With more than a third of the global population confined to their homes to slow the coronavirus pandemic , many are worried how long they will be cooped up .
But being quarantined can be “a good thing” and something “ to enjoy,” says veteran Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin.
The 61 -year – old , who has made five flights to space spending a combined 671 days aboard the International Space Station , says the main thing is to stay positive .
Here are his five tips for surviving quarantine :
– Get some air –
On the ISS , cosmonauts work “in an alien environment , surrounded by metal and plastic,” Yurchikhin told AFP .
“There are no trees and no plants — except for the ones used for experiments, but we treat it as if it were our home .
“But you guys , you’re really home!
“Remember that in space , it’ s really impossible to get out ” or take some air . At home, you can always open the windows or step out onto the balcony , the cosmonaut says .
– Call friends –
“Remember you have relatives and friends you haven ’t called for centuries because you were too busy .”
Why not get in the habit of calling them every day , when you’re in confinement , Yurchikhin said .
“This is the perfect time to catch up with your friends.”
– Family time –
Yurchikhin urges those in quarantine to use this time to “ establish a completely different style of communication within the family ” and to pay more attention to children .
Now is a good moment to check off items on the to -do list : finally hang a painting on the wall , sort through archives or read a book .
“Take care of this today , because when the quarantine is over , you won ’t get round to it again !” he urged .
– Get some exercise –
And “Don ’t forget your health !” he says .
You can let spending all day in an enclosed space impact your fitness, says Yurchikhin. “That ’s why you should do sport.”
You do not need a gym membership to work out “at least twice a day for 30 minutes .” With many yoga or aerobics courses available online , “you can do it at home,” he says .
– Laugh it off –
“If you only see the bad side of quarantine , it will feel like prison ,” Yurchikhin said .
“So approach this situation with humour .
“Humour should prolong life and shorten quarantine .”
