#PINNED: Things that will keep introverts sane during lengthy quarantine periods

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If you’re an introvert currently stuck at home due to the quarantine, you might be one of the initial hopefuls who thought that a lockdown would be the perfect scenario for us anti-social folk. However, let us tell you something that we also didn’t think of initially: it is a whole lot different when someone tells you to stay at home than you actually choosing to do so.

No one could really tell when we’ll have a bit of our “normalcy” again or if we’ll ever come back to our “old normal.” For now, what we can do is focus on the things we can control. It wouldn’t be long before we start getting bored at home. Cabin fever might start settling in anytime soon, so we have listed down some activities that introverts can do at home to stay sane in the age of lockdowns.

1. Mindfulness meditation

You’re not the only one feeling overwhelmed and worried about not having control over a lot of things during this time. Your mind might be going off tangent a lot of times during the day, which makes you unproductive. Then, later on, it’ll make you feel guilty for not being productive, which makes you overthink again, and it goes on and on. It may be a good practice to control your overthinking and try mindfulness meditation.

Take mini-breaks in between work to stretch and maybe meditate. It’s really simple. You just need at least 3-5 minutes and a comfortable place to sit on. A good app that you can use is Headspace, which has a total of 13 sessions of your choice that you can try out for free

Another  app you might want to try is Smiling Mind, which is also a good alternative that is available for free. There are also lots of podcasts on mindfulness meditation, and a good one that we recommend is called “Meditation Muna,” which is a series of guided meditations especially made to help Filipinos cope during this COVID-19 pandemic.

When you have a little bit more time in your hands, say, in the morning before you get ready for work, you may also integrate mindful meditation with yoga. Yoga is an easy home-based exercise that you can incorporate with your meditation to squeeze in a little bit more physical activity into your daily routine, instead of just sitting in front of your computer the whole day.

Yoga with Adriene on YouTube has a wide-variety of yoga routines that you can choose from. From there, you’ll learn that mindfulness takes constant practice and commitment, but it can really be a good investment of your time as in benefits your mental and even physical health, in the long run.

2. Journaling

If your attention span is too short and meditation is a bit hard for you, you might want to opt for writing down your thoughts in a journal instead. Journals may be any notebook that you have lying around or a digital one that you can store on your devices.

There are lots of guides on how to practice journaling on YouTube. For starters, you can check out this video by Abbey Sy to help you get started on your journaling journey:

Abbey Sy is a Filipino artist and author who started her YouTube channel as a passion project where she posts tutorials on lettering, journaling and making art.

For those busybodies who can’t commit to a bullet journal, journaling apps are a great alternative for logging your day without the pressure of filling all those blank pages of your notebook. Try out Daylio, a free app for both Android and iOS that lets you track your mood and activities for the day with minimal writing.

If you’re worried about privacy, you can try Penzu, a free private diary that is hassle-free and fully customizable. The app provides unlimited storage and end-to-end encryption so that you can write as many entries as you want, without anyone having access to them. This helps you be free to write your most private thoughts and be able to process them. Dwelling too much on your thoughts to the point of overthinking is unproductive, but a little time of your day for some self-reflection wouldn’t hurt. 

3. Reconnect with family and friends

It’s not really a misconception to say that we introverts hate socializing. Well, to be fair, what we hate is pointless socializing. What we don’t hate or at least tolerate from time to time is genuine reconnection with people we love. If you’re an introvert stuck in quarantine and far away from your loved ones, why not start a video party with them?

You can use a couple of apps for that like Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Discord. If you want to turn things up a notch, you can use the Houseparty app. This app allows you and your friends to play in-app games such as Quick Draw, Trivia and Heads Up. Don’t worry, after your social cup drains out from all these social activities, you can always take a step back into solitary and recharge in the comforts of your home.

4. Learn a new recipe for cooking/baking

When you find your thoughts slowly creeping back in and distracting you from working, you should make a conscious effort to shift your thoughts into something else. Busy yourself with a new activity. Try out new recipes online and treat yourself with something tasty.

This is a perfect excuse to condition your mind into accomplishing your tasks at work by rewarding yourself with a hearty meal when it’s time to take your “lunch break.” Allot some time to prepare a scrumptious meal for you to enjoy while you also learn its recipe. For cooking and baking videos, check out Yummy PH, Tasty, and Bon Appetit. You’ll never know, it might surprise you how therapeutic food can be.

5. Pampering at home

While you’re at it, spoil yourself more with some pampering sesh at home. After a long day of work, you deserve some me-time. Who says you can’t treat yourself during a pandemic? Whether it’s an extra 5 minutes inside the shower or a complete 10-step skincare routine, you do you, sis.

Get up, get dressed, and go put on some makeup to program your mind for work or to simply uplift your mood. I know, it’s tempting to stay in your pajamas all day, but trust me, dressing up as if you’re off to your office even when it’s actually just on a desk in your bedroom, makes a lot of difference to your productivity.

After a long day of work, get some mani-pedi. Take a long relaxing shower. Give yourself a full facial massage and a DIY face mask:

When it comes to taking care of yourself, there really are a lot of things you can do. It’s just a matter of making yourself feel beautiful in the midst of all this coronavirus madness.

BONUS: Listen to podcasts while you multitask on your household chores!

You can do this while pondering how to finish the growing pile of your laundry or the increasing stack of plates on your kitchen sink. Some good local podcast to tune in to are Adulting with Joyce Pring, The Linya Linya Show, and The Halo-Halo Show:

Self-isolation is every introverts’ dream, but it can also feel restricting especially when it isn’t voluntary. It is perfectly normal for an introvert to feel mentally drained, even without having to sit and talk with people for hours, like what we usually dread doing.

Whether we just try to make it through our day, or we find new things to do, what is important during these troubling times is being able to constantly check in on ourselves. Look inwardly and listen to what our body and mind need and attend to them. It is important to keep in mind that everyone has their own struggle during this pandemic, so let’s all be kind and considerate. (And of course, wash our hands and stay at home!)