The entire planet is on quarantine. Flights are being canceled, concerts are called off, everyone’s rushing to the shopping mall to prepare for what seems to be an apocalyptic event. As a famous celebrity recently said, “It’s a crazy, crazy time.” Crazy times indeed.

As serious as this Coronavirus is, let me tell you that it isn’t the end of the world. It is, however, a temporary pause of your daily routine to help starve out the disease. For the elderly and immunocompromised, it’s an effort to keep themselves safe from the virus. For the healthier folks, it’s to keep it from spreading so we don’t end up like China and Italy.

Coming into self-quarantine, it’s important to put yourself in a positive and optimistic mindset. You’re going to remain in isolation for a while and with all the bogus news articles popping up on social media, it’s easy to throw yourself back in panic mode. Stock up, prep up, and remain indoors with these lockdown essentials. All this will come to pass.

Rice, oats and pasta

As Filipinos, we love carbs. It’s a key element in our diet. It makes everything taste a little better and it keeps us from craving for more food after a meal. Having rice readily available in your pantry can also help keep the isolation blues at bay. Enjoy yourself and experiment with low-cost recipes and keep your belly full for the duration of the quarantine. Always remember though, buy what you need and DON’T hoard up all the supplies.

Preserved fruits and vegetables

Preserved food with no preservatives? Yum! Just in case you don’t know what I’m talking about, do yourself a favor and stock up on kimchi, pickled onions, pickled peppers and all that good stuff. It works wonders for your midnight cravings and saves a lot of refrigerator space.

Household items

People right now are going crazy over hand sanitizers and toilet paper. And while you should probably get yourself some every chance you get, there’s a bunch of other things you’d want to have in your bag other than 30 bottles of isopropyl alcohol. Just to name a few, here are some things you’ll want to stock up with for a couple weeks of self-quarantine.

-        Dish soap

-        Hand soap

-        Liquid disinfectant

-        Lysol sprays

-        Wiping cloth

-        Laundry detergent

-        Resealable bags

-        Tupperware

Prioritize your hygiene.

Canned/bottled fish

Fish is an excellent source of protein that also has essential properties for heart health. If you’re having problems trying to save some space in the freezer, canned tuna and sardines are the perfect food items to have around.

Medicine

This is especially important if you are currently in medication for something. Make sure you get enough for the duration of the quarantine so you don’t have to risk going out to the pharmacy to restock. While you’re at it, get yourself a good amount of paracetamol in case you do come down with a fever. Purchase band-aids and hydrogen peroxide so you have yourself a working first-aid kit.

Some important things to remember when you’re under self-quarantine: get a hold of your mental health. Being under quarantine can really put a strain on your well-being especially because you won’t be able to do the things you usually do on a daily basis. Keep yourself entertained, chat with your friends, exercise. Now’s a good time to catch up with yourself as well, maybe learn a new hobby now that you’ve got the time to do it in the comfort of your own home.