Re-entry anxiety is about feeling worried or stressed about leaving lockdown life and being ‘out there’ again.
At the start, many people were feeling stressed about staying at home all the time. And it’s not just about being cooped up at home and being bored. Worries about one’s job and livelihood are all too real and valid concerns.
However, now that social distancing rules are easing up, many people are worried about leaving the safety of their homes.
What To Do About Re-Entry Anxiety
Accept That Post-Pandemic Anxiety is OK
Don’t think that your stress is unfounded. It is.
We all know that COVID-19 (coronavirus) still exists. It’s not yet completely eliminated. So that anxiety you feel about going out and leaving the safety of your home is a valid concern.
Accept that things have changed and things won’t be the same as before – at least not for a while yet – and that’s OK!
Continue Practicing Safe Hygiene
The fear is real but there’s comfort in the fact that you can PREVENT contacting the illness by following the same guidelines as before.
Maintain a safe distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Avoid touching your face.
Wash your hands frequently. Use soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub.
Define Your Own ‘New Normal’
Don’t let post-lockdown fear prevent you from living your life. Don’t isolate yourself because of fear. Instead, stay involved with activities that you enjoy!
True, there may be some ‘modifications’ needed but so what? You should still live your life to the fullest.
For example, say you used to eat out with your group of girlfriends at least once a week. Post-pandemic, you can still eat out… but make it a one-on-one affair.
You might just surprise yourself at how much more you get to know your friend now that there’s just the two of you. 🙂
Reflect On How Social Distancing Has Changed You
Another way to ease your re-entry stress is to reflect on the POSITIVE effects lockdown life has had on you and how to move forward with those reflections.
BFF Member Zia says she’s fallen in love with home-cooking again.
“We were always so busy! Dinner was always a rushed affair. Quick cook or takeout, quick eat, and that’s it. During the lockdown, I found myself more and more in the kitchen… and loving it! It really made me and my husband ask ourselves… WHY were we not doing this before?!? We find so much pleasure in cooking and eating well that we vow to continue prioritizing it.”
=== BeFinallyFit is not just about physical health but mental health too. With articles such as the above, we hope to help not just our members but anyone who seeks assistance, clarity, or just a sounding board during these trying times. However, details and recommendations about this pandemic may have changed since publication. For the most updated information on COVID-19, please check out resources such as the WHO.
As we continue to spend more hours at home, here are a few tips to survive lockdown boredom.
Lockdown boredom is REAL, y’all!
As the coronavirus continues to dominate our lives, we find ourselves spending more time indoors than we ever thought we would. And as expected, boredom starts to set in.
However, let’s clarify one thing first…
Boredom is NOT the absence of things to do.
You may think that you’re bored because you have nothing to do at home but that’s not really the case.
According to John Eastwood, an associate professor at the department of psychology at York University (YU) in Toronto, Canada, boredom is that “uncomfortable feeling of wanting but being unable to engage in satisfying activity“.
Boredom is the absence of ‘wanting to do anything’.
Eastwood should know; he has been studying boredom for almost 20 years and manages the YU’s Boredom Lab. “The bored person knows there are things to do. The problem is they can’t muster up an actionable desire.”
So boredom is not that you have nothing to do, you just can’t seem to find the ‘desire’ to do anything.
Boredom is the absence of ‘clarity’.
When there are a lot of things – big and small – around us, the absence of clarity, either in the form of a ‘list’ or an ‘action plan’, prevents us from acting on that thing.
And so, without further ado, here’s a quick list of things to do while on ‘lockdown life’.
Top 10 Things to Do to Survive Boredom At Home
1 Call Him/Her
Remember that person, family or friend, you always wanted to call and just get back in touch with? Well, NOW is the time.
27 years without closure…
One friend of mine actually got in touch with an ex, NOT to try and get back together, but to ask something that has been bugging her for the past 27 years.
Almost three decades ago, she was in a relationship with him and she became pregnant. Things did not work out; they broke up; and she’s raised their daughter on her own.
She has no issues with being a single parent, but all these years she never had the courage to ask him… “WHY?”
“When I look back, it seems like he just ‘disappeared’ overnight. Not even true because our families knew each other and so over the years we would even run into each other but there was just no actual closure for me.”
“So I sat down, called him, and asked MY burning questions… was there even love? What was HIS reason for breaking up?”
“We both have wonderful families now but to me that was not the point. I just needed proper closure. I’ve always wanted to call him and have that conversation… and now I did.”
2 Pick Up a New Positive Habit
What NEW thing do you want to do that will uplift your mood and spirit?
Personally, I’ve been into yoga the past years but I’ve never really immersed myself deep into it. So that’s exactly what I did.
