A Day in the Life: Isolation

The only way I can describe the past week is the period after Stephen’s Day when you don’t know what is happening. You are oblivious to the time, let alone the day. Everyone is cooped up inside, over-eating and binge watching re runs of films. Your mother has feebly tried to drag you on a family walk while your Dad is itching to start getting rid of the decorations that cause clutter around the house. No one knows what to do with themselves and feelings of boredom and lack of purpose start to creep up on us.

This was not how we expected our college year to end. We really did take every day social interaction for granted. Going out with friends has been swapped with family movie nights while going out for dinner has been replaced with meagre reheated dinners from the night before. We didn’t realise how much we craved heading out for a coffee. We didn’t appreciate the freedom we had. Likewise, we were unaware just how annoying our family members could be.

With Covid-19 rapidly spreading worldwide every day, social distancing is our only chance in fighting this battle. It is a small price to pay for saving the lives of others. Violent change has occurred in the daily life of a student and it will take a bit of time to adapt. With that in mind, here is my daily plan of how to maintain productivity, sanity, efficiency and everything in between during this isolation period. For those who aren’t still working in the professional world, a new routine might be just what you need to start feeling productive again. I find a schedule along the lines of the one below generally works for me.

8:30am Rise and shine: I am not a morning person in the slightest but I do find I am the most productive when I kick myself out of bed at a reasonable hour. I give myself an hour to have a shower, get changed into some comfy gym gear, have a bowl of porridge, a cup of tea and some time for aimlessly scrolling on my social media.

9:30am College Work: With Week 12 well and truly approaching, it is about time many of us started hitting the books. I find starting with a to-do list of what I want to achieve for the day is the best way to tackle the day’s tasks. Between assignments, presentations and course work to complete in the upcoming months, it is vital you keep on top of your work; you have plenty of spare time after all. I generally work for 2-3 hours daily and then attend online lectures when applicable.

12/1pm Lunch: With so much time spent at home, many of us have realised that our days really are based on what we are going to eat next. Prepare a wholesome, healthy lunch for yourself like a chicken salad, soup and brown bread or toasted sandwich. Remember to keep hydrated too.

2pm Exercise: I have found exercise to be the best way to relieve stress and trigger motivation. With working from home and with no obligations to leave the house for meetings, matches, trainings or nights out, you really don’t have an excuse not to get moving. Go for a walk or a run outside but please maintain distance from others at all times. While you’re at it, take the dog too! If you’re feeling it, follow up your outdoor activity with a home workout. With so many Youtube videos and fitness apps, there is definitely one for you. Some of my favourites are Blogilates (https://www.youtube.com/user/blogilates), Les Mills (https://www.lesmills.com/uk/) and finally, the FIIT app, available on the Apple and Playstore.

3/4pm Stay Connected: As the day progresses, remember to keep in contact with your loved ones. Video call your elderly relatives, check in with your neighbours and text your friends from home and college. During social distancing, one can begin to feel lonely and isolated, so make sure to keep checking in and looking out for each other! However, do remember to limit screen time as it can make us irritable and lazy. Read a book, make a jigsaw or clean your room as an alternative.

5/6pm Dinner: Now is your opportunity to elaborate on your cooking skills. Try out new recipes and see how many new dishes you can create during this isolation period. My favourite cooks are Jamie Oliver, Rozanna Purcell and The Happy Pear, all of which have their own social media platforms and websites, filled with delicious new recipes for you to try out.

7pm Do Something for YOU: Put all this “Me Time” to good use and do something you enjoy for a couple hours in the evening. Be it playing music, reading, baking or watching the news, give yourself some time out. Even starting to unpack some of your college thing or clearing out your wardrobe can make you feel productive. Take some photos, play with your pets… do something for you.

9pm Chill: After a day stuck at home without meeting people, it can often be hard to sleep as you may not be sufficiently tired from the day. Light the fire, grab a cosy blanket, sit on the couch and watch a film or series on Netflix to wind down. Whether you’re watching Stranger Things, Sex Education or remain a loyal, die-hard fan of FRIENDS, find something that switches you off an lets you relax before bed.

11pm Sleep: In an ideal world, we would all be getting over eight hours of sleep per night. However between work, study and everyday life, that is often impossible. With social distancing well and truly underway, now is your chance to catch up on those sleepless nights of going out and alternatively, cramming. Limit caffeine intake and screen time, and get into routine of sleeping and waking at the same time every day. It will make a significant difference to your energy and motivation levels.

We really do have to make the best of a bad situation. Keep your social distance but stay in contact! Try your very best to stay productive, but most importantly positive! Mind yourself, your mental health and remember to talk to someone if you need to.

If you are feeling down during this period of isolation and social distancing, there are numerous supports available including Samaritans (https://www.samaritans.org/ireland/samaritans-ireland/) Pieta House (https://www.pieta.ie/contact/) and Aware (https://www.aware.ie/) to name but a few.

Please take care of yourselves!!!