Back on Monday 20th April our BOSS Online students worked together to come up with their ‘Top Tips for Surviving the Coronavirus Quarantine’ and while most of those tips are still relevant, six months have passed and we are still finding ourselves amidst this global pandemic. We therefore thought that after half a year, it was time to reflect on our students’ top tips and remind ourselves of them whilst thinking about the best ways to stay positive during this time.
1. Don’t believe everything that you read online
The internet is full of news, most of which is speculative and hearsay. A lot of it may also find its way onto the social media feeds of your friends and family and become gospel. Before you know it, people are talking about it as truth when in reality, it began life a simple life as someone’s opinion or guess at what may be.
Remember, online news media want you to click on their links so they are going to make their stories as “CLICK ON ME!!!” as possible.
Also try to limit your social media intake as much as possible as believe it or not, the less you know, the better you will feel hence the expression ‘no news is good news’!
2. Try not to worry about the future
As difficult as it may be, try not to worry about the future. The future hasn’t happened yet so technically you’re worried about something that doesn’t exist. Of course there maybe things that may cause worry, things outside of your control such as COVID, but really, who knows what the future holds? For all we know, we may find a vaccine next week and life will be back to normal before you know it! What you can control however is the present, and it’s how you react right now that will determine the future so make it count. Carpe diem!
A wise Head of Activities and Excursions at BOSS (Ancor) once used to tell us, “yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift and that is why we call it the present.”
3. Follow a routine
When you are learning online or working from home, it is very easy to fall into a comfort zone of rolling out of bed and heading straight to your computer while slurping on a bowl of cereal. Before you know it, it’s 3pm and half of the day has gone. Try to follow a routine, it will help you to feel more proactive, positive and focussed. Wake up early, drink a glass of water, do a little exercise (see next point), take a shower, have breakfast, make a to-do list and then switch on your computer and be sure to take breaks to stretch your legs and have a good lunch. Once you have finished your learning or work, have a little break and spend some time doing something that you enjoy before dinner, Netflix and bed!
4. Be active
It is so important to be active as it will not only help you to keep in shape physically but also mentally and right now, this is so important. Exercise is also essential to stay healthy, it will make you feel happy, it can boost your energy levels, it can actually help you to feel more relaxed and it can improve your sleep quality. Even if you think you don’t have time, try your best to make at least 30 minutes per day, 5 times per week. It may seem difficult at first but before you know it, it will become part of your daily routine and you won’t regret it.
5. Eat well
Like with exercising, it is common to hear the phrase, ‘I don’t have time…’ when it comes to eating well but it is so important. People love to take care of their brand new phones and cars but often fail to take care of themselves. Do try to eat well and make sure that you are getting all of your necessary nutrients. It is important not only for your health, but also for staying in shape, boosting your mood and like staying active – can improve your sleep quality which is of course extremely important when it comes to staying positive! You literally are what you eat! Eat well and you will feel well, eat rubbish and you’ll feel… well, rubbish!
6. Be creative
Being creative is a good way to switch off the world and be at one with yourself. Whether you are writing, painting, singing, playing a musical instrument or playing with Lego, when you are doing so, you are in the moment and may feel that time stands still as the world and its worries have ceased to exist. Being creative can be meditative and allows you to utilise your mind in a practical way. It is fun and will make you happy which will retrospectively help you to feel less stressed and therefore more positive!
Being creative is also something that you can incorporate into your learning and your work so don’t say that you don’t have time!
7. Keep in touch with family and friends
While you may not be able to see your family and friends in person at the moment, you should make every effort that you can to connect with them using one of the many online video conferencing apps such as FaceTime, WhatsApp, Facebook, Zoom or Skype. Calling family and friends will give you the opportunity to talk and to get another person’s viewpoint on something that may be on your mind. Having friends and family who are there for you will also help you to feel less depressed and anxious as having a god support network is vital for living a successful life.
We live in an age when staying in contact with people is easier than it has ever been so instead of wondering how that family member or friend is, why not hit the call button and have a natter!
8. Relax and sleep well
Relaxation and a good night’s sleep are both underrated but both extremely important. If you ensure that you are getting a good amount of both, you will in turn be improving the health of your heart, boosting your immune system, improving your memory, reducing stress, making better decisions and it will put you in a good mood which will of course help you to stay positive.
If you have never tried it, we can highly recommend Headspace which in their own words will help you to feel less stressed, more resilient, happier and it all starts with just a few minutes a day. Try by getting started with their “basics” course and take it from there. We guarantee that you will start to feel more relaxed and sleep better in no time!
9. Limit your COVID information intake
Probably the majority of the world is spending some time each day reading, hearing or seeing news relating to COVID-19 right now. The topic is dominating conversations and even when you say, ‘let’s not mention the “C” word,’ the conversation will inevitably head in that direction. It is as if there is nothing else to talk about right now!
With this in mind, do try and limit your COVID information intake or you may find that the more you read, the less you know as there are so many conflicting stories out there and as mentioned in point number one, online media want you to click on their stories so they are going to make them sound as shocking as possible and have us all believe that the world is going to end.
10. Remember that you are not alone
Unfortunately, this COVID-19 situation is a global pandemic but what that does mean is that you certainly aren’t alone. If however, you are finding it difficult to cope or find yourself worrying a lot, don’t be afraid to talk to someone about how you are feeling. Reach out to family or friends and as we say here at BOSS, talk, talk, talk. We are even here for you so if we can help, please do let us know.
BOSS is a British Council accredited language school for students aged 8 to 17 from across the globe. To find out more, please visit www.buckswoodsummerschool.com or contact us here.