I checked some free yoga videos online, and then I rolled out my yoga mat and just started moving.
My routine was simple.
Wake up, do my morning bathroom rituals, make lemon water (lukewarm), roll out my yoga mat and do a 15-min routine. If I have more time, I do 30 mins.
Once I’ve more or less mastered a simple yoga sequence, it’s time to move to the next (more challenging) video.
Yep, this yoga pose needs time to achieve 🙂
Other positive habit ideas: drink more water, meditate, start a food journal, begin a self-grooming ritual (bath+hair+nails+skin) an afternoon every week, make a list of ‘one thoughtful act of kindness’ you can do for someone (e.g., bake cookies for Mary, cook a stew for Anna, babysit one afternoon for Juliet, donate $1 to a charity you like, etc.)
3 Go Through Your Closet
Open your wardrobe closets and (1) find what you haven’t worn in the past three years, (2) find what no longer fits, (3) find what’s no longer in fashion, and (4) find what no longer suits your age. (I know, this last one can be brutal! hahaha)
Put that all in one pile and sort what to throw and what to donate.
I promise, at the end of this endeavor, you’ll feel LIGHTER.
4 De-clutter? Re-fresh? Remodel? Renovate?
You don’t need to give your house a complete makeover, girl! Just do this one step OR room at a time.
For example, during these self-quarantine days, does everyone seem to be in the living room? If yes, then… look at your bedroom or kitchen first!
Seriously, it’s much easier to tackle a room where there’s no one there right? 🙂
Ok, say you chose your bedroom; first thing to do is de-clutter. Here’s my personal rule of thumb: if I’m not using it or it has no actual purpose, it goes in the box (storage).
After you’ve cleared some stuff away, what do you think could re-fresh the room? New bed sheets? If you don’t want to buy new sheets, that’s perfectly fine!
Just mix and match your current sheets. For example, use the dark blue pillow cases of one set with your white cotton sheets, all up to you!
Other ideas: put a big plant (or few small ones) in a corner, take down the painting that’s been hanging forever and swap with another one if you have other artwork, or simply re-paint one wall (it’s called having an accent wall!), change the lighting, put a big mirror, use linen spray, etc.
A plant in the bedroom looks great AND helps with air quality.
You can stop at this or go big and bold and completely re-paint or wallpaper your room. You can renovate and add a small bathroom. Again, all up to you.
5 Try a New Recipe / Try to Meal Prep
One thing’s for sure, lockdown life has sent many people into their kitchens. I say, embrace it!
This is the perfect time to learn a new recipe (or why not a whole new cuisine?), know how to bake, and discover the joys and health benefits of meal prepping!
6 Explore INDOOR Fitness
Unearth all those late-night fitness equipment purchases you’ve made… but never used.
Seriously though, you DO NOT need to go out to get fit. The internet is your best friend here because there are literally THOUSANDS of free online fitness workouts you can follow indoors.
7 Read a Book
Many of us own a stack of books we’ve been wanting to read for some time now. Well, guess what? NOW is that time.
If you want to take this a step further, then why not read something that will enhance your CV?
Invest in furthering your education by reading or learning something that will improve your skills.
8 Prepare an Emergency Home Spa Kit
You know this won’t last forever. Sooner or later, we will all go ‘back to the grind’ and you’ll be yeeeeeearning for those lazy days at home. So prepare for that moment by having a ‘spa kit’ ready.
In a box, put some scented candles, scented oil, a special loofah, a face mask, a hair mask, and anything else you may need to de-stress.
9 Start a Veggie Garden in Your Kitchen
These days have re-awakened my desire to grow my own vegetables again. And you don’t even need so much space! You can grow veggies just using jars and placing them in a sunny spot in your kitchen.
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I’ve Got Kids!
Now, you may be thinking that the 10 tips to beat lockdown boredom above is all well and good but… I HAVE KIDS!
Inside our BFF Member’s Area, we’ve asked mommies what has helped them during this time and they said it was majorly important to establish a daily routine of some sort, especially if you have young kids.
“My kids get a kick crossing off whatever is on the ‘schedule’ for the day. And I like involving them in creating the sched for the next day so win-win.” – BFF Mommy Lannie
Sample self-quarantine schedule for kids 🙂
Experiencing boredom is normal during these social distancing / self-quarantine / lockdown life times and giving in to a day of doing ‘totally nothing’ is OK.
Just don’t let ‘doing nothing’ become a habit because this can impact your mind and body negatively.
So whenever you feel ‘stumped’ on what to do, just take a quick look on the anti- lockdown boredom list above, ok? 🙂
