COURSE: 6TH YEAR

PROF: MARÌA CECILIA RICOMINI

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

How to Keep Mentally Healthy During a Quarantine

March 23, 2020
Judie Shape, 81, tested positive for coronavirus. She reads from her bed at the Life Care Center of Kirkland. This nursing home in
Seattle, Washington is the center of one of the biggest coronavirus outbreaks in the U.S., March, 2020. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

 EMBEDo media source currently available

6:036:034:00
 Direct link 
 Pop-out player
From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle Report.

Several governments around the world have requested or ordered their citizens to quarantine themselves: to
stay at home to avoid contact with others.

Quarantines help slow the spread of diseases like COVID-19. It first appeared in China in late December and
quickly became a worldwide health emergency.

Quarantines, however, can cause health problems themselves. People are at greater risk of anxiety and
depression as a result of the isolation caused by quarantines.

So, health experts around the world are offering advice to help deal with the undesirable effects of
quarantines on mental health.

Psychologist Claudia W. Allen is among them. She directs the behavioral science department at the
University of Virginia School of Medicine. She leads the Family Stress Clinic there as well.

Keep your usual routine

Allen says continuing with normal routines as much as possible will help you stay healthy during
quarantines. For example, she says people should continue to wake up and get dressed at their usual time.
She says with some people staying in pajamas all day could lead to feelings of being unproductive or
without purpose.

Make a plan

She also advises people to make plans. Write a list of activities and times for carrying them out. These
activities might include cleaning your home, paying bills, making calls and preparing meals. Health experts
also suggest eating your meals at your usual times.

Don’t forget “self-care” activities

Allen says everyone should include “self-care” activities during quarantine, such as exercise, reading or
playing musical instruments. Getting exercise is important. Even if you must stay indoors, make sure to
move your body. Maybe seek some online exercise classes.

Keeping a list will help you balance the things you have to do and the things you want to do. Allen also
suggests using a quarantine to develop a new skill or to learn about something.
A woman wearing a face mask takes a picture of a blossomed tree downtown in Prague, Czech Republic, Monday, March
23, 2020. Czech Republic has made it mandatory that all people must cover their mouths and noses in public to stem the
spread of the coronavirus.
Go outside

Like most health experts, Allen also advises people to make sure to spend time outdoors. Being in nature can
help to ease boredom and other tensions of quarantine.

So, take a walk. Work in the yard if you have one. Start a garden. Explore some woods or wild areas. Get
sunshine on your face. Wash your car or bicycle.

Use social media wisely

Social media does connect us. But too much of it might cause harm.

Psychologist Claudia Allen says some studies show that social media can make some people feel left out or
“less than.” She suggests using it wisely. One way is to meet with friends, family, neighbors and others over
video messaging services.

Find ways to help

Allen says helping others is another way to lift your spirit during quarantine. This could be as simple as
calling someone who is alone or greeting a neighbor from your window.

You could also provide a service online. For example, if you are a teacher, you could offer online homework
help to friends who must now home-school their children.
And, keep a check on your own feelings. If you are experiencing difficulty from the effects of quarantine,
contact a health care provider, a community organization or an emergency hotline number.

And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report.

I’m Mario Ritter, Jr.

If you are under quarantine, let us know how you are coping. How are you keeping your mental health
strong?

Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/how-to-keep-mentally-healthy-during-a-quarantine/5341921.html

Read the article

Highlight any particular vocabulary that you might find new, interesting or really useful for future activities.
Follow the link and listen to the speaker carefully.
Do the quiz
What was your result?
Write down your opinion about people’s mental health during a quarantine period.
QUIZ
Tick the answer you consider is the right one and support it.

1- This article talks about a possible health risk of quarantines. Which of those below is that risk?
o Healthy food choices are limited during quarantine.
o People in quarantine may lose muscle mass from lack of exercise.
o The lack of fresh air can cause breathing problems.
o Quarantine can lead to depression and isolation in some people.
2- What advice does this article give on having routines during a quarantine?
o Wear comfortable pajamas every day.
o Get enough rest by sleeping late each morning.
o Save water by showering twice a week.
o Stick to a regular schedule as much as you can.
3- What is Claudia Allen’s main advice on using social media during a quarantine?
o Try to stay off of social media if possible.
o Avoid social media when you wake up and before bed.
o Be careful and use social media wisely.
o Write down how much social media you use daily.
4- This article mentions some ways to help others during a quarantine. Which of the answers below is one of them?
o Offer vehicle rides to your friends and neighbours.
o You could provide a service over the internet.
o Invite people who may feel isolated to the park.
o You can volunteer to read to patients at the hospital.