Hong Kong people have proved to be resilient during the past half-year or so during the COVID-19 pandemic; unfortunately, so has the pandemic.

People in the city have been obeying social-distancing rules, wearing face masks almost at all times — from the chilling winter to now the midsummer — which is not something easy to do. Yet the pandemic isn’t letting go of the city easily; the latest daily number of new infections shows that the nightmare is far from over.

Strict measures implemented by the Hong Kong Special Administration Region government to fight against the pandemic have practically sealed off the city since February, making it very difficult for people to go out or come in. As the exact date for the city to reopen has been postponed twice, and very likely will be again, many people are feeling anxiety — several of my friends have told me that they are going “insane”.

So now, I believe it is time for each of us to think like an entrepreneur — to restructure and redefine our lives as entrepreneurs have done with their businesses, looking for new ways to enrich our lives and making ourselves more adaptable in order to stay healthy, both physically and mentally.

From my observation during the past six months or so, people may need to prepare for a lengthy, if not permanent, period of working from home. We should abandon the illusion that “this is only temporary and soon everything will be back to normal”. We need to set up a solid work zone or at least a workstation at home, making sure the desk and the chair are comfortable, which will help us stay focused during work.

Another thing that could be good for our mental health is to pick up a hobby or learn some new skills. Since the government has been urging people to stay at home as much as possible, and most of the entertainment facilities, like the cinema, have been closed, we inevitably have more “indoor time”. Many of my friends have picked up new hobbies, like drawing, growing flowers in little pots, or practicing yoga — but mostly, they are cooking.

A Hong Kong startup that developed an app to teach people how to cook and bake has been doing so well since the beginning of this year, as people stuck at home tend to have more time to cook for their families, that the company is aiming for a Hong Kong initial public offering.

One of my colleagues is writing a feature story about how educational institutions on the Chinese mainland that offer paid online courses for adults have seen their business boom during the past six months, which indicates that many people, in particular youngsters, are actively learning new things and absorbing new knowledge during their “lockdown time” caused by the pandemic.

Doing some outdoor exercise may also be a good idea. I live near Tai Wai Station of the East Rail Line and used to travel to Shenzhen on weekends for food and to meet with my friends. Now those little trips have become fond but fading memories. I was so anxious for Hong Kong to reopen so I could meet with my family and my pet dog that I had trouble falling asleep. So I started to take hourlong walks along the Shing Mun River at 8 pm.

The daily walk relaxes me, and it’s good for my health.

Recently, I did an interview with Li Feng, chairman of China Mobile Hong Kong. He recommended hiking for exercise. He said the hiking resources in Hong Kong are outstanding, and it is almost the only way to fully appreciate the beauty of the city.

So, do whatever you can to stay healthy, both physically and mentally, so that we can live to fight another day.

The author is a Hong Kong-based journalist.