A simple phrase of the Italian authorities was enough to change the daily life of Italy, “resto a casa” or stay at home. This line doesn’t only refer to a quarantine, but to a home-stay rule with severe penalties if not followed. Greek authorities, after the last reports of COVID-19 victims, has also announced a stay-home plea. Is it that easy though, for a Mediterranean people to stay indoors? And if so, what is the psychological cost? Can we develop an indoor daily life which is actuallyfeasible?
On a first thought, it is important to realize the severity of the situation and accept it. Personally, I am one of those people who love sunlight and going out and I can’t stand staying indoors all day but it is all different now. This is a global crisis. It is an epidemic. Therefore, we ought to accept that we have to stay in for the time being and for a certain time, not only as a sign of self-respect towards our own health, but also as a sign of social responsibility towards our fellow citizens who may belong to susceptible groups and towards our elders.
For this acceptance to be beneficial however, it needs to sink in with a certain amount of composure, and with positivity and an optimistic attitude as the ultimate goal. Either if you have stress disorders or panic attacks, or if you don’t have any such conditions, all these constant reminders will at some point upset you. Don’t let them do this to you. This bombarding of negativism and paranoia never helped anyone. Here are some ways to keep our cool:
* Choose your media carefully, ensure you are informed from a reliable and updated source
* If you are sensitive to such issues, choose web sites to get informed. Avoid audiovisual material
* Limit the time you choose to receive your updates. Do not waste your time listening to the same piece of information over and over again for hours on end if it is something you may have well received in a few minutes or maybe you already know.
* Meditate. This is a very effective way to calm yourself down while doing away with all the pessimism by which we are daily surrounded.
* Talk with your loved ones about what is troubling you or have online sessions.
In a more practical level though, a truly pleasant home-stay involves a variety of fun activities with which we can keep ourselves busy. We are very lucky as a generation who is privileged to have the web and by extent a great variety of ways to be amused and entertained:
* Draw, dance, write, listen and discover new music, read a book or two.
* Rest, sleep well, take care of yourself
* Watch TEDx talks
* Exercise with a great variety of YouTube videos and mobile apps that teach you indoor exercises without equipment.
* Play online games
* Play board games if you are staying home with your family
* Watch a series, movies or documentaries on Netflix
* Arrange an online coffee session via Skype
* Listen to podcasts
Don’t let all this bring you down. The COVID-19 virus cannot be avoided just by washing your hands but also by cleansing your inner self too. Let us not underestimate this situation, let’s stay home and have a good time. It is possible! Lao Che has said “Do the difficult things while they are easy”. The current situation at the moment isn’t easy but we surelycanall be mature and responsible enough to improve it.
Translation: Niki Saridaki
Review: Miltos Bizios
