This year, I have isolated at home in a bubble. I have isolated in a Hotel for 7 days in Florida, 14 days in a hotel in Auckland. 7 Days in an apartment in Antibes and I am 6 days into my last 14 days of Isolation in Rotorua New Zealand.

I have some experience.

Here are some lessons I have learned, which I trust will help you if you have to isolate returning home or visiting somewhere.

Before isolation

Make some lists of things to take.
Books to read.
Movies to watch.
Things to learn.
Hobbies that you have always wanted to do.
Some knitting needles and wool.

One thing you will have is an abundance of is TIME. Managing your time will make your isolation go faster.

During Isolation.

Try and have a routine. I get up at the same time each day, meditate and then exercise or just some simple stretching to kind of warm-up my middle-aged body for a day of not much. I have a simple bedtime routine all of my devices go onto flight mode or are turned off and I make my room very dark.

If you are able to go outside each day. DO THIS. It is very important for your Mental well being. Even five minutes of sunlight is going to do wonders for your mental health.

Don't be afraid to ask the hotel for coffee or anything else. It's always nice to hear a human voice.

Get some exercise. If you can use stairs use them. My exercise equipment at the moment is a yoga matt and a swiss ball and there are a lot of things you can do with not much at all. That suitcase of clothes you don't have anywhere to wear is probably 20 kilos.

Read. I have rekindled (pun) my love of reading during isolation. It's a great way to pass the time and escape from reality for a while.

Write. Well here I am, or you could have a personal journal. I do despair at people complaining about isolation. But it is a necessity in this strange new world. I know it's not nice but if you follow my guide you too can be an ISOPRO.

I have spent a lot of time preening myself in isolation but clipping my nails, cutting my own hair and generally being a human has made me feel like one. 

Listen to music. Music is such a good way of changing your mood, day, everything. 

Don't expect your internet to be blazingly fast. You are probably going to be in a full hotel with lots of people wanting to stream things at night time. Put some media on a drive or you know, pack some books those old school things people used to read.

Pack and HDMI cable as well so you can watch your legally acquired media on your hotel television.

Stay away from the news. I have blocked a lot of news sites and do not watch the news. If something serious happens regarding COVID you will be contacted by your local health authority and they will not be hunting clickbait. Most news is shit and the real story is only accurately reported 6months or a year later.

Annoy your friends. If they do not enjoy being annoyed then maybe they are not really your friends. Jokes. I had a very lengthy voice call with a dear friend yesterday and it was REALLY good for me.

Use your time wisely, rest you are probably going to have jetlag anyway so use your isolation to deal with that without causing anguish on people you would usually see.

In my experience, the first 7 days go pretty quickly. It's the last 7 days that test your mental resolves. Don't be afraid to use services that are on hand to help you with your mental health.

Finally

As your day of Freedom approaches or before. Start making dates to see people and do things. Maximize your time at home it's precious. If you are returning to work look forward to seeing your work friends and eating some food that hasn't been delivered in a bag.

Ciao x ISOPRO

I will keep updating this as I am still learning.