So who have you been quarantining with? With family? or Alone? I have been quarantining with my husband and my newborn during this pandemic at our home but I do visit my parents at our family home and my in-laws in their family home. I only risk seeing those who have done as myself, self-quarantine. I try my best to keep away from those who are still out and about and crossing paths with others. Therefore, I have been following precautions of self-quarantining and social distancing but allowing myself to see my family for short amounts of time every few days. Being able to see my family because we are following similar precautions has been a blessing. I know we have all been re-evaluating our lives and realising the things we took for granted pre-coronavirus such as having the freedom and luxury to go wherever and to see whoever you want, but the biggest realisation for me was the importance of family.
I do not know what I would have done if I didn’t have my family around, especially with recently giving birth to my baby girl. I thank God everyday that I am able to live with all my immediate family in the same country and most importantly, that we all currently live really close to each other and are able to meet comfortably knowing that we have taken all necessary precautions. This makes me seriously ask myself if I have taken my family for granted and not understood the value they bring to my life; it is critical to have people in your life that you can trust, rely on and be yourself. So I wanted to look further into the idea of family and this is what I confirmed to myself: family gives you a sense of comfort, knowing that you have a network of people you can ask for help or will voluntarily help. It also gives you a sense of belonging, knowing that you fit in at least one group of people and that you are part of a circle of loved-ones. Family also gives you support, both mentally and physically. Of course there is more to family but I just wanted to highlight a few major points concluding that the positive outcomes to having a family contribute to a healthy mind, leading to a healthy body.
Are you quarantining alone and have no family around? What do you do if you do not have family or your family is not close? You have to build a network of loved-ones that you consider your family. How? You have to make new connections, build and develop them and create a network that you trust, that you can rely on and provide you with the support you need. It might take time but you have to start somewhere. You have to get yourself out there, be open, get to know people, be honest, be yourself and be real, be there for them as they are for you and last but not least, stay in touch. Who knows, you might even have people around you that act like your family but you haven’t’ realised it yet. Maybe you are considered a part of someone’s family and haven’t realised it either. You don’t have to look too far, start small with the people you know and see if you already have those connections or if there is potential for more. 
So if you haven’t already, you should definitely start thinking about developing those connections and building your own family. Remember, it might have taken a pandemic for you to realize this significant human need, so get on it before it is too late and find your family.


* The author is a wellness advocate and influencer @keys2balance.