5 ways of coping with quarantine during Easter in Poland
Let’s face it: you were counting down the days until your Erasmus in Poland would begin, making the list of places to visit during Easter break and planning it with your friends. But with the outbreak of global pandemic everything has turned upside down. You stay at home practising being in a bubble of one and you don’t feel comfortable with it. Pandemic loneliness is not easy and we will tell you how to deal with it.
1. No couch-potato-mode, stay proactive
Now many of people find themselves with a lot of time on their hands. Wasting too much time on social media without any involvement is not going to help you.
Before going to sleep, make a plan. Make your new daily routine and wake up every morning with a purpose. Don’t forget about some variations! Consider your duties, time for relax, doing workout. However the order, keep exploring! Find a new passion that will keep your curiosity up and master it. Maybe you turn out to have green hands and you start an indoor garden. Share your passions with others, write your own journal, exchange ideas.
2. Organise a family gathering...online
Easter time has been always associated with family reunions and … Now it is not the best idea. Since we started getting used to social distancing, connecting with our closest relatives, friends via online has a positive impact on our mental well-being. So, instead bottling up your feelings, share it with the others. There are plenty of ways for keeping in touch, whether by Skype, Zoom, phone or even texting. While for some of your aunts or grandparents may it occur weird, try to persuade them and do it together. Houseparty or scrabble tournament? What would you suggest?
source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-gray-sweater-drinking-coffee-3759089/
3. Dig deeper and become a handicraftsman
Easter in Poland is rich in traditions that may seem completely new to you. One of the common customs is decorating already cooked eggs called ‘pisanki’ or ‘kraszanki’, depending on the technique. You can check some tutorials how to colour eggs in a substance derived from natural products that will change the colour of the shell, and you may find them even in your cupboard.
source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photo-of-hands-sprinkling-glitters-on-colored-eggs-3972139/
4. It is also about.... food
A piece of cake? Polish Easter entails a lot of activities you can easily do staying safe at home. Especially when it comes to celebrations like Easter, a lot of time is spent in the kitchen on cooking, preparing meals and tasting new recipes. If you want to become the new MasterChef, you can challenge yourself in preparing one of the traditional Polish dishes: mazurek cake, white borscht soup.
#AloneTogether
Last, but not least, check out what ESN in Poland is doing. The volunteers of the international organisation are here for you! Look up the activities of local sections and jump into it. Quiz night, Netflix party or photo contest? Almost every day something new awaits, so be especially on the alert during Easter season. We all want to help each other, we all wish to communicate as it makes us stronger.
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And what is yet important: it’s okay to have a bad day. You can admit it, you can grief over it. But don’t exaggerate with it - when it’s over, put your attention into different activities. If you want to lift your mood, put on a movie you haven’t seen since ages, listen to music or even meditate. Your peers on the other side of the screen feel alike. People from all over the world are in this together. Nothing lasts forever. Even the bad times.
#ErasmusAtHome