Covid Crazy - How to Survive Lockdown

We have all heard of the Corona Virus which has spread throughout the world, causing a worldwide pandemic.

Every country has been encouraged to lock down and keep their citizens indoors as the virus spreads rapidly through, taking lives day by day.

There is no cure as yet and the only way to stop the spread of the virus is for people to stay in quarantine for at least 14 days.

It seems like a lifetime for many and when there is a thought of having to stay indoors, people tend to feel trapped and isolated, even if it is only for two weeks.

We are going to give you a list of ways to get you through quarantine and a lockdown, to avoid panic and to keep sane, especially when you have a household full of kids.

For those of you who have no idea what Corona Virus is;

It is a virus that attacks your immune system, the symptoms are;

1. A very high fever
2. a sore/ itchy throat
3. loss of sense of smell and taste
4. Bad cough
5. Respiratory problems
6. Shortness of breath
   
7. Fatigue
   

The virus can spread via droplets from a person that has it and it is spread through hands, mouths, eyes and can be on surfaces for hours.

We have been told to wash our hands and avoid touching our mouths, faces and the spread is rapid.

People may be sick for 14 days before they have any symptoms and this is when it is highly contagious.

Quarantine has been suggested but in many cases if there is an underlying illness, a person needs to seek medical help.

Avoid using anti inflammatory medication like Ibuprofen as it is known to aggravate the virus.

For more information on the virus you can go to

https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1

Firstly you need to avoid panic. We are all in this together and the world is fighting a war against a virus, luckily we are not fighting each other and the only thing that we are required to do is stay inside safely, protect our families and keep them form going outside.

This is necessary to stop the virus from spreading and if we are inside we cannot spread or get the virus.

We are also helping the people who are on the frontline, like doctors, nurses, police, army and anyone that is in direct contact with the virus.

The longer we stay outside, the longer the virus will attack and infect. We are also endangering the lives of those who are trying to save them.

STAY INSIDE!!

Now that you have your orders and your family is to stay home and indoors the first thing that you need is food.

Don't panic because grocery stores are allowed to open as well as clinics or pharmacy's, which means that you do not have to buy the store in order to survive.

In fact, stockpiling will effect others because if you over buy then products will become short and not everyone will be able to get what they need.

Do shop intelligently because the aim of lockdown is to keep us all indoors and when shopping, make sure that you buy enough for the 21days but don't stress because there will be stock if you run out of something.

We are not going through an apocalypse, just a little indoor isolation and food is still being prepared.

Here is a list of essentials that you will need to buy:

1. Rice
2. Pasta
3. Cereal
4. Frozen Vegetables
5. Tinned goods
6. Toilet Paper
7. Tinned Fruit
8. Flour
9. Water
10. Long life milk
11. Immune Booster
12. Sanitizer
13. Treats for the kids - popcorn
14. Muffin mix

Once you are out of fresh goods like meats and vegetables then you can turn to your tinned goods but I am sure you will be okay.

Buy lots of items that have anti - oxidants in them and avoid buying too many treats like chocolates and sugary items because these actually have a comforting effect at the time but in general, they tend to give teenagers mood swings.

Keep fruit like berries because they are loaded with anti - oxidants and pineapple is good for sore throats and well almost everything.

Your kids and entire family will be home for 21 days and this can get expensive!

When cooking meals, make things that can be carried over to the next day because people locked in, get hungrier than usual.

Stir fry with chicken and vegetables will go a long way and there could be left overs for lunch the next day.

Get sand-which spreads because it lasts longer than cheese and you can buy a few options to keep the kids from getting bored with a bread lunch.

Cottage pie and pasta is great comfort food and in these times it is nice to ensure that our families feel safe and protected.

Cereals like instant porridge and Oats will go along way because they are healthy and they will keep the tummies full for a while.

Depending on where you live, you could go out into the garden for a family run or swim but if you live in an apartment or complex with other people then you have to keep your distance and in that case, here is a great workout for the entire family.

It is so important to do some form of exercise, especially if you are going to be isolated for so long.

Not only is it good for the body and the heart it is also good for the mind and it will keep you all from wanting to tear each other's hair out!

Exercise gives us happy hormones and it also relieves stress, which your family will be feeling now.

Yoga

Meditation

Pop Sugar is great for a 15 minute workout and then you are done.

Zumba is fun and it gives you energy and a laugh

It is only natural that you are interested in hearing about the Corona Virus and the spread across the world, especially when it involves everyone.

It is of the utmost importance not to obsess about it and this can be extremely difficult with social media and television broadcasting about it all of the time.

The news is very negative and most of us spend time on our social networks at night when we are in bed.

This should be avoided in order to get a peaceful night's sleep.

Watching all the negative and sad stories about the virus at night while you are almost in an alpha state is very harmful to your mental health.

This makes everything seem so much worse and you will end up obsessing about it, rather than trying to live through it.

If you have anxiety or OCD you already have a lot to manage through and avoiding the negative news will be the best option for you at this stage.

Rather get someone in your family to give you an update about the news and focus on something that makes you happy.

A lot of the news that is going around is fake and it makes everything seem even worse or drastic.

For many of those who feel that they are lost because they cannot control the situation, you are advised to do this; give in to God or the universe and learn that we will get through this and what you can control is your actions to keep sanitary.

Focus on something that will encourage people to stay home, do something that they love or connect on social media and send out a positive message of hope and perhaps some ideas for people to keep safe.

You can control what you write and what ideas you give out to people to encourage safety.

This will take your mind off of continuous worry and it will give you a feeling of control.

You could also be in charge of stock control in the house, encouraging and discouraging family members to eat all the snacks in one day.

