HOW TO STAY SANE IN THESE TIMES OF SOCIAL ISOLATION DUE TO COVID-19
We are living in unprecedented times right now. The world is experiencing something most of us have never lived through and as such, we are all in uncharted territory. This can be seen in one of two ways. One, through fear, panic and that humanity is grinding to a halt, or two, through love, and expansion, seeing this as a huge opportunity. We here at Wild SUP Tours are choosing the latter, using this time of slow down and social distancing as a chance to dive in to things we’ve had on the long finger for ages now.
Everyone is now spending way more time at home than normal and as such, staying sane and engaged will be a bit more of a challenge. That is where we are stepping in! We are diving headlong into our blog and YouTube channel. We’ll be posting regularly about all sorts of things, stories from our tours, top tips on various topics, and generally just producing content that you can read and engage with. This doesn’t have to be a time of lack of connection, just a time of physical distance. We want to continue our mission of bringing joy and adventure to people, this time it’s just virtual! Arm chair travel, if you will
Without Further ado…. let’s kick this off!
Our Top Tips for Staying Sane in this Time of Social Isolation due to COVID-19
Relish Nature!
Check out the handy chart at the top of the page for what is and is not acceptable in this monumental effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. As I’m sure you’ll notice, going for a walk is perfectly OK.
Score! We can be socially responsible and still do some of our favorite activities! Ed and I are taking full advantage of this loophole. We are fortunate to live in the countryside with plenty of nature all around. We are still going to the beach, we are still surfing at quieter surf breaks, we are still stand up paddle boarding, and we’re gonna start hiking more too.
There is nothing quite like standing on the surface of the water, the gentle sway subtly moving your board underneath your feet, the sound of sea birds squawking and the smell of salt in the air, cliffs and trees rising up from the shoreline. It’s easier to breath deeply in these kinds of places. It’s easy to feel calm and connected when surrounded by the majesty of Earth. That’s part of why we love stand up paddle boarding. When out on the water, connected to nature that way, it just puts things into perspective.
You may not live near the beach. You may live in the middle of the city, but even there you can connect with nature. One of the wildlife photographs of the year was taken on a London tube platform after all. If that doesn’t prove that nature is all around, I don’t know what does. So get outside, find your trail, find your ocean and breath deeply. Just remember your hand sanitizer when you do!
Do Stuff!
I’ve worked from home in various jobs for most of my life. I am fully aware of all the distractions that come with it. At first it’s great. Woohoo! I don’t have to get out of my pajamas! I can drink endless cups of tea and eat biscuits all day! But after three days of being in a bath robe…. it really starts to get old and stinky. Couch potato takes on a whole new meaning. These pitfalls may be even easier to fall into if you aren’t working at all, if the restaurant or theatre you work in was closed down.
My advice to you, stay busy! Do things! I’m using this opportunity to start blogging regularly, to get back into video editing for our YouTube channel. I’m also using this time to work on the multitude of crafty projects I have that were awaiting my attention. I’m also gong to start up my home yoga practice again because I can no longer go to physical classes. Ed is using this time to catch up on a bunch of DIY projects he’s been meaning to do for a while now. We’re going to fix up the Wild SUP Tours shed! We may even start a vegetable garden. I’m a rubbish gardener, but why not. We’ve got nothing but time on our hands right now. The possibilities are seemingly endless if you know where to look for inspiration.
What are you going to do? Have you been meaning to start a new project for a while now but never had the time? Do you have a hobby you’ve been wanting to start but haven’t yet? Do you want to learn a new skill? Have you had a book sat on your self for ages just staring at you, begging to be read? I have good news for you. You have time for all of those things now! I would recommend maintaining a bit of a routine. It’s always good to have a reason to get up in the mornings. Don’t be afraid to take a few days off, to sleep in, but stay engaged!
Stay Connected!
Can you imagine what it would have been like to go through social isolation even just 20 years ago, let alone 200 years ago? We are incredibly fortunate to have the internet on our side this time around. It’s a quick easy shift in thought.
Social Isolation
Physical Distancing
It’s a subtle shift, but can make a huge difference mentally. We aren’t socially isolated. Connecting with people has never been easier! We just aren’t physically with each other. We may not be in the same adorable cafe with our loved ones enjoying a delicious coffee, but we can enjoy a delicious coffee on our sofa while video chatting with them. There is no need for this time to be a lonely one.
When you do meet someone on one of your excursions outside of your home, remember this useful chart. As a greeting, the Shaka is 100% safe!
If you have any tips, tricks, or thoughts you would like to share on how to stay sane during these wild the times post them below in the comments. This can be another way for us all to maintain connection!
One last piece of entertainment for today to kill some time, check out one of Ed’s favorite videos on the origin of the shaka.