Astronaut's Guide to Self-Isolation, by Chris Hadfield

Beyond the rebels who don't listen to reason and those who must go out due to force majeure, the truth is that there are billions of people around the world complying with different levels of mandatory quarantine… but nobody says it's easy. Anxiety, depression, and even violence can be the consequences of such a prolonged confinement, however, when it comes to studying self-isolation, there's no doubt that astronauts wrote the manual. So why not listen to the recommendations of Chris Hadfield himself for these complex days?

Some regions are trying to exit quarantine while others deepen it. Exponential growth in the number of cases and deaths is showing its full power. Unfortunately, both Italy and Spain are warning scenarios. The United States tried to minimize the pandemic, and today has more infected than China. Even politicians are falling ill. And the recommendation for the general public remains the same: Stay home, stay home, stay home.

But it's complicated, much more than one might think. All those Tumblr users with their posts about “living isolated in a cabin without Internet” are scratching the walls today. Personally, I must admit that I'm not doing very well, despite my years working from home. Multiply that situation by millions, and we quickly understand its seriousness. So what can help us? How can we avoid the worst of mandatory isolation? Astronaut Chris Hadfield has four recommendations for us:

Understand the risk

Limiting yourself to “being afraid” is a very common mistake. Hadfield recommends visiting reliable sources and analyzing what the true risk is of what you face, for you, your family, and the people you care about.

Set goals

Hadfield asks a direct question: What is your mission? What plans do you have? This afternoon, tomorrow, the rest of the week, next month. Establishing that is a critical step to advance during your isolation.

Identify constraints

Isolation imposes limits, that's inevitable. But don't lose sight of who tells you what you must do, what are your financial resources, and fundamentally, what direct obligations you have. Once these three factors are part of your equation...

Get to work

It doesn't have to be a common or routine exercise. From learning a language or an instrument to reading, writing, starting a project, or simply spending more time with your family. Isolation gives us the opportunity to try something new and different. Try, make mistakes, try again.

Hadfield ends his video with a striking detail: This is the best time to stay in quarantine. Access to the Internet, free knowledge available, millions of hours of audio and video. There is a lot out there to take advantage of.