Surviving the Isolation Period

While we’re all sheltering in place, our ongoing “vacations” will make some of us restless. There are only so many movies or television series worth binging, so much time we can sit still reading books, and the house cleaning only goes so far before we “gotta get out of here.” Breathing exercises are our first tip! When you’re feeling at wits end, take a slow, deep breath in, hold it for a few seconds, then slow breath out and hold for a few seconds. Here’s more on “box” breathing at Mayo Clinic.

If you’d like a bit of inspiration, Space.com has a piece on how NASA astronauts view their time in a very real and well-defined isolation. Peggy Whitson noted,

COVID-19 gives us a higher purpose much like being in space does because we are saving lives by quarantining,” she said. “It is important to understand that bigger purpose and to embrace that purpose to give you reason and rationale for continuing to put up with the situation.

In a New York Times interview, Scott Kelly suggested,

Kelly noted that his strict astronaut schedule (including sticking to a consistent bedtime) helped to keep him moving and motivated. “You will find maintaining a plan will help you and your family adjust to a different work and home life environment,” he wrote.

Finally here’s Chris Hadfield with a big picture look at our immediate situation: