April 2, 2020
Who knows more about being isolated than Astronauts? Looking at you, Major Tom. Astronaut and the year-long International Space Station inhabitant, Scott Kelly has a few tips for those of us currently residing in Space Station Housebound due to COVID-19.
- Get yourself a schedule and try to stick to it. Having a routine can be the tether that keeps us from feeling unmoored.
- Remember to lift your nose off the grindstone. Take breaks and build in time for fun activities.
- Get outside. It’s not like you need a spacesuit.
- Get a hobby. You’ve probably got some extra time on your hands now. Time to start building that ship in a bottle. A hobby can be a form of self-expression that can serve as an excellent coping mechanism.
- Keep a journal. This time is unprecedented, and you and your progeny might enjoy looking back on your thoughts during this period. Who knows, you might even turn it into a best-selling book!
- Take time to connect. Science says that isolation has negative effects on not just our mental well-being but our physical health as well. Check-in with family and friends daily, even if it’s just by phone or Facetime.
And if you’re looking for other pearls of wisdom from the (pseudo) spacefaring, check out the former Captain James T. Kirk’s twitter feed. (You may currently know him as William Shatner.) He serves up the occasional captain’s log update with gems like: “Stardate 14 of self-imposed isolation…working on finishing my draft of Ode to Isolation today to share. Use of rhyming couplets and emojis can be difficult when trying to compose to your struggles and issues.”
Live long and prosper—just do it 6 feet apart.