With the recent coronavirus outbreak, many are in self-isolation with advice from the UK government.
As a freelancer, working from home isn’t too much of a big phenomenon for me. Although, I am aware of the difference between having to stay at home with no choice to go to other workspaces. So, with that being said, here are some tips for keeping mentally active as well as physically, in quarantine.
Read In Self-Isolation
Take some time to catch up and expand your knowledge on different topics that interest you. You can read both for pleasure and educate yourself during this time. Never Split The Difference is a book I started reading at the start of the year, which I’ve enjoyed thus far, but haven’t yet managed to finish.
I’m aiming to spend more time reading it now. The book is about the importance of negotiating.
It is written by Chriss Voss, who is a former FBI hostage negotiator. So I’m sure he has a pretty good idea about what he’s talking about.
Watch Educating/ Inspiring Films In Self-Isolation
There are also opportunities to learn through films. If you’re a follower of this blog, you’ll know that it is mainly dedicated to self-employed creatives.
There are a few inspiring films for entrepreneurs to help you keep motivated in this season. Self-employed people, in particular, are more vulnerable economically uring this time. Self Made: Inspired by The Life of Madam C.J. Walker, is a series recently released on Netflix and a worthy watch for female entrepreneurs in particular.
Practice Your Writing
As schools are closed, kids are at home a lot more. I am an English Tutor too, so if you’re in need of a tutor to help your kids with some work during this season, to help keep their brains active, or help with tasks set from school during this time, feel free to get in touch.
And if you’re not a student, writing down notes and journaling can be quite therapeutic. Sometimes the greatest ideas are birthed in the midst of a crisis. Why not use this time to brainstorm some ideas of what you can do next and express your creativity?
If you’re a writer specifically, like me, why not take this time to develop your writing- and level up your skills. During this season I plan to increase the frequency of my blogs and with that improve my writing skills.
Check Up With Family/ Friends
It’s an incredibly tough time at the moment, with a strong sense of uncertainty. This can take a toll on people. So it’s important to take that time out to check on how people are doing.
With the technological revolution we are currently in, we can have instant access in various ways. Whether that’s a video chat, phone call, text, or even snap chat.
There are a few challenges going around on social media to help heighten spirits during this time. The Quarantine dance is a pretty entertaining one. If you live alone or may not have anyone to speak to, there are charities offering befriending activities that you can phone for a chat to help you through this time.
Redecorate
To help keep yourself busy and physically active, why not spend some time reorganising your home? This could be through cleaning, organising space, or even cleaning out your closet.
It’s amazing how many things you could find through clearing your closet. And for items that you find you no longer want, you could advertise them to sell online and organise for a courier to collect it for you to ship. It could be a way to earn some extra cash during these challenging times.
Market Yourself
Marketing is always something that requires an investment of time. Now is the time to take advantage of the flexibility and market services you are offering online! People are spending more time on the internet now than ever for content to consume.
If you have a service or product you’d like to offer- use this time to utilise social media to market yourself. I’ll be spending more time investing in my Pinterest marketing strategy in particular. Feel free to follow me there for regular updates.
Join Online Groups
There are available groups to help encourage you during this time. I have a list of groups for creatives that list opportunities for work, and everyone is really encouraging each other throughout this pandemic.
However, if you want to join a more general group of encouragement surrounding this time, The Corona Virus Activity Support group may be a great one to join.
Stay Safe In Self-Isolation
Above all, make sure you keep safe and only go out if you absolutely have to. If you do go out, take precautions such as wearing gloves and avoiding public transport.
When in your house, make sure you disinfect surfaces regularly and of course wash your hands! Although this is a challenging time, we will get through this and the more precautions we take, the better the chance of us getting back to normal quickly and exiting self-isolation. Please keep safe this season. If you’re looking for more ideas of what to do in quarantine, check out this post.
