An Astronaut's Guide to Self-Isolation on Earth

“Life would have been a bliss, if there were four days of weekend in a week!” this thought has crossed each-one of our minds at least once in our lives, if not every Monday while getting up from that cosy-Sunday-sleep. I wouldn’t be wrong if I called us humans the biggest hypocrites of all-time, as our hypocrisy is deeply reflected in our actions during this world-wide pandemic led self-quarantine. Instead of utilising this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity —pandemic not being the most ideal scenario— to catch up with your hobbies, sleeping schedule, pending work, unfinished books or learning a new skill or spending time with your loved ones or maybe just finishing a Netflix series. We are finding it hard, extremely hard to maintain our sanity whilst being locked in our sweet haven of WIFI enabled and snack stocked homes. And this behaviour of ours, is exactly why we are in desperate need of an astronaut's guide to self-isolation on Earth.

Astronauts can prove to be our best intercelestial-yet-earthly guides for times like this, owing to their first-hand experiences in living inside cramped spaces, in solidarity for a prolonged period of time. Numerous former NASA astronauts have been interviewed about the same and they all outline, more or less the same points. Scott Kelly, a retired NASA cosmonaut, who spent 520 days in space, including a full year on the International Space Station (ISS), says that his 5 point ‘S-P-A-C-E Survival’ mantra helped him enjoy and maintain his rationality during this un-quittable job of his.

In a challenging moment like the one we are living through now, a time where the whole globe is under the grieve attack of yet-to-be-cured ‘CoronaVirus’, or officially known as the ‘Covid-19’, each action is a decisive one, a decision between life and death. Doctors and researchers of the nationally and internationally recognised institutions, like AIIMS, IMC, AMA and WHO, have recommended social distancing or self-imposed quarantine as the only way out of this epidemic, keeping the increasing number of corona infected cases across the world —in the absence of a sure-shot cure— in mind. Hence, the governments across the world have imposed nationwide-quarantine, schools and universities are shut or conducting online classes; malls, restaurants, worship-centres, amusement parks, zoos, movie theatres and other public-places are shut; companies are advised to allow their employees to work from home and adopt strict preventive measures; only the basic necessity providers such as the grocers, vegetable vendors, pharmacists, police, media, doctors and nurses —our heroes without cape— are allowed to function, that also under strict sanitized environment. All of this, along with timely mass sanitization drives, PSAs, financial schemes —for the hand-to-mouth and underprivileged sections— and a lot more is being done for our safety and well-being, with only one expectation from us, and that is to follow the order of self-quarantine which will help in breaking the chain of the physically transmitted Covid-19.

So, as we all confine ourselves at home to help stop the spread of Coronavirus and to survive this pandemic, here is the 5 point ‘S-P-A-C-E Survival’ mantra from someone who has been there, which must be followed with immediate effect by each-one of us. The word SPACE, for Scott Kelly, is a short for:

• S: Schedule
• P: Pace yourself
• A: A hobby
• C: Connect
• E: Experts are right!

Schedule is something that will definitely help us and our families in maintaining a perfect work-leisure balance. Usually on the space stations, an astronaut’s time is tightly scheduled from the moment they wake up till the time they sleep. This provides a structure to their lives and bars them from being bored. Similarly, when at home, following a plan will not only permit you to finish all of your work on time but also allow you to spend quality time with family.

Pacing yourself, when at work we intend to complete the assigned task in the least possible amount of time but when in space, you know you are in for this a long haul thus astronauts tend to slow their pace and enjoy each activity to the fullest. This not only keeps us occupied but also improves the quality of the work. Hence, when at home try doing things more meticulously, spend a little longer watering your plants, let the food simmer a bit more, spend that extra minute to pray and take a little longer to finish that sketch or book or series.

A hobby is a must, says Mr. Kelly, the quiet and absorption of such times is priceless. Astronauts without failing utilise these while in space to develop a new skill or hobby, be it painting, playing an instrument, reading numerous books or maintaining journals. Again, the same can be done during self-isolation as it is the best use of ones idle time, it works both ways by not only providing you entertainment but also adding to your skillset.

Connect, scientist have found that prolonged isolation is damaging not only to our mental health but also weakens our immunity system, thus connecting and spending time with people is a must. Be it a conference call with your colleagues, or a group video call with friends or just an over-the-dinner family conversation, so it’s worth spending a little time on socialising (not by moving out of the house but via technology) every day — it might actually help you fight off the viruses.

Experts are right! When on a space shuttle not trusting the rocket scientists and engineers is not an option, as one wrong command can cause you your life, says Mr. Kelly and during times like present the same applies to earthly beings as well. We have to seek knowledge from those who know the most and listen to them. Social media and other poorly vetted sources can be transmitters of misinformation just as handshakes transmit viruses, thus our facts must come from reputable and reliable sources like WHO. So, when you are advised to wash your hands properly, use sanitizers, stay home, eat healthy, get yourselves tested only and only if you have the symptoms and most importantly not to PANIC, you better listen because after all they are experts for a reason.

Hoping this astronaut’s guide to self-isolation will cure man's hypocrisy, and we all live to see that Monday which again compels us to think, “Life would have been a bliss, if there were four days of the weekend in a week!”

Hope you had a fun reading experience :)

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