Here’s My List of Things to Do While Social Distancing 

The spread of the coronavirus means that those of us with sickle cell disease need to be extremely cautious. We have all been advised to practice social distancing.

I have been in my house for a week now and have become bored due to my lack of routine. So in this column, I have listed some things that I’ve done to keep myself occupied while I practice social distancing.

Spring clean

On day one of my social distancing, I had a spring clean.

Ensuring that my environment is as clean as possible felt very therapeutic. After spring cleaning, the space around me felt a little bigger and my mood was better. The thought of being in the house for an extended period felt less daunting.

Studies have shown a positive correlation between spring cleaning and reduced stress levels, and at a time like this we must do what we can to reduce all potential triggers of a sickle cell crisis. 

Work out

Since being home I’ve had a drastic drop in my activity levels. I am not usually the most active person, but I try to fit exercise into my daily routine. 

I tend to use alternative and longer routes on my walk to work. I have a gym membership and in a good week I will attend at least three times. However, as I am not leaving my house now, I have been unable to do any of these activities.

Instead, I have started to do some home workouts. YouTube has many useful videos made by qualified professionals, so it was easy to find a suitable home workout that I could follow.

Learn a new skill

Another way to keep occupied and reduce boredom is to learn a new skill or develop an old one.

The first few days of social distancing felt very monotonous as I was doing the same thing. So to avoid this feeling, I have started to dedicate more time to learning and enhancing skills. 

I play the bass guitar and have begun to set aside time during my day to improve the way I play. I am also trying to learn French, so I have been spending more time listening to French podcasts and videos.

Watch a TV show or film

I have been using my Netflix and Amazon Prime subscriptions and found a few shows that I thoroughly enjoyed watching. Most shows I watch fall under the comedy genre as I love to laugh. These shows put me in a good mood, something I need, especially as most of the news lately has had me feeling down and worried. I believe it is important to have something to make you laugh.

What have you been doing to keep occupied? I would love to hear in the comments below.

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Note: Sickle Cell Anemia News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Sickle Cell Anemia News or its parent company, Bionews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to sickle cell anemia.