7 Ways To Live Better During (And After) The Quarantine

So, are we all in agreement that life is a bit suckier and a lot scarier than usual at the moment?

Yep, thought so. In the absence of any tangible reassurance — from politicians, businesses and journos (though I empathise with the latter) — on the state of the world post-quarantine, I thought I’d delve into some wild speculation on how we can make things suck just a little bit less during and after the Covid-19 shockwave.

And, I promise, my 15-step plan will not include the words “side-hustle”. Not even once.

1. Cut it out with the fucking individualism already.

Look, I get how, at a time when self-isolation is practically mandatory, we can all turn inward and focus on our own individual prosperity over others’ safety. And, in a society where we’ve been trained to compete since nursery, it’s even more tempting.

But nobody is getting out of this unscathed and your fucking wall of toilet paper will not protect you from Covid or losing your job. Maybe, if we start thinking of ourselves as cells in an organism — bit lofty, but stay with me — we can protect and preserve resources for each other and collectively have one less thing to worry about. Put back your fifth jumbo pack and if you run out — get into the shower instead.

2. But don’t actually forget to take care of yourself.

Now, more than ever, we need to be able to top up our own glasses and let everyone else benefit from the overflow. Here are a few things self-care usually isn’t: buying unnecessary shit; ignoring your daily chores in favour of a nap; vegging out.

Here’s what self-care can look like: Ignoring the urge to spiral into anxiety. Cooking a nice meal. Making your space comfortable and welcoming. Switching off the news for most of the day. Making a shoping list of actual necessities. Playing your favourite song/band/album on repeat. Mood. lighting. Calling a friend (or 10, thanks Houseparty) for a chat. Speaking of which…

3. Call your friends.

Or your mum. Or your nan. Or whoever you’ve been meaning to call for ages. Let them vent and actually listen. Try to get out of your own head by getting into someone else’s. Connection is vital during this time. Bonus points if your designated phone-a-friend is someone who might be having a harder time in isolation or a vulnerable friend with limited access to the outside world. Oh, and tell your nan I said hi.

4. Drink water.

This one’s a reminder to myself, really. Turns out even being within six feet of the tap can’t make me stick to my daily 8 cups. If you’re like me, here’s your reminder.

5. Volunteer if you can.

If you’ve got the time to give, certain businesses can really use it right now. Even if you’re not allowed outside, your skills can be really useful to your favourite local charity. Start a social media page for your local foodbank. Offer your time for free. Call a Red Cross chapter or a homeless shelter near you and ask what you can do, whilst adhering to the quarantine. I guarantee you, they won’t turn you away.

6. Support a local business.

If you’re able to. If you’ve got a steady income. If there’s a business you’d really like to see return after the quarantine, just buy a voucher. Start a GoFundMe. See if they could use your help marketing or just keeping things going. If you’re at the beginning of your career, this stuff looks great on a resume, but more importantly, it can give you purpose and direction during a weird moment in history.

7. Organise.

There’s no way to get around this: we were fundamentally unprepared for this. The pandemic caught us all by surprise and has made apparent flaws in society that were previously glaringly obvious to the most vulnerable among us, but easily ignored by everyone else — myself included.

The best-case scenario after this is over, imo, would be for all of us to be more socially and politically engaged. Supporting our local libraries. Hosting food and blood drives. Volunteering for town halls and council committees and affecting change on a local level.

Look, the truth is, I don’t know how we recover from this. And, behind the steady smiles and practiced speeches, I’m not sure the people on TV do either. So what we will need to do, as soon as possible, is work together to figure it out.

Stay safe, everyone. We’ll make it through this.