Top 5 tips to stockpile sensibly, self quarantine and stay safe

Social distancing and self quarantine during the times of COVID-19 is one of the best and as yet proven precaution to stop the spread of the virus. It is best that you stay home decidedly, not just to prevent from getting infected but also in the off chance that you/your family member could infect others.

Order online or on call, pay online so that you do not have to handle your card/cash and ask the delivery person to drop the material at the door step so that you can collect it after sometime and disinfect it. If possible keep a sanitiser outside the door so that the delivery person can sanitise their hands on the go.

Here is a list of items that would help with social distancing. Just to be clear, this is not because there would be a run on the stores but more so that you do not have to go to the stores for your own and the safety of others.

1. Stocking grocery.
2. Stocking first aid.
3. Stocking over the counter medicines.
4. Stocking on hygiene materials.
5. Stocking on entertainment.

1. First on the list – Grocery. Here’s what you can consider stocking:

– Rice; Atta (flour) of grains you like wheat, rice, millets, soya chunks and soya flour; quinoa, oats, cornmeal (for polenta), broken wheat(for dalia/khichdi), vermicelli – sooji, noodles, beaten rice (poha), puffed rice (mur-mura), boxed cereals.

– Lentils and beans of various kinds – dried/canned depending on what you use regularly.

– Canned fish, frozen shrimps, sausages, chorizos, eggs.

– Ghee(rarified butter), oils, butter, nut butters, cheese.

– Onion, garlic, potatoes (store in cool, dark place), tomato/tomato puree.

-Vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, beans, lemons that stay fresh in fridge for a long time.

– Fruits – freeze fruits like Bananas, Sapotas to make smoothies, add some chocolate and/or maple syrup for additional taste.

– Frozen peas and corn are great addition to soups, pastas, rice/quinoa pilaf, curries.

-Sliced bread – can be frozen to last a long time.

– Sauces, pickles, preserves, olives, dates to add a bit of tang and taste to any dish; Salt, pepper, sugar and spices that you regularly use.

2. Next, review and replenish your first aid kit. 

This is a good time to review your first aid kit and see if you have solutions/ointments/band aids/crepe bandage/sprays for sprains, cut, burn, stings and bites. For you would want to treat them at home and not go to the neighbourhood clinic. While at it, check if you have your/your family’s supply of regular medication. Go through your and your family’s prescription medicines to see if you have them all for an additional few weeks. Order on phone/online and procure them if you don’t have them by scanning and sending your prescription to the pharmacy.

3. Stock some over the counter medicines for fever, flu, constipation and stomach upsets.

Check your medicine cabinet and procure things like thermometer, antiseptic gargles, cold/cough tablets, pain medications, paracetamols, oral rehydration sachets, fibre/isabgol for maintaining regular bowel movements etc.

4. Keep additional hygiene materials from soaps to tissues.

If you are at home, you need not run for sanitisers or masks. You can just stock some good amount of soap near all wash areas. Toilet tissue and tissues to wipe surfaces and sneeze into will come in handy. Flush/bin them don’t keep for reuse on your table/in your pocket :). If you have children/elders on diapers, stock up for a couple of weeks in the very least.  Same goes for feminine hygiene products. Shops will have them but you do not want to be running out every so often to buy as you need. Anticipate the requirement and keep at home for effective self quarantine.

5. Last but not the least, shore up your entertainment.

Pay your netflix/amazon/apple TV/Hot star/Cable – binge watch without guilt. Take out your board games – have fun.  You can even play group scrabble or chess online with your friends during the day time as everyone would be home. That list of books/articles that you have bookmarked – good time to read now. Craft work? Cooking? great time to try. Spring time is good to do some gardening whether in your yard or balcony – order seeds online and try growing some greens. List out your aunts, uncles, friends – video call and chat with them, great time to catch up as chances are that every one is home and looking to chat. Learn a dance, a song, a language online… you get the drift. Make the most of this time to slow down and live a little 🙂

Learn yoga, meditate, groom yourself, give each other massages, cook and clean together, hug and hangout with your family at home and enjoy your quarantine.

As they say, “Your grandparents were called to war. You are asked to sit on a couch. You can do this!”

If you like what you read here, please subscribe with your email id for an update whenever there is a new post. It is free 🙂