Now that we no longer doubt that Corona Virus outbreak has gotten to Nigeria and we would enter 14 days of isolation, this is not a time to be depressed but stay thankful to be alive. So, take this as a guideline and a host of suggestions on how to stay sane. Let’s get to it immediately.

Be Regular: Whether you live alone or are under quarantine with the entire family, 14 days of homebound life requires some semblance of a schedule, daily exercise, and a working routine. Try to get up around the same time every day, say your prayers, do some workout this time, meet your daily quota of steps whatever it takes to get your heart pumping. Whatever does it for you, get moving. Walking not only counts as physical activity but also provides some mental health benefits. Eat right, get at least 8 hours of sleep daily and drink lots of water.

Work from home: If you can work remotely from home, the lockdown should not grind the wheel of the industry into a total halt. You could set up a central communication hub so that you can collaborate with your team while in quarantine. However, strike a balance, do not overdo this. Make sure to talk 3 minutes walk/stretch for every 30 minutes you sit.

Stay Up-To-Date With Trends: This is where you put your positive use of social media to test. Join webinars and Facebook Live Sessions to keep up with the latest industry trends, upcoming soft-skills training program, and tips that will help you through your remote working process. When it comes to hobbies, play puzzles to help clear your mind and offer a respite from your usual screens.

Experiment with different recipes: If eating is your escape, you can make use of the extra time now that this outbreak has forced a lockdown. We suggest baking one new recipe a day, one good meal a day, for lunch or dinner. Thanks to YouTube, you can watch videos and put your skills to test. Just go ahead to make loads of mouth-watering, healthy meals that will boost your immune system and further protect you from the virus.

Catch up with friends/family: Remember that friend/aunt/cousin you haven’t checked on, now is just the perfect time to place that call across to check upon them. While we might not know how much we mean to each other in the world of cut-throat academics, business and career, there is so much to talk about. You might as well schedule a video call with one of your friends and catch up on good old times. COVID-19 has got nothing on you.

Catch up on podcasts, movies, and music you have missed: Remember all that good stuff you missed out on when you had to be at work/business? Let’s say every disappointment is a blessing. There is a lot of time to catch up on them now and have fun while at it.

Read a book: While on lockdown wherever you are, you can go ahead to grab a read of your favourite author. Don’t have books at home? Not a problem any longer, consider your phones as a “serious” e-reading device. Just get a free Kindle application for your mobile phone and you’ll learn in no time about all the advantages of eBook reading. An hour every day reading your favourite books is certainly redeeming.

Clean Clean Clean: This is the best time to clean frequently touched surfaces daily with a regular household cleaner followed by a disinfectant, you already know why…lol. In addition to bathroom surfaces, tables, and countertops, don’t forget light switches, faucets, and sinks, cabinet handles, doorknobs, phones, and keyboards. Go through the bookshelves and thin out your collection, weed out old board games, get ruthless in the closet and toss anything that hasn’t been worn in the last year.

Remember that this is a time to stay away from other people until instructed by the authorities. No cookouts, no owambes, no play-dates, and no face-to-face dates.

Did we skip anything? Add yours.