Quarantine is something I had never given much thought to prior to the coronavirus pandemic. I thought of it only as something that was necessary for individuals that were incredibly contagious with a serious illness and/or hospitalized. Now, across the US, we are being asked to quarantine as a preventative measure in order to flatten the curve of COVID-19.

In the weeks leading up to quarantine and social distancing I had set out to find ways to practice real self-care. I haven’t always been good at prioritizing this in healthy ways, so I was excited to drop some old habits and create new ones that would be beneficial for myself and my family. I was increasing the amount of plants in my diet, removing more processed foods, consistently going to the gym every other day, and warm weather was on the way - which meant soaking up some sunshine at the ocean! As soon as I felt like I was really getting into a groove, quarantine and social distancing became the priority. The gym shut down, grocery stores were bare, and the local beaches were officially closed.

While I fully understand the importance of not overwhelming our healthcare system and will continue to do everything in my power to play my part in flattening the curve, I was also really bummed about this for a few days (not going to lie - I’m still pretty grumpy about it). I truly didn’t realize how much my new habits were improving my mental and emotional health until they were no longer an option - at least not in the way I had become accustomed to. It took a little time to switch gears and figure out what I needed to do to continue strengthening healthy habits while under these unique limitations. Since more than a few of you are probably in the same predicament, I’m going to share a few things I am already doing, or plan to do, to maintain my sanity and health while still respecting the need for social distancing.

• Continue working out…at home. No longer having access to your favorite gym does not mean you should stop working out entirely! There are so many ways to move and strengthen your body at home, with or without equipment. If you’d prefer to use some kind of equipment, order some resistance bands or a medicine ball. Also, a number of fitness experts on Instagram are now posting at home workouts. You can pull up their videos and follow along to keep your fitness up even while quarantined.

• Try to get outside whenever possible. Go hiking, go for a bike ride, take a walk, or simply sit in your backyard. Please don’t stop getting fresh air and sunshine! Vitamin D is essential in boosting your immune system, which is something we all need right now. Practice social distancing but enjoy the outdoors in some capacity as much as you can!

• Don’t forget to stay hydrated. Hydration is so important at all times, but especially when trying to protect yourself from illness. Drinking plenty of water cleanses your body of toxins, reduces inflammation, and supports your immune system.

• Eat the rainbow. Whole plants contain perfect combinations of essential vitamins and minerals that naturally help our body to function optimally. Trying to up your vitamin c levels? Eat a red bell pepper! Garlic is a natural anti-viral and warrior against infection. Legumes are rich in zinc! See where I’m going with this? You may have to get a little more creative to make use of what is available at your local grocery store (since people have lost their minds), but the more whole plants you include in your diet, the better equipped your immune system will be to fight off any virus you may come into contact with.

• Make time to be alone. This may seem like a strange suggestion given the circumstances, but what I’m referring to is quiet time with your mind and heart. Read a book, pray, meditate, write in a journal, take a bath…whatever clears your mind and brings you peace. Don’t go through your entire day without taking a few moments to breathe deeply and ground yourself - even 15 or 20 minutes can make a difference.

You may read all of this and think, “We should be doing these things all the time…”, and you would be correct. While these are things we should always incorporate into our routines, when something unexpected shakes up the way we usually do things it’s easy to get flustered and slow way down or stop all together. From personal experience, I know that what we read online isn’t necessarily new information to us, but the reminders may be enough to reignite our motivation. Even in isolation, we can all work together to support one another in improving our mental, emotional, and physical health. I promise it will benefit you in ways that travel deeper than anything visible to the eye. When I stick to a healthy routine I find that my relationships are happier, I have more patience, and feel more positive about what is going on around me.

I’d really love to know what you are doing to care for yourself during quarantine. What kind of limitations are you facing and how are you working around them? Let’s open a dialogue to trade ideas and help each other make the best of this. Please share in the comments below!

Tara Young is a Certified Birth Doula as well as a Birth Photographer serving families in Jacksonville, Florida and surrounding areas.