Smart Living

4 Things You Shouldn’t Try During Self-Isolation

Self-isolation can be disorienting. You may suddenly have a lot of free time and no way or place to spend it. That boredom can lead to many different solutions, some of which are more ill-advised than others.

Many people try new things during social isolation. Up to a point, that’s a positive way to keep your mind occupied, but when taken to the extreme, it can endanger you and those around you.

Here are four things not to try during self-isolation

1. Handy projects

When you’re stuck at home, you’re more likely to notice problems around the house, and you’re also more likely to cause those problems, since you’re now at home almost 24/7. You may break things, notice more appliances that need maintenance, or just end up overusing something in its later stages.

There is a reason that there are real professionals who are specifically trained to do these types of tasks. You need to understand how these projects work and many underlying factors before you can pull them off smoothly. Here are some projects you shouldn’t do yourself:

• Glass Repair

Repairing glass is more difficult than it seems and it is dangerous. When there is more than a half inch of glass damage, perhaps in the form of chops, holes, or chips, replacements and repairs should be done – by a professional!

Glass repair often involves pouring resin into cracks and broken areas. It sounds simple, but the process is far from it. This is because the way the resin sets can vary depending on factors such as humidity and temperature. Resin can contract and expand, so putting in too much resin can cause it to harden into an even worse chip, hole, or indentation, which becomes a safety issue.

Even glass repair kits are not totally reliable. For safety reasons, hire a professional to do the job.

• Remodeling

It’s tempting to finally fix or remodel your home when you have all this free time in social isolation. But not all home improvement and rebuilding projects are safe to do on your own. The most basic DIYs are doable, but more complex or ambitious projects require a more expert hand.

Projects where you need to work from heights can put you in danger without the proper equipment. Those that involve the essential systems of your home could end up damaging them. New construction projects could be too weakly built and end up in danger of collapsing.

Difficult to use tools can cause injury. All in all, if you’re looking to do a remodel, you should leave it to the professionals.

• Plumbing

Plumbing is essential to a home, and it’s tempting to want to fix plumbing problems yourself, especially since you may not be able to hire a professional but need plumbing done urgently. You must first consider the complexity of the work.

If you are unsure of your ability to repair the damage, you should hire a professional plumber. If you are dealing with problematic drains in your home, you can find a plumber who can provide you with the drain cleaning solution .

For example, opening a sink drain and emptying it to prevent clogging is a simple job that is unlikely to require much experience. The same goes for unclogging a toilet that just needs a little help.

But when it comes to things like replacing pipes, fixing problems you’re not 100% sure about, or taking your toilet bowl apart to find out why it’s leaking, you’re better off waiting for the professionals.

Even in times of isolation, plumbers are essential workers who will likely be available for hire, but think carefully about how urgently you need to fix the problem before you jump.

2. Visiting friends

Loneliness is one of the critical problems of social isolation. Even introverts who prefer their own company within their own four walls need some degree of social interaction. Those who have led vibrant social lives or are extroverts who thrive in social situations will likely feel this pain even more.

There is certainly a lot to be said for loneliness and positive thinking, as well as mental and physical health in general, and these effects can linger for months. Potential problems include:

  • Higher mortality rates
  • Increased risk of mental degeneration.
  • Increase symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress and anger.

Right now, you may be tempted to just sneak out of your social isolation and meet up with a friend, especially if you’re young or think you’ll be safe. Sometimes all you want to do is talk a bit or hug someone.

But these actions put his life and the lives of others at risk. Even those who do not experience symptoms can be carriers of viruses. So you or your friend could have the disease without even realizing it, since you usually don’t look for a test that might come back positive when you don’t have symptoms.

Instead of visiting a friend in person, you can:

  • Text
  • Participate in video calls.
  • Play online games together
  • Watch a movie or series at the same time.

3. Changes related to appearance

There are many jokes about drastic appearance-related alterations during times of self-isolation. There is also a scientific reason for this: when many things feel out of control, people try to take control of everything they can in order to regain positive thinking . This can result in changes to aspects of oneself that would otherwise not have changed.

It’s usually okay to make some changes: experimenting with new makeup or fashion styles, using henna or non-toxic body paint for cosmetic changes, and even dyeing your hair are all relatively safe options for changes that can be made. But there are some things you have to leave to the professionals. Here are some examples:

• Hair removal

Waxing is already such a painful process in itself when done by professionals, and even professionals can leave you with some bleeding or cuts. Trying to do it all yourself can be potentially damaging to you, and without an expert on hand, you’ll have nowhere to turn for help.

If you feel like removing hair, try shaving first or get some depilatory cream. And if you’re really that desperate for a wax, stick to less difficult areas like your legs.

• Haircuts

Cutting one’s own hair seems to be a common theme in self-isolation, especially among those who usually have short hair and it is now getting out of control. It’s tempting to reach for your scissors and start cutting without the help of a professional!

It’s usually quite harmless to try to cut your hair on your own, but you have to be prepared for the consequences. Ask yourself if you would feel okay with an absolutely awful haircut that you have to look at in the mirror every day in self-isolation.

That will most likely affect your positive thinking. That said, if you’ve cut your own hair with satisfactory results before, there’s no reason you can’t try it again now.

• Dermaplaning

Dermaplaning isn’t a widespread form of skincare, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t people who do it. Therefore, they might be tempted to try it on their own. Dermaplaning refers to the act of shaving the skin very close to the face to remove peach fuzz and dead skin.

This very close shave means you risk injuring yourself with cuts and even permanent paralysis and other problems due to wrong action.

Fortunately, there are safe DIY options that, as long as you do them carefully, can work as alternatives. Microneedle and dimmer rollers are examples of safe options that can work without professional help.

• Perforations

Some people feel an adrenaline rush when they think of getting their skin pierced. But it is a dangerous process, and when not done professionally, it can lead to medical complications including infection, nerve damage, and other serious conditions.

Even if you manage to escape the medical consequences, you still risk uneven piercings, poor choice of piercing location, and improper aftercare that can cause the hole to close up again. Let’s leave the piercings to the experts.

• Botox

Hardly anyone thinks of Botox as a safe thing to do themselves, but it deserves a reminder nonetheless. When someone is used to regular botox treatments , being alone and not being able to access that treatment may make them decide to try it at home.

The only way to access unofficial Botox is through the black market, which contains unregulated products. You don’t know for sure what’s in any of those kits, and they can end up crippling you or severely damaging your face through necrosis, infection, and irreversible damage.

Even if you do manage to get your hands on a genuine Botox product, chances are you won’t know how to inject it correctly. This is something you should leave in the hands of professionals.

4. Work more hours

If you are lucky enough to be working from home at the same or close to the same salary during self-isolation, you need to adjust to your living space that now doubles as your work space. For those not used to working from home, this can cause decreased productivity, but it can also cause the opposite, such as not being able to turn off your brain’s work mode.

When your personal and professional lives collide, you may begin to have trouble drawing a clear line between them. Combine that with the boredom of self-isolation, and you may feel the need to work nonstop. This habit is not positive and can disturb your sleep cycle and increase depressive symptoms.

Work the same number of hours you worked before self-isolation. If you’re looking for a way to fill your time, consider these options instead:

  • Pamper yourself with self-care
  • Do a little spring cleaning
  • Engaging in a hobby you don’t normally have time for
  • learning a new skill
  • Relax with a book, TV show, or game you want to play

Final thoughts on some things not to try during self-isolation

Self-isolation is difficult as it is. No need to add to their struggles by trying difficult or dangerous things right now! Leave the tough jobs to the professionals, adhere to self-isolation guidelines, and take care of your mental health first.

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