Self-isolation and social distancing. A hundred years from now when kids are reading their history books, they’re going to ask their teachers what those terms mean. Seriously. I’m an introvert and I’m going crazy with no real life social interaction. My job is online. My church is online. My boys’ school is online. And I live in a crowded apartment building and because of that, we’ve been advised to stay put.
I don’t do this on this blog, but I’m going to take a moment to brainstorm with you. What are things we can do during this time? Psychologists call this “self-care.” Some call this “developing hobbies.” Whatever you choose to call this, we need things to fill the time.
Things to do while in self-isolation:
- Learn a new skill – piano, guitar, painting, drawing, knitting, anything you have supplies for that you can look up on YouTube. Or if learning from video isn’t your thing, Amazon is still delivering through this. It might take an extra few days as they prioritize medical supplies, but you’ll still get that piano instruction book.
- Write a story – feeling like you have no creativity? Put yourself in the shoes of those kids a hundred years from now: what story would you want them to read about how humanity got through this crisis?
- Read a book – libraries everywhere offer an ebook option. You can find a new book without ever leaving your living room.
- Open a window – just because we’re somewhat isolated doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the fresh air
- Go for a walk/run – respect people’s distance, but sunshine and a little exercise goes a long way
- Listen to music
- Call a friend
- Facetime your parents
Things NOT to do while in self-isolation:
- Obsess over the news
- Drown in social media
- Sit on the couch and watch TV all day (A lot of people have a routine of watching TV every night to unwind; that’s not what I mean. If you’re working from home and need to keep the kids occupied, be mindful of screentime. It’s too easy to leave that thing on all day and suddenly the day is gone.)
It’s been a long week. God sent a rainbow here in Dallas last night. In Genesis, right after the flood dried up, God sent Noah a rainbow as a sign that He’d never again send a flood to wipe out humanity. God’s got this.
It’s been a really long week. The world turned upside down in the last seven days. I work as a website manager in higher education and we’ve been putting in 12-15 hour days all week to get information online. I’m thankful to get to sleep in tomorrow. This week we’ve all been scrambling. Asking questions, but scrambling to set up the “new normal.” But as that “new normal” settles, we’re all going to need reminders of how to be real and still live while distancing ourselves from the virus.
God sees, God knows, and maybe God’s going to use this time in your life to pull you off social media. Maybe social media isn’t your thing, but we’ve all got something we spend too much time doing. Maybe God’s going to use this time in your life as a “reset” so that as we all get creative, when this is done, you’ll be more of the person He made you to be. We’re all in this together, so let’s be intentional to live for Jesus and let Him shine through this.