Quarrantined

During the recent holidays I was tested for Covid-19 because I was going to visit family members who are elderly. I work with students of all ages, and I always try to follow the recommended guidelines, including social distancing and wearing a mask, so I was dumbfounded when I was informed that I was positive for Covid-19. As a result, I was quarantined for the recommended time period. Although I was asymptomatic I followed the guidelines, including staying restricted to one room of our house. This meant that I spent my holidays by myself without the joys of sharing Christmas with my family. This was a new experience for me and led to some observations that I would like to share with you.

During these challenging times we are faced with a very real possibility of winding up in a situation where we are isolated from friends and family. Being isolated can be hard on you mentally and emotionally. In order to maintain your sanity, I would recommend the following: Stay in touch with those who are important to you including family that you may not have been diligent about staying in touch with. What about friends that you have not talked with for a VERY long time? Reach out to them. Let’s face it, we are ALL busy and I know that each one of us becomes totally wrapped up in our own schedule and it is very easy to put off making that call, or even to stop for 30 seconds and send out a text. And before we know it, time has slipped by for so long that we’re then embarrassed to try to make contact. Call them, or text them. It’s simple to just send out a text and let them know that you are thinking about them. The results may surprise you. I was overjoyed with the response that I received, sometimes from people that I had not spoken to in over ten years. Another important factor in maintaining a positive attitude is to keep your mind engaged, whatever that may entail. Except, don’t depend on TV, or social media, either one is a disappointing waste of time.

Staying active, as much as you can in your individual situation, can also go a long ways toward helping you keep your sanity.

And above all, remember that this too shall pass.