How to cope with self-isolating in your family home if you're living there for the first time in years

• I am one of many people who left their urban homes (for me, London) and retreated to their parents' rural house upon being asked to work from home two weeks ago due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• With the UK now in lockdown and many of us self-isolating, we're here for the foreseeable future — and despite it being a blessing that we're together, it's taking some adjusting.
• It's hard not to revert to teenage behavior when you go back to your family and your childhood home, but therapeutic counselor Indira Chima believes young people in this situation are entitled to feel a bit out of sorts.
• She told Insider there are certain things people can do to make the most of the situation and keep things harmonious, like thinking of it as an opportunity to reflect and catch up on sleep.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

As countries across the world go into lockdown and ask people to self-isolate, many people have found themselves in somewhat new living conditions.

Some grown adults, like me, left their tiny city apartments (London) and retreated to their childhood homes in the countryside (Leicestershire) before anyone really knew what we were in for with the coronavirus pandemic.

And now here we are two weeks later: 27 years old, sleeping in a single bed in my childhood bedroom that hasn't been redecorated since I was two, and living with my parents and sister.

I usually live on my own, so needless to say, the past couple of weeks have required some adjusting.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still so glad I'm here, in a family home with a garden and dogs in the countryside, rather than in my shoebox of an apartment in central London, which has no outdoor space whatsoever. I feel incredibly fortunate, and it's actually lovely to have my family around me in these uncertain times.

That said, like many people, life feels like it's flipped 180. And we don't know how long we'll be here for. (I haven't lived here properly since I left school almost 10 years ago.)

What is it about returning to your childhood home and your family that makes grown adults revert to acting like teenagers? My sister and I fell out over chicken (apparently I ate too much?), I ask my dad to catch the spiders I usually deal with myself, and I'm loathe to do all the household chores that I, of course, have to do in my own place.

I'm also having to adjust to not being able to be completely independent (and by that I mean selfish). Take food, for example: living alone in London means I eat exactly what I want, when I want. Now I'm supposed to factor in other people? I'm expecting a sainthood for this selflessness.

Also, there's no Deliveroo or UberEats here.

It's inevitable you'll feel out of sorts

While I may sound like a self-obsessed millennial who doesn't know how lucky she is (believe me, I do, and I count my blessings every day), therapeutic counselor Indira Chima believes young people in this situation are entitled to feel a bit out of sorts.

"I think this is a real loss for young people who lead busy, dynamic lives. A loss of work, routine, friends and the familiar – and then who quickly find themselves thrust into a new environment overnight without time to get their heads around it," Chima, who is a member of The British Association For Counselling And Psychotherapy, told Insider.

"It challenges their 'assumptive world' and takes time to adjust to. 20-something city dwellers tend to live and work at a frenetic pace often burning the candle at both ends. They are on the merry-go-round and 'always on.'"

Chima believes that it's precisely this extreme contrast that makes now the perfect time to reflect.

"This is a real opportunity to slow down and breathe and pause to reflect on things we don't normally stop to think about," she advised.

"There are really important questions about our future and how we want to live our lives that we don't often allow ourselves the chance — unless we go for therapy — to ask ourselves. Eg. What's my vision of the future? What does that look like? Who is in it? What makes me happy? Am I fulfilled? And how do I want to live?"

Make self-isolation an opportunity to reflect

Even people who are fortunate enough still to have jobs likely have more time on their hands right now, what with freed up commute time and not being able to see friends or go anywhere.

It has to be said, being outside of your normal environment certainly makes it easier to reflect and think about life's big questions.

Chima says this is also a good way to ensure you still feel in control of yourself.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully) opportunity to re-assess our lives and figure out what's important to us: How we spend our money? The type of life we want to lead? Whether we want to travel? Our career direction/plan? etc." she said.

"Re-frame your mind. Instead of thinking about this as something forced or thrust upon you, think about it as a positive opportunity to reflect on your life.

"How often have you wished for time off or felt your boss was overly demanding? Use this downtime to your advantage. Do things that you've been putting off."

I've definitely found that taking up new at-home activities and setting small goals for myself while self-isolating has helped me to not get bored and also ensures I have that essential me-time.

If you're stuck for ideas, Chima suggests spring cleaning your email inbox or your finances, signing up for an online course, learning a new language, or just catching up on Netflix.

"The reality is that there is very little in the world that we can control. This situation is a reminder of that," she said.

"However there are some things that we can control, i.e. our response to this. So take control where you can and this will leave you feeling better."

5 key survival tips

Chima shared five top tips for coping in this unprecedented situation.

1. Reach out to your support network

Zoom, Facetime, Skype, House Party, Google Hangouts — who knew these platforms could provide such an essential connection to our normal lives? But they really do. Chatting with my friends this way has been invaluable.

"Through modern tech we can still be in touch with one another and in each others' lives," said Chima. "It's a vital lifeline, so stay connected and support one another."

2. Bring routine and structure to your day as you normally would

Chima said sticking to your normal routine as best as possible is important as "it provides a sense of safety and familiar."

"If you are able to work from home then this will help," she said. "So rise, shower, and breakfast as you normally would. Take regular breaks and go for a walk. Get outside if you can and do some exercise in the fresh air."

3. Create zones in your environment for your different roles

One of the benefits for some people in this position is having more space than normal — if I were in London, I'd be in one room to eat, work, workout, and relax. At my family home, we're lucky enough to have more space to spread out, which means I can still maintain work-life balance despite not going to an office.

"Try and keep them separate," advised Chima. "Again, it helps give structure and routine." And prevents you from feeling like a teenager studying for exams again.

4. Take time off social media

"Check in once or twice a day and use it to stay in touch, but put it down," Chima said. "Don't get consumed by it because it just feeds the panic and can be an unsafe space."

I can't say I've been doing this one, but there's time yet.

5. Catch up on your sleep

"This is really important for staying healthy and well," stressed Chima. "Keep a journal next to your bed and jot down any thoughts and feelings that keep you awake, then deal with it in daylight or take it to therapy if you are seeing a counselor."

For me, getting better sleep is a huge pro of being where I currently am. In London, I don't sleep well. The walls in my building are thin, I live on a busy street, light comes in from my shutters, and I'm a light sleeper.

In the countryside, it's delightfully quiet and dark, plus I can sleep in a bit later as my new commute involves walking from my bedroom to the spare room.

Your whole existence might feel weird right now. But all we can really do is focus on the positives and count our blessings. It certainly helps for me.

Like all families, mine drive me up the wall at times — as I certainly do to them too — but on the whole, being with them is so comforting at the moment. And considering the awful situations so many people have found themselves in, we are incredibly lucky. I must try to remember that (and not eat all the chicken).