Staying healthy while being cooped up inside for weeks at a time is not an easy task. The fast spreading coronavirus pandemic has resulted in weeks of quarantine for those all across the world. In the United States, schools have shut down until mid April, and students are already struggling. Amidst all the chaos, here are a few simple ways to keep yourself healthy and on a schedule during these long weeks.

Eat right and stay clean

Eating healthy during school is not such a hard task, as you are constantly busy and don’t have the opportunity to snack. Unfortunately, being stuck in the house 24/7 definitely increases the desire to binge on whatever you can find in the pantry. Try to stick to normal-sized three meals a day, with maybe two snacks in between. Eating balanced meals is important for brain health, so make sure your meals include veggies, fruits and other essential nutrients. If you have trouble controlling yourself, go somewhere in the house far away from the kitchen and keep yourself busy so you aren’t tempted to snack on something unhealthy. Wash your hands before and after you go out and before and after every meal to help stop the spread of viruses. Especially in this time, it is important to sanitize and stay clean in order to minimize the risk of getting sick.

Keep yourself on a set schedule

Keeping your body and mind on a regular routine is super important in maintaining health. Set an alarm in the morning that will give you enough time to get up and get moving before distance learning starts. About 7:00-7:30 is a perfect time to wake up so you are able to eat breakfast and wake your mind and body up before the first period. Keep your lunch time as normal as possible and eat around the same time you would at school, or after fourth period.

Stay busy

Keeping yourself busy is the number one way to beat boredom. Do a puzzle, read a book, paint a picture or spend time with family members (six feet apart, of course). Take this time to be extra diligent with studying, doing homework and getting ahead on school work as best you can. Help your parents out by keeping the house clean and doing chores around the house. During these next few weeks, there is no excuse to have a dirty room, so fold your clothes, vacuum, dust and pick up!

Exercise

Being stuck in doors in the dark and rainy weather is definitely not helpful for your mental health. Serotonin levels go down severely when you are stuck indoors away from your friends and things you like. Exercising releases serotonin and makes you feel better all around. Although most gyms are closed, going for a walk or running outside is a perfect way to stay in shape. Exercising also increases appetite, so have a good workout and eat a healthy snack as a reward! Take your pet for a few walks a day, go for a run around the park or do a fun cardio or yoga workout with your family.

Although quarantine might not be ideal, these simple habits can help ease the pain of being stuck indoors. Beat the quarantine blues by staying busy and healthy as much as possible. These dreary weeks will be over before we know it—just make sure to wash your hands!