TOPIC 4

What You
Can Do
Practicing Self-Care It’s still possible to exercise and stay
connected even in the midst of a
pandemic. This aerial view shows
Whether or not you are quarantined, life during a pandemic can what social distancing looks like for
feel strange and stressful. Anxiety about yourself or loved ones a neighborhood yoga class.

contracting the virus, combined with a drastically altered pace of

life, create an unfamiliar landscape for maintaining physical and
psychological health.

• The most important thing is to remain physically healthy and

virus-free. This means following guidelines like washing your
hands frequently, maintaining social distance from others, and
monitoring yourself for symptoms.

• Attend to your mental health by staying informed and using

accurate information about the reality of the situation.
However, remember to take breaks from the news and social
media. Constant updates on the pandemic can be
overwhelming.

• Try to develop or continue healthy behaviors, including eating

a balanced diet, exercising, and getting plenty of sleep.

• Connect with others. Make time to call and video-chat with

friends and family members to talk about what’s happening.
 Caring for the Community

Keeping physical distance from others is vital but

remember that there are other ways to care for and
protect your community.

• Bear in mind that the people most at risk are the

elderly, those with chronic medical conditions,
and medical professionals. You are social
distancing for yourself and for them.

• Check in on people you care about, whom you

may not talk to as often under normal
circumstances. Take special care to keep in
contact with elderly relatives, people with mental
health struggles like depression, and those who
are sheltered alone.

• Support local businesses by purchasing gift cards

People found a way to celebrate all kinds of occasions even though they couldn’t for use after mobility restrictions have lifted or
physically be together. Here, a group of caring friends organized a drive-by car parade
for 5-year-old Aidan Schaefer of Rockville Centre, New York. Aiden had just finished his ordering books from small independent
last treatment in a 3-year battle against leukemia. bookstores.
Staying Positive

While the nation waits for a cohesive support plan from the
federal government, many people have approached
problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic at the local
level.

• Crowdfunding for small businesses

Many small businesses that can’t operate remotely, such
as restaurants, have seen financial aid come from their
customers via crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter.

• Supporting from a distance

Teachers visiting students’ driveways, “happy birthday”
parades for isolated people, opera performances from
apartment windows—people have gotten creative in their
efforts to stay connected and support each other.

• Cheering on medical heroes

All over the globe, quarantined citizens are opening
windows and stepping onto porches and balconies to
applaud the medical workers on the frontlines of the fight
against COVID-19.
Signs like this one popped up across the country as grateful citizens recognized
the often-heroic efforts of the medical community to care for a huge surge in
patients.
Critical Thinking

• Why is it important to stay home, even if you are not sick and are
not in a high-risk group?
• What are the most interesting and creative ideas you’ve
encountered for staying in touch from a distance?
• Why is it important to take breaks from the news and social media?
• What are some efforts being made in your local community for
supporting medical personnel as they fight the virus and care for
the ill?
• What do you think life might be like after the quarantine is over?
How will people act differently after experiencing this pandemic?