During this time of quarantine, many people have been stuck at home due to social distancing. Some may find themselves lying on their bed all day watching their phone or computer, others may spend time completing homework and assignments from online classes. Even though we are staying home all day, these few weeks have been very stressful, especially for students who may have AP exams and finals coming up. For those who are feeling stressed and tired from this quarantine, here are a few tips to de-stress and feel more refreshed.
Staying at home all day is a hard task, especially as the weather has been getting hotter. There are many ways to spend time at home to destress without going outside. Many people started posting easy baking recipes to make during the quarantine. Baking cookies or small cakes can not only help pass time, but also can be a fun and enjoyable way to spend time at home. If you need an activity to kill time, there are many puzzles you can buy online or apps with easy games to help destress during the quarantine. Another way to relax is doing arts and crafts like painting. In addition, step by step “How to paint” tutorials can be found all over the internet, which can help when first starting to learn how to paint. Trying new things during the quarantine can help you find a new hobby or interest.
To stay healthy over these few weeks, exercising is a great way to stay fit and continue destressing. There are many exercising techniques that can be done at home without any machines. A great resistance exercise is the plank. If you want to work on toning your arms, push-ups and bicep curls can be the perfect exercise. Other activities that can help you stay healthy are squats, lunges, and sit-ups. If you are feeling stressed, meditating or stretching at home can be another way to stay mentally healthy. Just sitting down for a few minutes and taking deep breaths can significantly reduce your stress level. If you are feeling confined at home, just opening your window and looking outside can be a great way to relax. Using these methods to exercise can help you remain more calm and focused over this time of isolation.
During this quarantine, it can be difficult to stay focused on your priorities and keep connections with your peers. Trying out new things like painting, photography, or a new instrument can definitely help you relax. Spending this time to concentrate on yourself and addressing your needs is important during this time. Even though it is hard to not be stressed during these few weeks, using these techniques I hope you can spend time to destress and relax over this time of social distancing.
Rachel Lee, 10th Grade
The Science Academy STEM Magnet
