How to be alone and not lonely during a quarantine?
7 things you can do other than streaming Netflix and sharing Covid-19 memes
Offices are closed! Malls are shut down! Cafes are empty! Coronavirus outbreak has given us something we dread the most — alone time.
Barring a few ultra-introverts, most of us are not prepared for so much “ME” time. And all this extra-time with limited social interactions is already driving people crazy.
But is there anything we can do, other than streaming Netflix and browsing social media, that can make this quarantine time worthwhile.
Yeah, of course! We can do so much to beat the boredom of loneliness. Why not start with learning about loneliness — why do we even feel lonely?
Why be lonely?
Like many other psychological concepts, the roots of our loneliness also lie in evolution. We have evolved as social animals. Our ancestors co-operated with members of their tribes on a daily basis to stay alive. And being closely connected to others around them was critical for their survival. So, loneliness, in a way, evolved as a biological reminder to prompt us to engage and bond with folks around us.
Of course, we can’t spend all our time socializing. Therefore, we also don’t feel lonely all the time. We only feel lonely when we are not engaged in something more important and meaningful or when our brains feel that we are socially deprived (clinical loneliness).
And, therefore, the cure to loneliness lies in two simple things:
1 — Letting our brains know that we are not socially deprived
Our brain reacts to our self-talk. So, if we tell ourselves that we are fine even when we are alone, our brains will feel much much better. We can even go a step further and remind ourselves of all our best friends who are just a call away from us.
And if you think all this self-talk thing sounds silly, you can give this book on the power of self-talk by Shad Helmstetter a try: What to say when you talk to yourself (kindle)
2 — Do more meaningful stuff when you are alone
Have you ever noticed that when we are busy with some important work, we hardly miss our friends? Doing more meaningful things in our free time can help us escape the pangs of loneliness.
7 ways to escape the loneliness of quarantine
Finally, here is a list of 7 things that I promised can help you make the most of your solo quarantine. If you are with your family or a partner, you can still pick up a few things from this list (in fact, you can do some of those together)
1 — Workout at home
“Gyms are closed” can be a great excuse for hanging our gym shoes. But, workouts are the best ways to kill an hour of your alone time. I am planning to try some yoga@home, but you can also do bodyweight workouts or cardio. Staying active will not only keep you in shape physically but will also lift your mood.
2 — Find Inner Peace
It feels like the entire world is ending, and we can’t do anything about it. And if there are no hopes outside, we must look inwards. There is no better time to get started with our meditation practice. You are all alone and no one is around to poke you — Let us move our focus from the frenzy of social media stories to the sound of our breathing.
3 — Pick up that fat book
I know we all have a book we’ve been keeping for the future. Trust me now is the right time! No one knows what lies ahead! Walk up to the bookshelf and pick up that book!
Even if you are not a reader, it is a great time to get started. Pick up a light read! Here you can check out some of my recommendations — Reading List 2018, Reading List 2017.
4 — Get creative
Alone time is when you can distance yourself from the voice of the world so that you can hear your own.
I didn’t say that, Oprah did. And I agree with that. Alone time is when you can get most of your creative stuff done. So, one of these days, just pick up your pen (or brush if you are artsy) and let your imaginations run wild!
5 — Pick a new skill
In the last few days, I have started mastering the art of cooking Indian cuisine. In fact, my Rotis are now almost round. By the end of it all, I will come out of my house as a better cook.
You can also this quarantine time to add a new dimension to your personality — maybe you can learn a new language ( a friend of mine has picked Russian), pick up your guitar that’s been lying around,or you can perfect a new dance step. Time is not your problem!
6 — Clean your apartment
You have been putting it off for a long time! What’s your excuse now? You are going to be in your room for quite some time, why not make it more hospitable.
Even if you are one of those Monica-types (a character from F.R.I.E.N.D.S) and your room is sparkling clean, you can still use the time to decorate some of those empty walls.
7 — Call your long-lost friends
If you still feel lonely, even after doing 1–6, telephone an old friend. This time, you can let loneliness do its magic. After all, it is designed to help us connect with people.
These days, it has become rare for us to be alone for a long . Let us use this quarantine to become comfortable at being with ourselves. So how are you planning to make your “alone time” less lonely? Do let me know.
And, by the way, have a safe quarantine!
