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June 9, 2020
By: Larry Ginsberg
I'm getting used to being quarantined, and now I'm feeling stressed about going out again.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the term homebody was a quaint way of saying someone preferred the comforts of quiet evenings at home rather than being out and about. Since the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, many of us have become full-time homebodies.

According to Arunesh Mishra, M.D., "Our home represents a place of safety, security and emotional respite from the stress of our daily lives." He continues, "Over the extended period of quarantine, people may have adjusted to the stress of the pandemic and are now finding comfort in feeling safe from exposure to the virus by being home. What in the early weeks of quarantine may have been challenging is now a 'new normal' and people are finding routines at home."

This same pattern is sometimes seen in prisoners who may have found comfort in the familiarity of their cells over time and feel anxious at the prospect of freedom and uncertainty of being released back to a society. Many of us may have settled into a comfort zone with quarantine that could present challenges and anxiety as we begin to slowly return to an outside world that will be very different than we knew.

Why being quarantined may now feel more comfortable:

We have adjusted - Being under quarantine at first coincided with the surge of the pandemic and daily news of growing cases and deaths. As the "curve has flattened" we have seen the benefits of quarantine and have gotten used to it.

We know what to expect - Being home 24/7 may be boring and we may lose track of what day it is, but we do now know what to expect every day and there are mostly no surprises.

We feel safe - We have seen that quarantine may not be exciting, but it does work. We stay indoors with no contact with anyone else, and we are in a safe bubble where we have little or no known risk of contracting the virus.

Why going out again may make us feel anxious:

Is it truly safe? Right now, the safest place we know may feel like our home, and as businesses begin to open we may be feeling "Is it too soon?". As we watch the news we are seeing many different forms of re-opening. The lack of a consistent and proven approach may leave us feeling stressed about how safe it really is.

I can't control everything around me - This can be a stressful part of coming out of quarantine. The concept of social distancing involves a very high level of self-enforcement, awareness, and trust with complete strangers. If you have been out at all lately, different people may have a different interpretation of what six feet looks like.

Which information can I trust? - There are so many sources of news and information that it is difficult to know which information to truly trust, especially when the safety of yourself and your family is at stake.

What can I do when getting ready to return to a "new normal"

Dr. Mishra noted, "As businesses begin to open most people will face a new phase of anxiety, stress and fear about being out in public places. I recommend being aware of your stress level and using coping skills like deep breathing exercises to manage anxiety. You should also talk openly about your concerns and fears. If your anxiety is interfering with your daily functions or causing other physical or emotional symptoms it may be time to talk to someone or seek care."

Some tips for managing stress and anxiety as we move out of quarantine:

Stress can be useful - A certain level of stress is normal, and just like someone may feel some stress before speaking in front of a group, there will be a normal level of stress associated with returning to regular activities.

Have a plan - Visualizing stressful situations beforehand can be helpful to anticipate how you may feel and react. Create a plan for going out that will make you comfortable and stick to the plan.

Be aware of how you are feeling - Feeling some level of stress or anxiety as we begin to venture out will be normal for a short period. If this interrupts sleep, appetite or daily activities, it may be a sign of something more serious and time to talk to someone.

Don't delay routine well care visits with your primary care physician - Taking care of all your health needs is important for your overall wellness, so don't forget to schedule routine visits with your physician.

If stressful quarantine has now become comfortable quarantine you have done great job of managing anxiety and using coping skills to avoid depression. The next step forward may be an uncomfortable one, the step into a restaurant or retail store again.

Next Steps & Resources:
The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.

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What If I Like Being Quarantined? - Behavioral Health, Cardiac / Heart Health, COVID-19, Health Topics - Hackensack Meridian Health

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By: Larry Ginsberg I'm getting used to being quarantined, and now I'm feeling stressed about going out again. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the term homebody was a quaint way of saying someone preferred the comforts of quiet evenings at home rather than being out and about.

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6 weird things you’re probably feeling right now that are perfectly normal

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Therapists weigh in on all those conflicting emotions we’re feeling right now — and why that’s OK.

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Hi, how are you? I hope you are well.

I want to get out!!!!! I can't stand quarantine anymore; it is very boring. I want to see my friends, go to a restaurant, come back to my old life, don't you? and I am so weird because at one moment I am fine, and at the next one I'm angry or sad; also I am so anxious but I don´t know why. I don´t like quarantine.
By the way, happy birthday!! I had sent you a present by carter, I hope you like it.
If you wish, someday we can talk by phone or play video games... Well, I have to go, the teacher is so noisy, and she´s explaining a new homework. Zoom lessons are disgusting but, in the meanwhile, I can play video games or send e-mails like now hahaha. Well now yes, I have to go, don´t feel sad, and happy birthday!
Bye,
See you,
Pato.

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Hi! I hope you are doing well,
I'll tell you how my quarantine was.
During my quarantine, many emotions had run through me. At first, it was happiness, the government had canceled the classes for "15 days of quarantine" they had just started, and I was already feeling fed up with them, so I took those 15 days as vacations. But those vacations turned into months, many months, and they weren't fun anymore. I started to feel lonely because I had lost contact with almost all my friends; my self-esteem was very low, I felt very bad. But I met a group of musicians, "Enhypen" is a k-pop group. I was never so interested in these types of groups but, when I met them, my mood started to improve a lot.  I didn't longer feel so lonely. I could even say that they became my "safe place."
Now that we are returning to "normality", I feel a little better, I must regain the confidence that I had before, to be able to socialize and make friends, also to recover all that love that I had before, but I know that things are going to improve.
I'll give you a little advice:
Look for a hobby, something you like to distract yourself a bit, like listening to music, dancing, watching movies, whatever. At least to get out of reality for a few minutes. I hope my piece of advice will serve you.
All the best
-Rena