As the pandemic stretches over the entire world rapidly, it is a concern and it does make people feel anxious and afraid.

We all need to do our part to safeguard our families future and that is what we can control.

The rest of it we have to leave to faith and to those on the frontline.

If you do feel overwhelmed or anxious, you do need to talk about it and let it out. Do not hold in your emotions because this is already a mental challenge for everyone and you do not have to face it alone.

Get sleep and find a way to relax.

If you could have a nice bubble bath with candles and some music, this would help you to relax before bed.

Get into bed after your bubble bath and read something soothing or listen to a meditation, some soft music or sounds of water to get you into a sleepy mode.

Just make it your mission to get tired and think of nothing else when you get into bed.

Sleep solves many problems and it makes us feel energised and refreshed if we have enough of it.

Avoid eating anything that will later make you feel miserable and this means staying away from soda, sugar, chocolate and caffeine.

Naturally exercise is also very good for your physical health and it promotes good mental health too.

Find a yoga for beginners or do some light cardio, especially with music that will make you dance.

Watch a comedy and laugh, laugh, laugh because laughter is the best medicine.

Eat a lot of anti - oxidants because this is happy foods and it will also boost your serotonin levels.

When you wake up in the morning, open the curtains and praise the sun, take a deep breath and tell yourself that "today is going to be a great day."

Make a list of things to do and give yourself time to relax and unwind because while your are in lockdown you are lucky enough to have time!

If you as an adult are feeling overwhelmed and confused, afraid and anxious, you can only imagine how your children must be feeling.

They have been sent home from school, away from their peers and social circles to be kept indoors without their usual lines of communication and habits.

Be patient with them. They might drive you completely nuts, empty out the fridges, drain the internet and take over the television but they are also in this as a casualty of war and you as the parent need to be strong, patient and understanding....to a point.

They should be informed of what is going on and allow them to express themselves and give them a window to let you know how they are feeling.

They should also be kept away from negative news and allow them time to communicate with their friends.

Little children will not understand why they cannot do their usual routine or play outside in the park, it will be difficult to explain to them, which means that they are going to require extra attention and some other activities to take their minds off of being inside.

Give them only half an hour of television time per day, stick to the usual routine of eating, playing, bathing and sleeping so that they can have some normality during this time.

They need to speak to their grandparents and family members so plan a time for a video call because it is important to keep communication open.

Get them to be creative and as much as they beg, keep them away from sweets and unhealthy snacks because this will only create tears at the end of the day.

For the time being, allow your kids to have a holiday and some time out from the school work. Keep them active, avoid sugar and give them some time to watch movies and play games.

Limit the game time as it can also prevent sleep which will cause mood swings and depression or find a balance and get them to exercise.

Get creative and let them make some crafts, paint, draw and if you are stuck then give them a recipe to bake cookies and see how they turn out.

Little kids need fresh air and if you can, supervise them outside and allow them at least 10 minutes to breath in some fresh air, away from the public.

Give them some responsibilities at home and this will take their minds off of the pandemic as well as give them the feeling that they are helping and being responsible.

Have a routine, eating time, play time, tv time and sleep time to keep things normal and for them to keep from being moody and depressed.

Allow them time to Skype their friends and communicate with the outside world because as a teen this is of the utmost importance.

Sit down as a family and have a game that you can all be a part of so that each child can feel important and wanted.

As long as they have something to do, they will be alright and they should also have some time to entertain themselves, to give you a break too.

If you are lucky enough to be able to work from home, keep things as normal as possible and wake up at a decent time, have your breakfast and go to work. Let your kids and family know that this is work time for you and they need to respect that by going into their rooms or avoiding your work space.

Don't feel pressure now, everyone is in the same boat and we are all going to take a knock financially. Just remember that you have working hours, stick to them and stop when it is time for dinner and family time.

Take this time to strategize and think of ways to build up your business and save money.

The most important thing in these 21 days is to keep calm and avoid stressing out because there is nothing that you could do now to change the situation.

You also need to take your mind off of the pandemic and give yourself time to relax too.

We all wish for more time to spend with family and kids, we wish to have a pause button on our lives because it moves so quickly and here we are, with extra time to stay inside with our families on pause to make up for what we have missed and regretted.

Take advantage of this time and give your family the love and attention that they deserve and that you have felt guilty about not giving.

Don't stress and feel pressured, we are all in this together and financially we are all going to suffer but this is something that we cannot control and we just have to wait it out.

If you stress out your kids will feel it and this will effect all of you which will increase the chances of your children feeling down.

Keep the talk of the virus to a minimum in your household. It is not healthy for any of you to obsess over the virus and the state of affairs.

See your time in the house as a time to spend with your kids, to watch them grow, to listen to their stories and to make up for lost time.

Keep fit, eat healthy and have some alone time with your partner too because frustration will set in, especially with everyone being in a household that has to be cleaned and people who need to be fed and clothed.

Have patience with each other and remember that this is the time in 2020 where you and your family will be in the history books.

A war we can call World War 3 is a fight against humanity, man versus virus and the only thing it is going to allow us to do is stay indoors and love our families.

Keep yourself occupied at all times and ensure that you get a good nights sleep, sleep in and take this time to do all of the things that you haven't been able to do while you have been running around working.

Family time is so important and here is an opportunity for you to read stories, play games and watch movies with your kids.

To avoid killing your spouse give each other some space, don't talk about finances in front of your kids and listen to each other.

Take this time to reconnect with your spouse or partner by playing your own games in the bedroom. It might be difficult with all of your kids around but find the time because you don't want to argue and fight with no escape.