Ways to beat ECQ blues

It has been more than a month since Luzon was placed under an enhanced community quarantine as a way to help curb the spread of COVID-19. While some have managed to adapt to this “new normal,” there are others who are nowhere close to getting used to this set-up and who still find this lockdown to be a cause of undue stress and anxiety.

Although different reasons can fuel one’s anxiety during these trying times, there are additional steps one can take to help ease the pressure and prevent the ECQ from exacting a heavy toll on your physical, emotional and mental health. Fortunately, the internet offers a wealth of ideas from respectable and trusted sources, providing tips on how you can better manage stress amid the pandemic scare. Here are some of those tips.

Tidying your space

There’s another good reason to unleash the Marie Kondo in you. An article posted at the Anxiety and Depression Association of America website pointed out that “a chaotic home can lead to a chaotic mind” and that a cluttered home can further cause you to become uneasy and claustrophobic of your environment. It thus encourages everyone to keep homes organized, predictable and clean.

Find new hobbies

A cursory look at social media today will show people’s hobbies and newfound skills amid the lockdown. If you can, do take up activities such as cooking, baking, painting, reading, arts and crafts or writing on journals, as these can be “meditative,” may have therapeutic value, and more importantly, could help distract you from all the uncertainties caused by COVID-19. Browse the web for DIYs, how-to videos, recipes and free e-books, to aid you in your quest to find a new hobby.

Learn something new

You don’t have to stop learning even with this quarantine. While all forums, conferences, classes and other gatherings are being banned, a deluge of webinars (web seminars) are now being offered either for free or for a small fee. Choose online forums that interest you, soak up new knowledge or skills, and become even better at your craft. Plus, this is one of the best ways to distract yourself and keep your mind off the health crisis for a few good hours.

Keep in touch with your doc

It may come to a time that a consultation with your doctor will be the only thing that can appease you and give you peace of mind. However, a trip to the hospital and the risk of possibly contracting COVID-19 may only aggravate one’s anxiety.

Fortunately, health maintenance organization Medicard Philippines Inc. went beyond its call of duty by offering members and non-members several ways to keep in touch with their doctors, in line with its commitment of bringing the best and most adequate healthcare closer to more Filipinos across the country.

Acting with the best interest of its members in mind amid this pandemic scare, Medicard Philippines upped the ante as it introduced an additional channel for telemedicine, wherein you can have primary care consultation with the doctors at Medicard Lifestyle Center without having to leave your home. This service, which is initially available on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., is meant to supplement its existing MyPocketDoctor, an app where you can make an appointment, and consult with your doctor. As it is, this app allow consultations over Viber, Facebook Messenger and Facetime.

Its new website, medicardphils.com, further offers members and non-members relevant information about setting up consultations, COVID-19 updates, and other useful announcements. And of course, the country’s leading HMO—the only HMO run and founded by doctors—has also kept open some of its free-standing clinics to serve those who would need to consult with their doctors for other reasons.

There is no doubt that Medicard Philippines leads with a heart—a brand that truly cares and is one with the Filipinos in these trying times.