Many of us are now being forced to confront a new and troubling reality, which just a month or so ago might have seemed the stuff of science fiction. In order to protect those around us, we need to consider disposable masks and other face coverings to stop the spread of the virus and maintain a physical distance from other people. That means, to the greatest extent possible, staying at home. Unfortunately, this isn’t quite as easy as it sounds – particularly if you’re naturally an extrovert. Even when you’re in prison, solitary confinement is considered a punishment. Because for quite a few of us, being left alone with our own thoughts is something that we just can’t handle. If we’re forced to do so for twelve weeks – or perhaps even longer – then the effects on our mental well-being might be devastating. The good news is that it’s possible to do something about all this, and make the most of the time available to you. Let’s take a look at some of the things you’ll want to do with the time. 

Meditate 

Getting in control of your own thoughts is going to be an essential skill. If you find yourself consumed with anxiety, scrolling through Facebook in search of bad news, then the chances are that you’ll be no good to anyone, least of all yourself. Mindfulness meditation allows you to become aware of unhelpful thoughts, and nip them in the bud before they can fester. 

Turn off 

If you’re addicted to rolling news, and to social media, then you’re in good company. You might easily spend all day, every day, poring through your various feeds in search of things to be upset about. Things are bad, and they’re going to get worse. But your being aware of those bad things constantly is not going to help. Make time at the beginning and end of every working day to look at how things are going, and then spend the rest of the time doing something positive – which means staying away from other people, and looking after your mental well-being. You can find blocking apps that get rid of things like Facebook and Twitter, so the temptation is no longer there. 

Spring Clean 

What better way to distract yourself could there be than a good, long spring clean? You’ll be able to get through every single room in the house, one by one. You’ll be able to remove excess clutter, finally get round to sorting out your wardrobe and handbag collection, and thereby deal with a source of constant, ambient stress. At the same time, you’ll be able to reassess things and take stock of what’s actually important in your house.

Read 

Most of us have a sizeable stack of books in our home that we can never seem to find the time to get through. Well, the time is now available – so why not make the most of it? You can make this more of a social activity by starting an online book club – or joining one that’s already been established.