As we edge closer to the Movement Control Order’s (MCO) end date, it’s safe to say that there’s a sense of growing eagerness and anticipation for many of us to return to some semblance of a daily routine. At the time of publishing this article, there’s less than a week left on the clock before the countdown.
On a related note, considering the amount of time that the majority of us have spent indoors and in close proximity with other people in the same area. It’s not unusual for some of us may become easily irritable or develop a sense of restlessness, or both. If you do have these symptoms, do not worry; you’re not sick, you probably are just suffering from cabin fever.
In this article, we thought we would take some time to talk about the effects of cabin fever and some of the steps you can proactively take to reduce that restlessness. Bear in mind, what is written here are merely suggestions and as such, they aren’t meant to be treated as gospel. At this point, we do ask that you treat this more like a simple guideline.
Be Patient, Stay Calm
If you’re like most Malaysians, you’re probably living in a house or apartment with one or more individuals. There’s no beating around the bush on this topic: living in close proximity with other people and without a lot of personal space can and will breed discord.
Be it, family or friends, it is highly likely that you’ve already stepped on their toes – several times, even – and grounded gears throughout the last several weeks, and vice versa. Unfortunately, and you’re going to be hearing this phrase a lot, we are currently living in precarious times. As such, you’re going to have to steel your mind and exercise a lot more patience than most of us may be used to.
Which brings us to the following steps…
Take A Breather
Let’s be clear: it’s a Movement Control Order (MCO), not Total Lockdown, and yes, there is a very clear distinction. The order was put into effect in an effort to limit our movement for a set duration, not curtail our freedom entirely.
So, that doesn’t mean you can’t step outside the confines of your own home or out on to your street. By all means, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, step outside into your garden and take a whiff of whatever fragrant flowers or herbs you’ve been growing. And no, I’m not referring to that kind of “herb”. For those of you living in an apartment; if you have a balcony, just step out on to it and breathe deep. Regardless of the view that greets you.
Stepping out of the house to stock up on groceries and buying food is yet another opportunity for you to stretch your legs. Yes, you’ll still need to practice social distancing, as well as wear a mask and bring a bottle of hand sanitiser. But given the times, prevention is always better than cure.
Also, we don’t believe this needs saying, but if you encounter a roadblock and you’re asked to turn back home, do as the police officers say. Don’t be a hero or act like a rebel and go against their order. Remember, these officers can and will arrest you if they deem it necessary.
Keep Yourself Distracted
As that cliche saying goes, an idle mind is the devil’s playground. To get through this MCO, you’ll want to try and distract yourself with as many activities as you can. And realistically, there are plenty of things you can do.
We’ll start by addressing the one activity that gamer, specifically, can do and do best: gaming. For those among you with a gaming PC, now’s good a time as any to finally clear up that backlog game title you’ve been accumulating on Steam, Epic Games Store, and Uplay, to name a few.
The same can be said for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 (PS4) owners, especially considering some of the triple-A titles that Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is currently giving away for free to PS Plus members.
If gaming isn’t your thing and you’re looking to read more books, there are plenty books you can read online at the moment. As it stands, Scribd, one of the largest ebooks and audiobooks repository service is the US, recently made its entire library free to the masses until later this month.
Naturally, catching up on your favourite shows on your favourite streaming services is another alternative to keeping yourself occupied. In Malaysia, that usually means Netflix, iFlix, Astro, or Viu for your Korean drama needs.
Of course, if you’re looking to calm down with some music, you can always turn to Spotify or just head over to YouTube to watch your favourite artist performing in their music video. We won’t suggest what you should listen to; music is a personal thing, and what we may find soothing may very well strike a wrong chord with others.
Another thing you can do is to talk, either with the ones you’re currently living with or via conference call. Communication is important, now more so than ever; not only does it help us know how everyone else in our life is doing, it also helps our social skills. After all, no man is an island.
Lastly, try and keep fit. Despite being a lifestyle technology site, we do recommend that you give yourself a break from your gadgets and PC every so often. You don’t have to run a marathon in and around your perimeter, despite one man proving that it was possible. If you have weights, you can put them to use by doing some curls. If not, a simple set of push-up, sit-ups, and squats will more than suffice.
Additional images sourced from Pexel.
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