Self Care Coping Strategies for ‘Cabin Fever’ or Self-Isolation
There are times when you may find yourself isolated at home, and you may begin to start feeling like you are going to go crazy if you don’t get out. This has been termed as suffering from ‘cabin fever.’
There are many reasons why you can be stuck indoors. It may be when you are sick and need time to recover. It may be to protect you from getting sick, such as from a virus outbreak, where people are asked to self-isolate in order to either not become affected, or to not infect others.
The problem is boredom can set in, and your social isolation can hit you. Cabin fever is a condition that affects your mental and physical health in many ways.
How do you know if you are suffering from cabin fever? Here are the symptoms that can be experienced.
” You are easily irritated.
” Your patience is short.
” You feel restless.
” You feel lethargic.
” You have unusual food cravings.
” You feel hopeless.
” You either gain or lose weight unexpectedly.
” You can’t concentrate.
” You don’t feel motivated to do anything.
When you experience a few of these signs, it’s time you re-evaluate your self-care. Taking care of your health is essential when you have to stay at home for an extended period of time, whether by choice or necessity.
Your Self Care Coping Strategies
Here are some of the coping strategies you can use to help deal with cabin fever.
” Get Some Sunshine
If you’ve been stuck at home for quite a while more than you normally would, you probably aren’t getting enough sunshine. To avoid cabin fever, you should get outside every day. Get some sunlight in your backyard. If you have a balcony, you can spend some time there.
Or, if you have a window facing the sunrise, that will do too – spend a few minutes in the morning getting your dose of vitamin D. Darkness and lack of sunlight will restrict your vitamin D levels and can mess with your hormones, which makes cabin fever worse.
” Engage In A Hobby
If you’re going to stay at home for a while, it’s a perfect time to do your hobby or start a new one, or engage in interests that you couldn’t do before, because you didn’t have any spare time. Do some knitting, painting, gardening, cooking, writing, playing board games, and playing with your kids. Get your creative juices flowing – it’s a good exercise for the brain too!
” Do Some Stretching
When you’re stuck at home, your tendency is probably to sleep late and wake up late, binge on Netflix and other TV shows, stay glued to your mobile phone, and scroll endlessly on your social media feeds. Get off the couch now and do some stretching.
A workout routine indoors doesn’t have to be complicated, and there are plenty of exercises you can do that don’t need gym equipment. When you stay active, your blood will flow properly throughout your body and boost the levels of feel-good hormones.
” Relax and Enjoy Some Quiet Time
Now, you don’t always have to be up and about and all-out busy trying to be productive while staying at home. Doing so can make you overstimulated and overwhelmed. That’s why spending some quiet time for yourself is necessary. Set aside a time when you can meditate, practice mindfulness, and just relax your mind. Solitude can do wonders for the mind and body, so don’t ignore creating some quiet time.
Staying at home doesn’t have to be depressing, boring, or frustrating. You actually have more time to reconnect with yourself and do the things you’ve wanted to do but couldn’t find a way to squeeze them into your busy schedule. Prevent cabin fever by following the suggestions above and enjoy some at-home self-care!