Challenges of Being Cooped up in Quarantine

#I_can’t_breathe. This is how most of us feel by now after months of isolation out of Coronavirus; being cooped up in quarantine at home. This quarantine; isolation; is taking its toll on all of us. We all suffer from massive trauma due to helplessness, grief, loneliness, anxiety, fear and even depression. After going through all the movies, documentaries, all the social media and eating yourself silly you need to stop and take care of yourself once again.

In this article, we offer a group of techniques that would make it easier to deal with those challenges being cooped up in quarantine.

You are made of three components as a human: body, mind and soul.

You should take care of all three aspects of your essence in order to survive this global calamity.

How to do so? … Here are some techniques and ideas:

1. Body Care in Quarantine

You’ll get so many tips online and from family members and friends on how to maintain a healthy body cooped up in quarantine.

Here are few, to the point, advice about how to take care of your body:

Eating healthy: you should eat lots of fruits veggies and a moderate amount of proteins and carbs. Also, you should cut down on wheat, salt and sugar, which is always a good idea.

You might consider dietary supplementation if you suffer deficiencies of any sort to maintain a healthy body and high immunity level.

Drink lots of fluids specially water which is vital for all your organs; two to three liters per day is exemplary.
Good night sleep is almost key to good body health in general and mental health in specific.
Do things that you kept procrastinating around the house:
- Tidy up
- Clean up
- Fix broken things
- Declutter
Sun light and fresh air are essential for your: Growth hormone, Melatonin, vitamin D optimization, your general mood, body and mental health.
Last but not least PHYSICAL EXERCISE; this is VITAL to maintain optimum general health. You should make it a part of your daily routine if you are alone. Or, you might even invite family members that you live with to join in and make it a happy time for all.

2. Mind Care in Quarantine

Having a clear head and a sound-focused mind is crucial during these troubled times. It is very easy to wallow and fall into anxiety and depression while being cooped up at home. So here are some valuable tips to keep your sanity during quarantine:

The first and most important tip is to keep busy. An empty head is a welcoming environment for worries, irrational fears, catastrophic thoughts, Satin and sins. The solution is to KEEP BUSY. Here are some ideas:
- Work online
- Learn new things
- Try new things, for example, listening to this, https://suratmp3.com/quran/reciters/2#play
- Read and / or study daily
- Schedule your days so time would not be wasted
- Avoid social media or at least limit your time on it
- Pick up a new interest
- Don’t forget to have some fun
- Explore Islam 😊
Keep your spirits up with optimism and happy thoughts. A good mood is a great immunity booster and a launching deck for all that is good.
Avoid being flooded with bad and dark news and look for the good ones as well. Actually, a sensible balance is always smart.
Engage in enjoyable activities preferably that are group activities to maintain human contact even if virtual (Online).

3. Soul Care in Quarantine

If your mind is the steering wheel of your body, your soul is the fuel of your body and mind engine; thus, take good care of your soul. Indeed, It is certainly different for each of us; no one-size-fits-all formula so, here are some suggestions:

Keep faith and certainty that there is always wisdom behind everything that happens. Indeed, life is a trial that we each are going through whether we liked it or not, one should get smart and deal.
Maintain your worship and connection to your Creator. Believers have as much endorphins and serotonin in their brains as athletes; that is a scientific fact.
Peace and contentment: these will be attainable only if one had both faith and worship covered. Being certain that you have The Defender “God” at your back is a relief and it is Belief.

Muhammad PBUH the last Messenger of God said:

How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him.” [Muslim] (1)

Strengthening family ties: working on your relationships with family members is the best you can do for yourself.

Anas b. Malik reported:

I heard Allah’s Messenger PBUH as saying:

He who is desirous that his means of sustenance should be expanded for him or his age may be lengthened, should join the tie of relationship” [Muslim] (2)

For those without family, friends, or a supportive community; loneliness and even a sense of abandonment may be overwhelming. Although social connections via the internet are often helpful, they are no substitute for the embrace of a friend or loved one. Indeed, we all should lend a helping hand or show affection and sympathy to all fellow humans in time of need; even virtually for the time being.

Maintain hope and optimism always, because a dark soul is the shortest way to weak body and mind. Look for good news and share glad tidings; be the fellow you aspire to have.

To conclude,

No one can say it’s easy being Cooped up in Quarantine but one should make the best of every situation.

Hence, take care of your body, mind and soul and even better take care of your own people. Giving is the best way to receive.

Resort to Him:

Allah – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.” Qur’an [2:255] (3)

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