There are now more than 600K confirmed coronavirus cases in the world and it is projected to reach over 500 million. With this exponential growth rate, now most governments are taking more radical measures. Now 20% of the global population is under the order to stay home.
As the world is on pause, people are scrambling to set up their home to make lockdown more tolerable. Especially if you have roommates, setting up a home office in the limited common area may be challenging. And there’s also hygiene concerns.
Despite the lockdown, we each have to go outside to get supplies and exercise. So each person could be unintentionally bringing germs into the house.
Reconsidering how your home is set up is recommended at this time to better secure both your physical and mental health. Here are some ideas to help you get started!
Quarantine Zone Inside Your Home
To control the outside germs/elements entering your home, you and your co-habitants should establish a quarantine/disinfect zone inside your home by the foyer/front door.
This area should be where you take off your outside clothes so you can put them in a hamper and also disinfect outside items such as delivery packages.
While studies indicate that the virus can only stay active on a cardboard box up to 24 hours, it is wise to take extra precaution as there’s still a lot we do not know about how COVID-19 gets transmitted (human-to-human and object-to-human).
Sleep/Rest Sanctuary Away From Work Area
Many find that their anxiety level has risen during this time. Insomnia has been a rising issue before the pandemic. Thus, the constant stream of news regarding looming doomsday and fears of an uncertain future will likely worsen the already sleep-deprived population.
So you should treat your bedroom as a sanctuary. Space permitted, we recommend you keep your sleep area separated from where you work. Studies indicate that this behaviour alone can improve sleep quality.
Bedroom hygiene is critical during a pandemic. Wash your beddings often to minimise the dirt/virus being absorbed by your mattress and pillows. You should sanitise your pillows and mattress often as well. If your mattress is not a modern, high-quality mattress with a good air circulation, you may want to invest in a new one.
Be mindful of the fact that getting rid of a mattress requires more planning than simply throwing it in your building’s rubbish area. You must dispose of it carefully to better protect public health. Check out the mattress recycling services and follow their guidance!
Rearrange to make more space
If you are confined to your home, it’ll naturally start to feel smaller and tighter. With everyone having to work from home, it’ll feel more cramped than ever to all be in each other’s space 24/7.
Right now is the time to redecorate your home to create more space (or an illusion of space) for your sanity.
In order to minimise clutter and best utilise limited space, multifunctional furniture are your best friends.
Examples of multifunctional furniture are: sofa with a folded-in table, a revolving nightstand with bookshelves, and a headboard with storage. Uncluttered space, uncluttered mind!
Do distinctly different activities each day
Often, being confined to your home for a prolonged period of time will make each day blurry and jumbled. This could negatively impact your brain performance as your brain needs to be exposed to a variety for optimal stimuli.
To combat the weakening mental and intellectual capacity, you can set up a few stations of activities around the house where available.
Each station will have its own distinct activity such as painting, light exercise, reading, crafts, etc. for a balanced mental health. Worst thing you can do is to spend all of your time at home between your desk and couch/bed.