Stay home, they said. It will keep you safe, they said. Then when the shelter-in-place order in North Carolina was extended, your blood ran cold.
Worries about the economy tanking and your own personal woes may be gnawing at your firm resolve to stay home and avoid a COVID-19 infection.
Check out if you’re manifesting the following signs of COVID-19-related stress, as enumerated by the Centers for Disease Prevention:
- If you have a chronic health problem, it apparently has gotten worse
- Mental well-being is shot
- Couldn’t sleep nor concentrate
- Worrying about your state of health and that of others
- Increased smoking, alcohol-drinking, and use of drugs
- Irregular sleeping patterns and eating habits
Recognizing these symptoms is already half of the battle won. Now, here are some tips on coping with being cooped up at home to avoid COVID-19 infection and transmission:
Be informed – but not all the time.
When you’re up-to-date on news about the pandemic, you also develop a quick response to any COVID-19-related emergency at home. Then again, obsessing over COVID-19 updates is like having too much of a good thing.
To make sure you’re getting a healthy dose of information, choose your sources. Not every Tom, Dick, and Harry out there have the most reliable information on the coronavirus; some of them may elicit anxiety, fear, and panic. Thus, only trust in news coming from your local health authorities, the CDC, and the World Health Organization.
Sometimes, stepping away from all your media sources and just getting a good night’s sleep may be the better option. Then, you can have some coronavirus-free peace and quiet.
Stick to a routine – but not all the time.
This is another case of having too much of something good it becomes bad. A routine throws you back into a certain structure and makes you find some sense in your world again. Then again, too much structure could turn you into a mindless zombie. Remember: what we have going around at this moment is a virus, not the zombie apocalypse.
Break out of the mold every now and then by doing something you’ve never or rarely done before like engaging in a hobby. Some stay-at-home ninjas managed to keep themselves entertained with video games, puzzles, and bonding sessions with the family. Others suddenly discovered their inner chef or artist while stuck at home.
Focus on things you can do
You can’t get a haircut. You can’t see your family and friends. You can’t go to work. You can’t even order your favorite latte. Believe us, we get it. And it’s frustrating. But there’s one thing that you can do in this crisis that could protect you and everyone else in your community – and that is staying put. It’s not about trampling on your right to move around – it’s about making sure you don’t become a vessel of this coronavirus for it to spread and take many more lives.
Here are other things you can do in this situation:
- Stay away from crowded areas; but if you have to go to one, observe social distancing
- Wash your hands as often as you can
- Avoid touching your face
- Wear a face mask if you need to step out
- Avoid any kind of non-essential travel
You can also plan to make South Charlotte, NC your new home. Trust in the Valarie R. Brooks Real Estate Team to provide you with the best options of homes for sale in the area. Just give us a call at 704.488.5458 or email us at Valarie(at)ValarieRBrooks(dotted)com.