Safer at home

#flattenthecurve

Four months ago, a virus broke out from Wuhan, China and quickly spread throughout the country, continent, and now the world. The media shows that the number of cases in China has already peaked and there are no new confirmed cases. Meanwhile, the number of cases in other countries are rapidly increasing overnight. Governments have ordered “home lockdown” or “stay at home” in order to flatter the curve of increasing number of cases as time goes by. Nevertheless, can we really trust the media? Are there really ZERO new cases in China? We may never know.

The one thing we do know is that staying at home slows down the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, many people cannot work from home because they work in healthcare facilities, police/fire/ambulatory departments, custodial teams, essential markets, or local restaurants. Even those people are requesting people to STAY AT HOME and limit their time outside. We all know it is difficult to stay at home because everyone should get fresh air, exercise their bodies, and stock up on food. Therefore, if you do need to go out, please remember the ‘6 feet apart’ rule. In addition, remember to wash your hands, wear a mask if you have masks at home, and be aware of your surroundings/the surfaces you interact with.

By now, you’re probably thinking “what do I do to pass the time when I stay at home majority of the time?” If you are an introvert, your wish has been granted! If you are an extrovert, you might already be going a bit insane. Luckily, I’m more of an introvert than an extrovert, so I definitely prefer staying at home. So here’s a list of things, besides work, that you can do while at home.

1. Reorganize and/or rearrange your home – Many of us are working from home for the first time so we don’t have the proper equipment or space. Take this time to dedicate and design a space that allows you to concentrate on your work. Spring has also arrived so it is also time for spring cleaning! Clean out your drawers and donate items.
2. Bonding time – If you are not self-isolating from your loved ones/friends/family, then you’re spending the entire day with them inside your home. Assign a time when everyone puts down their technology to watch movies or to play board games together. The perfect time to create group memories that you’ve been wanting to have.
3. Find your creative side – Have you always wanted to create something but never found the time? As a designer, I enjoy experimenting with various mediums. I’m an architectural designer who designs in 3d modeling and photoshopping so I rarely paint or sketch. Now that I stay at home for majority of my days, I use my spare time to sketch anything. I even started digital bullet journaling so my iPad is my best friend. If you don’t have an iPad but have lots of empty journals lying around, pick one up and start writing or doodling. Writing or drawing out your feelings will help you cope through these crazy times. If you don’t know yet, Brit + Co is offering free online classes to stay creative! You also don’t need to have art supples to stay creative. You can doodle on a receipt, napkin, or make art with recycle materials. You can even build a fort or pirate ship at home.
4. Read all the books on your reading list/start a book club with your peers – Do you have a list of books that you want to read but never got the chance to cross off titles on the list? Like #2, stop scrolling on instagram or facebook feeds and get started on crossing off book titles from your reading list! Nowadays, lots of neighborhoods participate in Little Free Library where people share books among each other. Walk by one, take one for free, and put one back. It’s a great way to share books when you don’t have access to a library or have an electronic device. Check out Little Free Library to find the nearest one from you or maybe start your own!
5. Do something good even from your home – First thing, by staying at home, you’re already helping slowing down the virus spreading. If you want to do more, you can donate essential items to hospitals that are running low on supplies, donate food to the food bank, or simply offer to buy groceries/items for someone who cannot go to the market to stock up on food because they have high risk of contracting the virus. You don’t have to go far to donate; instead, there is usually a curbside drop-off/pick-up area in your neighborhood that will bring the items to the appropriate locations. Instead of hoarding items and being selfish, you are helping others and we all need to work together in order to fight the virus.

Please remember that even though the media and government said “social distancing”, it does not mean to be “socially distant”. The correct term that the media and government should be using is “physical distancing”. We are humans and we still need to socialize so while half of us stay at home for the other half to fight, we can still socialize by social media, telephone, and checking up on each other. This virus has also been causing lots of xenophobia and bullying. If you see or hear anyone bullying someone else because of their race, speak up and report it to the police. Many nonprofit organizations, like the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, are setting up platforms where people can report racist hate crimes (click here). If want to know more information on the COVID-19 (Coronavirus), visit the CDC website.

Good luck and stay safe!