On the Horizon for Public Health: Find the joy of joining in

We are all feeling overwhelmed by COVID-19.

This month I’d like to share with you the idea of taking some time off from all the news and concentrate for a while on yourself and your family, especially now that Governor Walz extended Minnesota’s stay-at-home order until May 4.

The Centers for Disease Control has this to offer. At a time when physical distancing and closures are the new normal, how can people get past the “fear of missing out” feeling? Rather than focus on what you’re missing out on, try to find the “joy of joining in” on physical distancing and the opportunities it presents.

The Internet and social media can be a place of misinformation, but it can also offer hope like quarantined Italians singing from balconies; resilience like an elderly couple ‘cruising’ in their living room; or humor like a hamster taking everyday protective actions or a horse wearing a face covering.

Here are 10 ways you and your family can rise to the challenge.

1. Read or listen to a book.
2. Take a walk outside.
3. Do some yard work enlisting the kids’ help.
4. Download, photocopy, and share free Ready Wrigley activity books on topics, such as winter weather, and tornado preparedness.
5. Try out a new recipe from your favorite cookbook.
6. Play a board game, put together a puzzle, or learn a new card game.
7. Do some spring cleaning around the house or check things off the “honey do” list.
8. Take virtual tours of art museums and zoos, such as the Louvre Museum in Paris, the France Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Guggenheim Museum in New York or the San Diego Zoo or the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California.
9. Call, text, and video chat with family and friends, especially older adults and people who have serious underlying medical conditions. Connecting with others can help reduce stress and anxiety in you and others.
10. Do arts and crafts, such as coloring pages and paint-by-number projects, at home with the kids.
11. Perform science experiments. The Internet is full of instructions for making everything from rock candy to a lava lamp.

For more information on how to prepare and protect yourself from COVID-19, please visit cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. Or visit our Horizon Public Health website at horizonpublichealth.org.
Marcia Schroeder is a registered nurse with Horizon Public Health, which serves five counties, including Douglas County. Contact her at marcias@horizonph.org.