Authored by Brandon Verastegui
Edited by John Fierst
Before you continue your swim in the vast ocean of the internet to find new information about the Coronavirus, you should keep in mind that regardless of the countless tips and suggestions, you as an individual are responsible for yourself. But in this situation, any decision you make can affect not only yourself but also those around you, and for that reason you should not only care about yourself but also about how we all are going to survive as a society.
Many people are going crazy buying unnecessary amounts of things, which is creating chaos and a supply deficit. Media and the government have kept us aware of the best way to take care of ourselves, but what if we think about providing for one another in the best way possible during these times? What if previous generations taught us better ways to deal with these “scary” scenarios? But we are now squarely in a place where we all as Millennials have an opportunity to handle this crisis with grace and thus prepare future generations for success in times of crisis and in times where being socially conscious and sharing resources may be the only way to survive.
In addition to the other articles written for the debut of Millennials’ Era, I wanted to take the opportunity to share my own thoughts and guide to the Coronavirus pandemic.
First and foremost, stay home and chillax.
This virus spreads very fast and easily, many of us might carry it without even being aware. I would be remiss if I did now acknowledge that we must turn our lives into a “staying at home 24/7” mode. It is also important for you to chill out because we need all of us to avoid chaotic actions such buying massive amounts of toilet paper, masks or anything that could become a bigger obstacle in the future rather than helping us in the short term. Just take a look at this video:
Be a slacker (or learn something new).
Just chill! There are plenty of things on the internet to browse, shows, documentaries, and tutorials to watch…which by the way I highly recommend learning new skills. There are a bunch of sites that are giving free lessons due to coronavirus. I personally recommend checking out Adobe tutorials, so you can learn how to make your own videos to take your social media accounts to a pro level.
We made a very cool chill modern music playlist on our youtube account check it out by clicking here.
Stay home, but be a cyber socialite.
Some people can’t stand being alone, even if they call themselves “introverts”; anxiety can create a strong desire for human interaction. Finding new friends in person honestly could lead you to get coronavirus! So stick to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Email, TikTok, (insert any other social media channel here), and repeat. You can do it from anywhere in your home, and no one is going to find out that you said “Hi, how are you?” while sitting on your toilet. I would also recommend to check this 4 tips about how to work efficiently from home.
Clean, desinfect, sanitize, is the new exercise.
You are most likely to get even tired of sitting on the couch for long periods of time, take the chance to sweep, wash the dishes, mop, and all of those things you don’t do normally, it will help your mental & physical health.
I also recommend you to check this article about What you need to know about: Cleaning Disinfecting and Sanitizing Your Space in Coronavirus Times.
Be the king/queen of the PJs.
If you haven’t noticed by now, I am highlighting the only way for us to survive, and while there are super smart medical professionals on the frontline of this epidemic containing the exponentially growing number of patients, you will be helping as much as possible when you chill out on your own couch wearing those PJs (or random shirts and random sweaters that you wouldn’t dare to go out of door with). It might get boring so for that reason I challenge you to the #PJChallenge where you pretend you are walking on a runaway in New York Fashion Week with the most fashionable outfit ever – that fashionable outfit being your most random choice of PJs making the best reference to those random fashion styles that not all of us understand, just kidding.
Ok, if you need sunlight then…
Things might feel stressful and claustrophobic for people who haven’t developed healthy coping mechanisms for their mental health. So when you do need to go out, go to your backyard, stretch, chill out with a cup of coffee, a cup of tea, a beer, a glass of wine, a margarita (or maybe a combination of those last 3 things…). And in case you don’t have that much space, walking around your neighborhood is okay, as long as you maintain social distance!
You still need food and goods…plan ahead!
Remember that going out is a total no, so the only reason why you should go out is to buy groceries. Try buying food for the week (or for longer if you can swing it). And don’t buy more toilet paper than what you need. Another hint: do not make small orders on delivery apps. It is better to place larger orders so we make the most efficient use of delivery drivers.
Pray…
…for having 5G installed by the time all of this ends. Jokes aside, reach out to your friends and family, ask them how they are. Some of them (and maybe ourselves too) could begin to develop symptoms. Apart from the physical, be the one to provide moral support, as this could be very much appreciated. Be respectful of those in difficult times. Per instance you might wanna check this real case of a friend of ours here in this article.
Techniques to relax will help.
There are many techniques to relax that involve breathing. I personally recommend hot water baths (with bath salts if you want). Fill the tub with hot water, lay down, and your lungs will feel a bit of pressure which should allow you to focus on your breathing. Relax your body while you breathe slowly and deeply. Your relaxed body should be able to allow your lungs to stretch and improve their ability to take in air.
You can also check this other article that explain more in depth about the psychology behind the worldwide pandemic panic by clicking here.
If you smoke, there is no better time to quit!
Smoking is never recommended, but certainly in these times, adult smokers should really be trying to stop smoking, since there is important evidence that vaping and smoking tobacco and/or marijuana can lead to more severe cases of coronavirus. So stop playing with your life. If you smoke while you drink, you may consider quitting drinking so you don’t feel the urge to smoke.”
Train your brain to think positively.
This is among the most important points in my article. This is the time to be introspective, to be mindful, to ponder what brought us here. Many of those thoughts may lead our mind to a negative place, whether that be about our future, our health, or the future and health of others.
The best way that I know to control your thoughts and become more positive is through the mastery of your brain’s hemispheres through what is called ambidexterity. Ambidexterity can help you significantly right now. It’s a form of “meditation in action” which means that the more you can relax your train of thought, the more deeply you can meditate. It’s in the art of self-examination where our own unbridled inner voice can tell us that we are incapable of using our less dominant brain hemisphere. Once we are able to move past the limitations of our minds, we can feel truly free, and I believe if we all try this, then we will be on the right path to help ourselves and teach our kids how to handle crises.
Document your life!
You might want to keep track of important things that happen at this point in your life. Some of us who have lost our jobs and have nothing more responsible to do than stay at home might as well do something productive! For that reason we want to invite every Millennial out there to collaborate with us, so if you have an article you would like to publish, send it as a Google Doc to themillennialsera@gmail.com – if you get selected to publish, we will notify you and work with you to make it ready to share online. Spread the message!
To all of our readers, I say thank you for supporting Millennials’ Era in our debut. We hope you stay safe and healthy during this unprecedented time, and we look forward to sharing many more articles with you. Brandon V.
Wow this is excellent! Thank you for your post. This is an awesome article regarding awareness and self-care during this abnormal lifestyle shift.
(+) Vibes & Well Wishes to all!
Sincerely,
David Temple