The Philippines has recently entered more than 100 days of quarantine, making it the longest quarantine period in the world. People are now experiencing a profound burden of extreme self-isolation that can lead to what experts call “Quarantine Fatigue.”Quarantine fatigue leaves us with a growing sense of non-productivity, repetitiveness, loss of many things in our old life, and loss of excitement and newness in our day.Despite being faced with uncertainty, learning to cope with it is possible. Here are some things you can do:
1. Set Short-Term Goals
These uncertain times could result in the feeling of being out of control. To prevent this, identify an activity that's within your control. You can set short-term goals such as cleaning out your closet, doing ten push-ups per day, or reading a non-COVID-19 related article. These can provide a sense of accomplishment that can help you deal with uncertainty.
2. Acknowledge Your Negative Feelings
Sometimes in our efforts to cope, we tend to cover it up with positivity and ignore our frustrations and sadness. If you acknowledge and validate these feelings, it will provide relief and reduce the power these feelings have over you.Now is also an excellent time to practice journaling. By the end of the week, take 15 to 20 minutes to read each entry. You can also take time to vent out to a friend or family member to avoid feeling alone.
3. Avoid Information Overload
Being stuck at home on your phone or computer every day gives you way too much time to absorb information — both positive and negative. This can lead to information overload and can fuel your negative emotions, as most things on the internet are lately filled with bad news.Schedule some time off the internet, especially social media. You can uninstall the apps to prevent temptation. During your downtime, you can do something else, like watch a movie or series, clean your room, or get some sunlight by a window.
4. Make Time for Your Personal Life
Working from home might blur the boundaries between work and life. As you continue with the remote work setup, remember to keep a personal time for yourself. It can help you avoid experiencing job burnout or losing quality time with your friends and family.You can try meditating, exercising, or reading a book if you want to shut off from the digital world for a little while. If you're feeling a little social, you can organize a game night with your friends or have a Netflix binge party with your family.
5. Follow a Routine
Because of the uncertainty of the duration of the quarantine period, it has become a necessity to form a new routine to help you get through each day. But following a routine is not as easy as it sounds. It needs acceptance, discipline, and determination.For a task to become a routine, you have to successfully do it for 90 days (approx. 3 months) without fail. The best way to achieve this is to plan out your days and commit to a schedule. This includes sleeping and waking up at the same time so that your body can adjust quickly.With these tips, you can prevent experiencing quarantine fatigue. Let's continue to hope that we'll soon get through this pandemic and return to our normal lives.
