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The Ultimate Guide to Surviving the Pandemic

BY READERS DIGEST

17th Aug 2020 Wellbeing

The coronavirus pandemic has well and truly scuppered just about all our plans so far this year. Whether it was a spring getaway to some idyllic oasis, a summer of live music, or just enjoying the company of your friends and relatives, we’ve all been forbidden or strongly discouraged from partaking. The end of the lockdowns around the world now seems in sight but that doesn’t mean it’s back to business as usual just yet. The coronavirus is still with us and some nations have seen a resurgence of case, which is a worrying sign that things might revert back to almost complete isolation. 

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Just because governments around the world are saying it’s now safe to head out to the pub, the park, or school doesn’t mean it necessarily is. It’s still a good idea to maintain social distancing where possible. For that, you might well need some of our top tips for surviving the pandemic and its aftermath.  

Express Yourself with Your Mask

It’s summer. Temperatures at their hottest and the last thing we want to do is strap on a facemask. However, it’s still a good idea to do so. With more information available about the coronavirus than at the start of lockdown, it seems apparent that not everyone is as vulnerable to the disease as once thought. But just because you might not fall into the most vulnerable groups doesn’t mean you can abandon advised safety measures. 

Remember that even those not vulnerable to developing some of the nastier side effects of the virus can still carry it. If you do pick it up from somewhere, anyone you come into contact with is at risk. That includes anyone who might have a compromised immune system. 

Wearing a facemask isn’t fun. It significantly impacts our ability as humans to communicate with one another. Facial expressions are a massive part of communication and their absence from conversations makes them feel impersonal and sometimes cold. However, this is a small price to pay to keep your friends and family safe. 

Facemasks don’t have to be surgical-looking though. You can accessorise with them! If you’re just going out and about for a walk around town, a full surgical facemask might not be necessary. For casual encounters at a safe distance, you can wear something a little jazzier that reflects your personality more. Fabric masks come in all different designs, meaning you don’t have to look like you’ve just finished a shift at the operating table! 

That said, it’s worth remembering that fabric face masks don’t offer quite the same protection as surgical ones. If you know you’re going to be coming into close contact with many different people, you should opt for something that will block transmission of the virus with a higher degree of certainty. Having both a fabric mask and a supply of surgical ones will allow you to survive the pandemic in style when its appropriate and provide enough protection when it’s needed. 

Expand Your Mind

Most of us have been granted a huge amount of free time compared to our usual lifestyles. With millions furloughed around the world and those still in work not having the same recreation options when they clock off, there is a strong temptation to sit around in your pants watching Netflix or scrolling through social media. 

However, that’s not very productive and at best it gets boring quickly. At worst, it’s downright unhealthy. Sure, catching up on your favourite series isn’t particularly destructive but sitting alone scrolling through social media can be. 

Social media allows people to shape the way the world sees them by providing a snapshot of their existence in a vacuum. The image of a family life you long for demonstrated by an old school friend on Instagram almost certainly isn’t their reality. Their posts highlighting their culinary skills or blissful children playing happily together really isn’t the whole picture. What you’re not seeing is their petty bickering with their partner over whose turn it is to do the washing up or the fact that they too look like a potato when they first get out of bed! 

Even though we might not mean to, we subconsciously compare ourselves to these unrealistic depictions of our friends, relatives, and even celebrities. At a time of recommended isolation, the impact on our mental health this can cause can be extreme. 

Why not step away from these passive distractions and do something more rewarding? We’ve all got a bucket list of reading material we’d like to get through or some skill we’d love to develop. All this free time is the perfect opportunity to get stuck in. 

Get in End-Times Shape

Ok, getting in shape in preparation for the end of the world might be an extreme way to put it but working out is a great idea during a public health crisis. Most people are talking about avoiding getting exposed to coronavirus in the first place. However, not many are discussing ways to potentially reduce its impact if you are unlucky enough to contract it. 

It stands to reason that your chances of surviving the pandemic are much greater if your overall health is better. Regular exercise is one of the fastest ways to start improving your health. Yeah, the gyms might be shut and mixing with other folks sweating and breathing heavily in an enclosed space is probably not the greatest idea right now. That doesn’t mean you can’t do anything to stay in shape though. 

A lot of people think they need the kind of fancy equipment provided by a gym to exercise. That really isn’t the case. Your body is all you really need! Going for a run, a brisk walk, or a cycle can all be really beneficial and still allow you to socially distance. They also allow you to get outside of your house for an hour or two in a safe way whilst increasing your overall health, which will make for a healthier immune system. 

If you’re more about getting strong and working on that beach body for a time when it’s safe to head down to the coast, you still don’t need a gym. Just get on YouTube and search for body-weight exercises. Press ups, sit ups, planks, and squat trusts are just some the many ways you can improve your physique without any additional equipment. The endorphins released during strenuous sessions will also help combat some of the negative mental health consequences of extended periods of isolation too.  

Profiting in the Pandemic

Many of us have been sent home from work with near full pay for the last few months. All that extra free time has left us without much to do. Meanwhile, most of the local businesses we know and love are seriously struggling. 

Wouldn’t it be great if when they all open their doors for full service, you had a load of extra cash in your wallet to support them? Well, thanks to no deposit online casino bonuses, there’s a risk-free way to possibly do just that. 

Even if you’re not a regular gambler, a no deposit bonus is a great way to pass some time and to potentially win money without risk. Many online casinos attempt to attract new players to their platforms by offering those that sign up the chance to play their games without making a deposit. 

All you need to do is find a casino offering a no deposit bonus, register an account, claim the bonus, and start playing. You’ll probably get a handful of free spins or a fixed amount of bonus cash to play with. Whilst the casinos make it difficult to profit from such offers, it’s not impossible. The more of offers you claim, the more likely you are to hit a big win and make some risk-free money to spend at your favourite businesses post-coronavirus. We used NoDepositFriend.com to find the best no deposit bonus codes out there today. We’re still waiting on that big win though! 

Take Advantage of 21st Century Tech!

There really has never been a better time to be forced into such an unprecedented lockdown. The internet has meant that you needn’t leave your house to engage in all kinds of activities. You can have a socially distanced cocktail party, attend live stream concerts, study a foreign language, have the latest movies beamed straight into your living room, access a library of the world’s most famous literature, and more – the possibilities are almost endless! 

It might not be the same as doing any of the above for real but just imagine if this situation occurred 15 or 20 years ago. We’d all be tearing our hair out sat at home with five TV channels, whatever books we had on our bookshelves already, and our own thoughts! Lockdown might feel like a massive waste of the finite amount of time we have on this earth but it really could be much worse. Learn to embrace it! The government probably won’t pay you to take another three-month holiday anytime soon!

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