suggest dancing in quick durations throughout the day. Maybe pick your favorite songs and play one of them every hour so you can get up and bounce about for three to five minutes every hour.

Outdoor Activities

Vitamin D is important to maintain our health and the best way to get is to go outside and get sunshine. If you are in a shelter in place location, you might have the luxury to exercise out of doors. If you do, employ social distancing but also try to get 30 minutes of outdoor activity.

Most people do some form of walking, running, or cycling while outside. These activities require less contact with equipment than other activities, so it’s easier to do whenever is convenient for you.

If you can’t go outdoors for exercise, try to find a window or balcony around you to be near the sunshine. It’s not a prime replacement, but it can help in a pinch. Try to open your windows to get some fresh air if you feel safe to do so.

Habits

Sometimes you might just need to develop a new habit to destress and relax during the coronavirus isolation period. A new normal means a new way of doing things. Establishing these habits will help you stay calm in your everyday routine.

Maintaining a Routine

Creating a daily routine will help you stay calmer throughout your day. While your day to day responsibilities might change, in terms of an additional teleconference or a new deadline to meet at the end of the day, you can still make and maintain a reasonable daily schedule.

Try to stay consistent with your previous routine before isolation but, if that’s not possible, figure out where you can and what you can adapt in your new environment. Learn when and where you will work, exercise, and eat throughout the day. Keeping key markers throughout your day will help divide your day into manageable parts.

Less screen time

With most of our news coming through social media and the TV, it can become exhausting watching screens for an extended amount of time. I tend to watch my computer screen for eight to ten hours a day for work but spend additional time interacting with family and friends on my phone.

There are two ways that screen time is proven to help you during isolation. Since we receive so much of our information through social media, it’s been proven effective to limit your consumption of social media to about an hour or so. Also, turning your screens off at least an hour before bed can help you stay and fall asleep.

Get enough sleep

Sleep is fairly important for your overall health. Getting enough, but not too much, sleep regularly is essential in keeping yourself healthy and stress-free.

I tend to keep my room fairly cold throughout the day but enjoy it during the night. Many people, my sister included, enjoy using a weighted blanket when they try to get to sleep. The added weight helps give the impression of a swaddle or comforting hug around you to improve relaxation and calm.

You’re day-to-day stress level can and probably does vary depending on what’s going on in your life. Whether a deep breath will help or you need some alone time, I hope each of these experiences help you, even slightly, reduce your stress and anxiety in this stressful time.