The Biggest Lessons I’ve Learned While in Quarantine
I do believe that if you look hard enough, you can find a silver lining in any situation, despite how bad it may seem
This week officially marks week number five of working from home and being under quarantine since COVID-19 came crashing down on New York.
I’ve finally moved on from the “mourning” phase of this emotional rollercoaster and have come to terms with accepting the current status of life as the “new normal”, as everyone is apparently calling it.
And although it’s been of a struggle, at the same time I’m also grateful for my health and safety as well as the health and safety of my loved ones. I know that many others have not be as fortunate.
This period of time has definitely been a huge opportunity for self-reflection of life while also attempting to grasp the weight of this pandemic and how it’s affected us all. So, while I take this time to self-reflect, count my blessings, and try to make sense of everything that’s been going on, I’m also trying to find the silver lining in all of this.
I know it’s a lot easier said than done, but I do believe that if you look hard enough, you can find a silver lining in any situation, despite how bad it may seem. And these are the silver linings that I’ve found thus far.
Protect your health to the best of your ability
For many of us, especially the younger ones, we often take our good health for granted. We only acknowledge our health when we’re sick and we ignore it when we’re perfectly fine.
However, this virus has taught us that even those with the strongest immune systems can still fall victim to illness, which is why we should be grateful for our health, be cognizant of any changes in our health, and do our best to be proactive about protecting our health. It’s one of the most important things we have in this life.
This is period of rest that I’ve been waiting for
Last year was one of the busiest years of my life. I traveled a ton, ran a marathon and two half-marathons, and to top it off, I got engaged (that last one was not expected). Between work and life, I had very limited downtime and very few weekends to just stay at home and relax.
hen, when 2020 came around, it was looking like it would be an even busier year. All I wanted were a few weekends to sit around and do nothing…and that’s exactly what I got once coronavirus came around. I can’t say that I’m happy about it, but I guess wishes do come true sometimes.
You don’t have to video chat every single day
The urge to stay social has been at the top of many people’s priorities. Since we’re unable to physically be with other people, the alternative solution to “hanging out” has been video chatting. And many of us have definitely taken advantage of the technology that provides that.
However, we don’t need to video chat every single day. You’re still allowed to say no to happy hour zoom calls just as you would if we were able to leave the house. Being stuck inside doesn’t require you to continuously be on video chat with everyone you know. You’re still allowed the time to yourself...but, whatever floats your boat.
You shouldn’t pressure yourself to be more productive
The biggest piece of advice that I’ve seen from people amidst this stay-at-home movement has been around the subject of productivity and resisting the pressure to constantly be productive.
Yes, we are stuck in our homes, but that doesn’t mean we always need to be doing chores, or doing work, or keeping ourselves busy every waking hour of the day. This time is not a call for productivity. We don’t need to force ourselves to do more than we already are (unless you want to, of course).
Don’t waste your days on your electronic device
I have to say that this has been the most difficult hurdle to overcome. It’s no surprise that the time spent on my phone and laptop has significantly increased, similar with many other people.
Given the amount of content that is constantly being published around coronavirus, the constant news, social media, and trending apps, it’s hard to avoid being sucked into the black hole that is technology. But, there are other things to do besides stare at your phone.
Try to spend a few hours away from technology each day. Leave your phone in another room, turn off your television, shut down your laptop and give your eyes some rest.
We’re more wasteful than we think
One of the biggest things I’ve noticed from being in the house so much is how quickly and how easy it is to run out of things — food, toiletries, etc. I’ve never had to be so creative in terms of cooking with what I had and thinking outside of the box. It’s extremely exhausting.
However, being at home has also taught me to be less wasteful of the things that I do have and to ration things better in order to avoid running out so quickly — things like napkins, paper towels, toilet paper. When we’re able to run out to a store without thinking twice, we don’t care about being wasteful. But, when things are harder to come by and stores have less inventory, we have to learn how to conserve. And that’s a main lesson I hope to take with me after all of this is over.
