How The World listeners are coping with self-isolation

India and the United Kingdom each implemented social distancing measures this week, advising citizens not to leave their homes for “non-essential” reasons, and many schools and businesses have now closed.

Spain and Italy have been under a countrywide lockdown for almost two weeks. Cities in California and 18 states, such as New York and Illinois, have recommended statewide “shelter-in-place” measures in an effort to “flatten the curve” of the coronavirus outbreak.

Related: COVID-19: The latest from The World

We at The World wanted to know what our listeners are doing to cope with self-isolation while these measures are in place. Whether it’s incorporating new activities in their routines, taking on new or neglected hobbies or finding creative ways to connect with loved ones, listeners are trying to make their stay-at-home lifestyles more bearable.

If you’re looking for some inspiration, here are some of their responses. 

Gay Revi from Dallas, Texas, says she and her neighbors are cheering each other up by bringing back the holiday spirit and bringing the neighborhood together while keeping everyone safe. 

“Junk food, taking time to appreciate what we have and holiday lights — what better way to beat boredom with a capital B?”

“We are turning our Christmas lights on. Some of us have to reinstall the lights, which means going up to the attic, getting the lights, putting them back up. But some of us, including me, never got around to taking our lights down so we’re in luck,” Revi said. “Junk food, taking time to appreciate what we have and holiday lights — what better way to beat boredom with a capital B?”

Jasmine Athas and her husband have been working from home near Frankfurt, Germany, due to the travel restrictions put in place by their workplaces.

Athas says she is finding that the lines between personal and work life are blurring, and she is spending long amounts of time sitting down — staring at the computer. With gyms closed, the couple is now scheduling their home exercise routine. 

“We switched to a 30-minute bodyweight exercise at home at least once a day. We use this time to go out on our terraces, enjoy the view of the hills and do a short workout,” Athas said. “For example, I did 400 walking lunges today, and yesterday I did squats, pushups and ab exercises.”

“I’ll be reading every paper book in my library that has sat there for too long and the couple hundred Kindle books that have sat on my tablet for too long.”

In Portland, Oregon, listener Bruce Wayne Rash says he will be using this time to catch up on some reading. “I’ll be reading every paper book in my library that has sat there for too long and the couple hundred Kindle books that have sat on my tablet for too long,” Rash said.

In Michigan, Lauren Masud, who is getting her master’s in social work, says she recommends learning to avoid boredom. “Go online, find a new skill, read a new book,” Masud said. “There are hundreds of thousands of resources that are free online. Your own local library will actually have some online resources as well. I promise you, if you are learning, your days will fly — mine definitely do.”

Leslie de Pietro in Ann Arbor, Michigan, says that while in self-isolation at home, she has not walked as much as she usually does — until she signed up for some audiobooks. “Now I am happily walking 10,000 steps a day while listening to Hilary Mantel’s ‘The Mirror and The Light’,” de Pietro said. “It is 38-plus hours long, so I expect I will be listening to it for most of the time the virus is here. It has made such a difference.”
 
In Greensboro, North Carolina, Veronica Grossi has surrounded herself with plants and paint. “I take my colored pens and pay close attention to the forms and colors. I then draw or paint freely,” Grossi said. “With these daily exercises at home, I am transported to a universe of harmony and well-being.”
 
Listen to more tips from The World listeners by clicking the play button above.