By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

You’re tired of binging on Netflix. You’ve run out of closets to organize. The gym is closed indefinitely. The walls seem to be closing in. Depression and despair -- what Churchill called his “black dog” – are lurking in the shadows.

How is someone supposed to stay physically and mentally healthy during weeks – and probably months – of home isolation?

Whether you’re healthy, disabled or living with chronic illness, maintaining some level of physical fitness is important for overall health and avoiding the depression, anxiety and insomnia that inactivity can bring. It can also help reduce your pain levels.

With no further ado, here are 9 ways to make self-isolation a little easier to bear.

#1 Light Fitness

One basic step you can take is to adopt a “light fitness” routine.     

“If the sky is clear and the sun is shining, go for a walk during the day. Try to go outside in the morning, every day, at the same time, for a period of 30 minutes or so,” says Mariana Figueiro, PhD, a leading expert on the health benefits of light and director of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Figueiro believes that maintaining a 24-hour light–dark schedule increases alertness, mood and vitality during the day, while helping people sleep at night. It may even have a protective effect against coronavirus by boosting your immune system.

If you must stay indoors, Figueiro suggests increasing the amount of light by a factor of four (x4) during the day. That means if you have one lamp in your living room, bedroom or wherever you spend the most time during the day, add three more lamps for a total of four.

In the evening, dim those lights. And avoid using a computer, smartphone or TV right before bedtime. The glow from an electronic screen can make it harder for you to fall asleep.

“A robust pattern of light during the day and darkness at night is important for our health and well-being,” Figueiro advises. “Open the window curtains or shades. Seek light during the day, especially during the morning. Go out for a walk during lunchtime. Dim the lights in the evening, mimicking sunset.”

Opening curtains and blinds to let in sunlight may also help kill the coronavirus, according to scientists at the University of California, Davis.

“In a study simulating sunlight on influenza virus aerosols, virus half-life was significantly reduced from 31.6 min in the dark control group to approximately 2.4 min in simulated sunlight,” researchers said.

“Further research is needed to understand the impact of natural light on SARS-CoV-2 indoors; however, in the interim, daylight exists as a free, widely available resource to building occupants with little downside to its use and many documented positive human health benefits.”

#2 Geezer-Fast Yoga

One way to stay in shape during the coronavirus lockdown is to adopt a home exercise routine. 84-year old Denny Hatch began practicing yoga several years ago at the urging of his wife, who saw him struggling just to bend over and put on socks.

Weekly hour-long yoga sessions helped Hatch feel limber and pain-free again. But he thought yoga took too much time.

“Yoga is slow. Slow yoga bores the hell out of me and I wanted something faster. So I cut the practice in half and speeded up the movements,” Hatch says.

For 26 minutes every morning, Hatch goes through a series of low-impact yoga moves in his living room. Hatch recently shot and narrated a free video that he calls “Geezer Fast-Yoga” to help others learn his techniques.

“I decided to share this shortened version in the hopes other senior men might find it useful —especially in this time when so many of us are forced to remain in home detention,” Hatch says. “I invite you to have a look. Maybe you’ll find it helpful.”

Hatch notes that he is not a licensed yoga instructor. If you feel any kind of pain from any of the moves in his routine, he urges you to stop immediately and consult a physician. 

#3 ‘Focus on What’s Healthy’

If you want to get out of the house and exercise, you could take the advice of Becky Curtis: Go for a long hike.

Before you say, “I can barely get off the couch,” listen up.

In 2005, Curtis was partially paralyzed after a car accident nearly killed her. Recovery was slow. Curtis was in so much pain and so isolated that she felt “claustrophobic in my own body.” But she focused on finding positive things to do – like learning how to walk again -- and made realistic goals and behavioral changes to get her mind off the pain.

Three years after her accident, Curtis became a pioneer in pain management counseling by launching Take Courage Coaching. In weekly sessions by phone, Curtis shares with clients the techniques that she learned to manage pain and end her isolation and self-doubt.

“Maybe some of the things that I’ve learned can be helpful to you during this time,” Curtis says. “I focus on what’s healthy, what’s whole, what’s right and what’s good. And in doing that, it helps my pain.”

Curtis is working on a series of free videos to help people get through the stress and fear of COVID-19. In her first video, she’ll take you on a two-mile hike through the mountains near her home in Sandy, Utah.

#4 Laugh at Jack Black’s Dance Routine

If exercise is not your thing, laughing is a good alternative. It gets the heart beating and the lungs aired out.

Like the rest of us, comedian and actor Jack Black has been staying home during the coronavirus lockdown. He also found a way to keep us entertained by donning a cowboy hat, cowboy boots and, thankfully, a pair of shorts while performing a “Quarantine Dance” in a short video that’s been seen millions of times on TikTok and Instagram.

#5 Watch Some Good News

Ready for some good news? Aren’t we all?

Actor John Krasinski, who starred in The Office and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, has a new talk show on YouTube in which he shares good news from around the world.

“Without question, we are all going through an incredibly trying time. But through all the anxiety, all the confusion, all the isolation and all the Tiger King, somehow the human spirit still finds a way to breakthrough and blow us all away,” Krasinski says.

Topping the list of good news in Krasinski’s first show is the heroism of healthcare workers, delivery drivers and others who keep the world functioning while the rest of us take a break from it.

#6 Make a Face Mask

Some communities, such as Los Angeles, now require people to wear a face mask or facial covering when they visit a grocery store and other essential businesses that have stayed open.

Don’t have a face mask? U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams demonstrates how you can easily turn an old scarf or t-shirt into a facial covering that you can wear while heading from store to store in search of a real mask. 

#7 Howl at the Moon

To break up the monotony of being at home, some people are going outside in the early evening to chat with neighbors (at a safe distance), bang pots and pans, sing, and cheer on healthcare workers.

There’s even a Facebook group dedicated to howling at the moon — every night at 8 pm in whatever time zone you live in. The group has over half a million members!

While some of the howling videos are amusing, don’t expect a lot of laughs. The group has evolved into a memorial and gathering place for people who have lost loved ones or are dealing with a severe illness.

“Lost my dad to the flu and pneumonia on March 19, 2020 and lost my brother to cancer on March 22, 2020. I will be howling for them,” one member posted.

#8 Try a Meditation App

There’s an app for everything, including several that can help you relax, feel happier, fall asleep easier and reduce anxiety. I just downloaded one called Box Breathing that specializes in meditation and guided breathing exercises you can do at home.

“Find a comfortable position. You can either be seated or lying down. Start by feeling your body sinking into the support beneath you,” instructs Lynne Goldberg during a two-minute meditation program for self-care during the coronavirus outbreak.

Box Breathing has free meditations for things like boredom and financial anxiety. There’s also a paid version that gives you access to hundreds of guided meditations, including some that focus on chronic pain, migraines, high blood pressure and healing your body

Calm is a similar app that has a 7-day free trial, followed by a paid subscription.

#9 Take Our Survey

Finally, be sure to take our survey on the coronavirus.

PNN has partnered with the International Pain Foundation and the Chronic Pain Association of Canada to see how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting people with chronic pain and chronic illness — who are most at risk from COVID-19.

The survey only takes a few minutes and will be closed soon. Click here to get started.  

What are you doing to pass the time and stay healthy that might be helpful to other people who are self-isolating? Let us know in the comment section. And stay safe out there.