desymbol: A Submarine Service Member Shares 7 Tips On How To Get Through Isolation

Following the pleas of doctors and medical officials from all over the world, more and more people have started following the rules of self-distancing (and even finding wholesome ways to keep their spirits up while doing that). Some others are either forced to lock themselves up in quarantine due to their recent travels or are just trying to be good citizens and “flatten the curve” – by locking themselves at home in order to avoid getting infected and thus removing at least a little bit of potential tension from the medical system, as well as allowing scientists more time to research vaccines and treatments.

People from all areas of expertise who have experience with lockdowns or simply working from home effectively are taking over social media with their best advice on how to cope with the recent situation involving the Covid-19 pandemic. Ex-navy submariner Jon Bailey is among them and he recently took to Twitter to share his best tips for getting through the isolation.

Ex-navy submariner Jon Bailey recently shared his advice on how to get through the isolation period

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More and more people are going into self-isolation even if they’re not infected to prevent themselves from catching the novel coronavirus and putting even more strain on the healthcare system. While it may seem courageous and maybe even pretty easy at the beginning, most people tend to start feeling the strain of staying isolated after a couple of days. However, people with the experience of coping while being stuck in a limited space, like astronauts, divers, etc., are taking to social media to share their tips on how to get through it in one piece.

He shared his experience with being isolated and cooped up in tiny spaces during his years in the Navy

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Robot Submarine driver & fixer, scuba instructor, ex- NHS ICU Techex And ex-Navy submariner Jon Bailey has an impressive resume of jobs that require the skills of managing your mental health while being isolated. Therefore, he felt he had to share his experience with others and put it all into a brilliant Twitter thread.

He started his thread by advising people to find the routine that works best for them

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He also shared that it’s really important to find some time for yourself

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A retired NASA astronaut who spent nearly a year on the ISS, Scott Kelly, also thought his tips on isolation could be useful for people all over the world. Same as Jon Bailey, he’s convinced it’s best to follow a schedule. “You will find maintaining a plan will help you and your family adjust to a different work and home life environment. When I returned to Earth, I missed the structure it [work in the International Space Station] provided and found it hard to live without,” said Mr. Kelly.

Let’s not forget good eating habits as well

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Jon advises searching on YouTube for at-home workouts and dedicating at least 20-30 minutes a day for exercising

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He also advised going outside and exercising for a while: “Research has shown that spending time in nature is beneficial for our mental and physical health, as is exercise. You don’t need to work out two and a half hours a day, as astronauts on the space station do, but getting moving once a day should be part of your quarantine schedule (just stay at least six feet away from others).”

He also pointed out the importance of adding cleaning to your daily routine

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And most importantly, he advised not to forget to maintain the connections you have!

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Both men agreed on the vital importance of taking time to connect. “Even with all the responsibilities of serving as commander of a space station, I never missed the chance to have a videoconference with family and friends. Scientists have found that isolation is damaging not only to our mental health but to our physical health as well, especially our immune systems. Technology makes it easier than ever to keep in touch, so it’s worth making time to connect with someone every day — it might actually help you fight off viruses,” Kelly said.