For six months, I was confined to less than half of my house — sometimes fearful of getting up to use the restroom. During this period, the two places I spent most of my time were my bedroom and the hospital when I couldn't curb the anxiety attacks I suffered from. A walk to the mailbox was out of the question for me most of this time. Eating dinner at the dinner table, if I felt okay enough to eat, was alright, but then it was right back to my bed - isolated. Diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and agoraphobia, I was afraid of going anywhere my brain saw unfit, which, as I said, was mostly any place outside of my bedroom.

I'd be lying if I told you what got me out of the house and back into society was the advice that follows. In reality, if you're dealing with mental health issues and need help, the best advice I can give is to try medication. However, there are ways you can keep your brain active and feeling healthy while isolated.

1. Keep a daily routine as best as possible.

Being alone, or without interaction with the outside world, will eat at you if you sit at home and just watch Netflix or feel bad for yourself. Keeping a daily routine is a great way to break the monotony of isolation. Wake up at the time you'd wake up to go to school or work as often as you can. Don't fall into those old summer habits of sleeping in until 3 P.M. If you workout, continue to find ways to get that physical activity, which in itself is good for mental health. If you are attending classes virtually at this time, try to do that work at the same time each day. One of the worst things I did for my mental health when I was unable to leave the house was staying up at all different hours of the night. I remember being up until 7 A.M. playing Mario Kart and then feeling like crap for three days.

2. Don't lay around in pajamas all day.

I know being home makes it tempting to lounge in your sweatpants, yoga pants, gym shorts, and even underwear, but don't make that a habit. Obviously, leave your house as little as needed to avoid the dangers of the novel coronavirus, but try to get dressed as you would for school some days. Think about your day as something to get ready for. Use a perfume, cologne, or other fragrance that you incorporate with a good place to lift your spirits. I can't begin to count how many days I laid in bed shirtless during my isolation, and it made it easier to get stuck in a routine that was negative on my mental health. Every couple of days, you could even dress up, just to get that feeling of going on a date or a night out.

3. Follow the news, but don't over-do it.

During this time I think it's paramount that we all know what's going on in this world as it relates to COVID-19. In the morning or evening, go to your favorite news outlet and get a rundown of the day. I'd advise against sitting in front of the TV all day and listening to it as if it were gospel, though. You will just make things worse for you if you consume bad news all day. For the six months I was home without leaving the house, I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and agoraphobia - which is a fear of being away from a place you deem safe, (like, for me, my bedroom). During this time, I was constantly online looking at all the worst things that could happen to me if I neglected my mental health. You start to go down a rabbit hole, and it can create or give you more anxiety or depression.

4. Keep moving.

Being isolated can easily lead to becoming sedentary, which is bad for mental health. Do your best to move throughout the day, at least as much as you would if you were out at school or work. Go in the pool if you have one, as swimming is a good way to get exercise and enjoy the weather. Take a bike ride or walk around your neighborhood. Follow the stay-at-home orders in place where you are, though - don't wander into an area you could get in trouble. Once I started to get some sort of physical activity each day, I really saw myself wanting to do more and more. It was a jumpstart to my brain and got me out of the bad place it had been in.

5. Don't feel like you have to do more than you can.

I've read a lot of social media posts that have said something along the lines of "if you don't use this time to better yourself, you're just wasting it." If you can use this time to better yourself, you should, by all means. But don't let anyone tell you that you're wasting your time if you aren't able to "better yourself." Your mental health should be the most important thing at this time, as well as your physical health, and if you need time to just unwind and cope with this situation, then that is what you should do.

I know it can be difficult to find the motivation needed to do some of these things daily, but try to keep your life as normal as possible until we can continue our lives after this pandemic - your mental health will thank you for it.