For a year I have been working from my bedroom in an apartment in Dublin. I don't have many exciting things to report, because I have barely left the city due to the lockdown radius the Irish government implements during high lockdown stages. Being an expat during a global pandemic is hard. Here are some tips that helped me cope with >12 months of a global pandemic and several lockdowns.
Establish a Routine
I know many colleagues and friends who don't bother putting on proper clothes sometimes. Who cares when you work from home all the time - or you don't work at all? Many of our previous routines aren't relevant anymore - no commute, no office work, no lunch preparation. I do appreciate being able to start my work with wet hair and in fluffy socks, but I also find that having some sort of routine helps me to structure my day. It also gives me a sense of accomplishment when I stick to it. I saw working from home as a great opportunity to incorporate more of my hobbies into my day. I try to read a chapter of a book and do a couple of Spanish lessons before getting up. Maybe this is the best time to start a new habit!
Find ways to manage your stress
First off - I was a non-believer when people told me that yoga changed their life or that mindfulness meditations helped them manage their anxieties. I always liked a good yoga session but I did it more for the activity itself rather than managing my anxieties. Until the pandemic hit. I went through a particularly stressful time last year where I felt everything was coming together - a stressful time at work, many friends leaving the country, roommates moving out, and COVID lockdowns. To my surprise, yoga and a couple of minutes of mindfulness every morning helped me to set my mind straight for the day and to increase my stress resistance.
Stay Connected
Particularly when you are more of an introverted person, it can be very easy to slip into isolation during the pandemic without much exchange with others. I know there are only so many zoom quizzes a human being can attend, and none of it replaces in-person meetings. But maybe because no one is really able to do much else - I felt it was much easier finding time to connect with family and friends. And even if I don't actually leave my house and can't change anything about the overall situation - a phone call with a friend always leaves me feeling better than before!
Reduce your news consumption
When the pandemic hit, I was obsessed with the news. Every day - sometimes several times a day - I would scroll down news pages to hear the latest and greatest. The first thing I did in the morning was to take my phone and read up on the COVID situation in Ireland and Germany. How many cases were there? Who was closing their borders? By doing that the pandemic became this omnipresent topic being discussed in every conversation I had. After a while, I grew so tired, that I stopped following it. I still occasionally check the news to keep track of the latest regulations and I of course check in with my colleagues, family, and friends to see how they're doing. But that's enough COVID-related discussions for me.
Volunteer
You can sit at home, debate about the pros and cons of the latest COVID regulations, or be upset about how you cannot travel at the moment, and sometimes a rant is all you need. But you can also turn this energy into something positive. I have started volunteering once a week with an organization called turn2me - an online portal that provides mental health resources to people online. The portal offers people a place to share their thoughts, sign up for focus groups for topics like bereavements or front line workers - and even offers free counselling for people living in Ireland. I have talked to many people feeling anxious or isolated because of COVID and who on top of the pandemic, experienced additional hardships. Everyone is doing the best they can, and it is always a good idea to pass on a positive word if you can!
Be positive
Yeah, this is a hard one, and I also need to constantly work on it. Yes, we are in a global pandemic. Yes, there are many things we cannot do at the moment and it is easy to get lost in debates about whether travelling to Spain is safe and how everyone suffers from the 101st lockdown. In these times it is more important than ever to stay positive and to not let the haters bring you down. Life the best life you can without getting irritated by other people's choices. Happy people don't just have a better mindset, they are also more successful. Don't believe me? Read it up in "The Happiness Advantage" by Shawn Achor. Unfollow negative people on Instagram - and maybe even give yourself a pep talk!
Weather you are an expat or not - I would love to hear about your tips regarding surviving a global pandemic!
Kate recommends: A good pandemic read I recommend is Dune, by Frank Herbert. Ab absolute classic if you haven't read it yet - even before Star Wars or The Matrix. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it does have several sequels and who knows how long the next lockdown lasts?!?