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Hi Jaden!!
My name is Morena, and I'm a fan of yours.
I live in Argentina, Buenos Aires. When the quarantine started, I became a fan of you and your songs. You saved my life!.
When I felt bad because I couldn't see my friends and felt lonely, you accompanied me.
My favorite song of yours is "Pray" because I felt very identified.
A piece of advice that I want to give is if sometimes you feel bad or lonely or even happy, listening to music could help a lot.
Just one final thing, I love you so much, and thanks for making me happy.
More <3

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Hi, how are you?
Sorry that I haven't been in touch for a while, as you know, I´ve been in quarantine.
I'm happy now because the quarantine has finished and I can meet my friends again. But I want to tell you about my feelings during quarantine.
On the one hand, I felt sad and bored because I couldn´t see the rest of my family and friends. As you know, the teachers sent us a lot of homework, so it was stressful. On the other hand, I felt happy because I spent a lot of time with my family.
My recommendation is for you to do a bicycle routine.
Well, that´s all for now. Please, give my regards to your family.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Take care

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Hello!!
How are you? My name is Agustin, I live in Monte Chingolo, and I m 15 years old. I'm going to talk about my quarantine and how I felt during that period.
In the quarantine, I felt angry because I couldn't see my friends and I couldn't practice any sports. I used to talk every night with my friends and play video games with them. In the morning, I woke up at seven o'clock and connected to a virtual class. When my zoom lesson had finished, I had breakfast, and I watched tv. Late, I had lunch, and after finishing it, I did my homework and talked to my friends on a video call. Something positive is that during quarantine, I started guitar class again.
Something that helped me a lot was to be accompanied so If you feel sad, you should talk with your family because they may help you.
See you soon. XOXO
Agustin. P :)

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Hello!! How are you? My name is Juan Cruz Lombardo and in the quarantine, I felt bored and angry for not being able to get together with my friends and my family. In the pandemic, I played Play Station and PC games with my friends.
Little by little, I got together with my friends in person. I also started exercising and spending time with my parents and siblings. At one point, I enjoyed the pandemic because I didn't have so much homework.
My advice is that if you get bored, do exercise as time passes quickly.
See you!!!

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Dear Santiago, Pricila and Caterina,

In my quarantine, I didn´t have a good or bad time. At first, it was good because I did not go to school so, I spent time playing console games with friends.
But as the days went by, I got bored, and I started doing different things to keep myself distracted, for example, exercising and cooking, but in the long run, I also got tired of always doing the same. To stop this, what I did was to start new activities such as playing the guitar.
Despite all this, I felt fortunate since my family always supported and helped me. The quarantine became less strict, so I could go back to my current school and meet my friends from there and those from my previous school too.
My tip is always to try to do something (some kind of activity), and if you feel sad, talk to trusted people you think will help you.

Bye,
Let´s talk soon.

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Hello Valen!
How are you? My name is Ludmila, I´m 16 years old and I live in Lanús.
At the beginning of the quarantine, everything was fine, but then it started to last more and more. I couldn´t see my friends, go out or get to school, I didn't enjoy it. However, I enjoyed being with my family and doing the Zoom classes in my bed.
Something negative about the confinement was that it got to the point I didn't like it at all; I missed my daily activities.
Here is my advice, take care of your family and stay home.
Write me soon xoxo

Luu!

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Hi Taylor!
How are you? my name is Valentina and i´m a huge fan of you. I live in Buenos Aires, argentina.  When the quarantine started, I became fan of you and your songs. Although all the covid-19 stuff, it wasn´t such a bad year, I met you! haha.
When i felt sad because i couldn't see my friends, I used to listen to your songs, especially the album you dropped during this period, "Folklore".
In July my father got sick, he had covid. It was a very sad month but luckily he is okey now. What emotions did you feel during quarantine? did you miss all your friends? I did.
I think you should come to Argentina someday, it would be fantastic.
Just one final thing. Is it true that you are making a new album next month? I need to know!
All the best!
xoxo
Valen.

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Hi,
I hope you are well. Let's talk a little about my quarantine feelings.
At the beginning of the quarantine, I didn't care much since it was only going to last some days, but it started to last for months, and I started to care more about my family.
I was feeling good until quarantine began to lengthen. I started to doubt certain things about myself, which made me feel bad. I isolated myself from the world, but I realized that staying away from my friends was going to make everything worse, so we contacted again, and the time passed.
I will give you some advice: you can look for a hobby such as sport, music, reading or watching tv; you can also be with your friends and family.
Kisses.

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Hi! Hope you are good! It was a long time without writing you…

You have asked me how I feel about all this so I want to tell you about that.

In the quarantine, I felt sad because I haven’t seen my familiars and my friends for much time. I also felt Nostalgia for the past, because I spent a long time without seeing my friends, going to school, playing sports...

The zoom classes were good because I gather with some friends and had things to do during the quarantine.

So I want to tell you some tips for you to go through quarantine (They helped me a lot).

·     Stay at home: So you don’t get endanger your life and the life of others.
·     Talk with your friends or family.
·     Don’t be stressed, find things to do.

Well, I hope this serves you,
see you.

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In this quarantine, I felt bored with having to be locked up all day. I was hungry because there were times I did not eat in the morning thanks to the zooms. I felt angry and stressed because my computer crashed. I felt sad because I couldn´t see my friends. And I felt happy because I could see a lot of movies, series, and others.

Let me advise you when you are bored do not stay still in one place, always look for things to do.

Hope you're well,
Kisses,
Kiara