By: Daniel Sanchez Morales
The rapid onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led public health officials to encourage all of us to quarantine and practice social distancing to keep ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities safe. But the realities of being isolated continues to be difficult for many.
The transition between having an active social life to social isolation was abrupt. One moment we were sharing bubble tea with close friends and the next we were isolated deciding which show to binge-watch. Even though we interacted online in the past, this situation was not the same. Personally, as a student the shift from the classroom to online learning made school more confusing and an overwhelming feeling of ‘disorder’ took over.
As good as social media is at helping us connect, it also can be the culprit of why we feel so down. The constant consumption of negative news or troubling expectations of what one ought to be doing during the quarantine affects us on a conscious and subconscious level and often leaves us not knowing how to act, think or feel.
Quarantine can feel exhausting for many and may feel as if it is taking over every aspect of our lives. And unfortunately it is not possible to follow social distance protocol and to continue living what we consider to be our ‘ordinary’ lives. To help cope, here are some ways of dealing with these overwhelming feelings:
Don’t feel guilty, do nothing! Contrary from what many may think (or are told), doing nothing is actually understandable and necessary. Our busy schedules, tight agendas, predictable lifestyles, and social expectations lead us to believe that there is no value of doing nothing. Society, especially before quarantine, has obsessed over keeping ourselves occupied and ‘productive.’ We used to live in this constant hurry about ‘what should I be doing’ rather than ‘what would I like to be doing’ or ‘what my body and mind are asking me to do.’ Doing nothing should not prompt feelings of guiltiness or shame. On the contrary, it should be a safe space to be a time of relaxing, conscious breathing, and self-reflection.
Ignore social media posts about “productivity/accomplishments”. Even during this time, social media continues to encourage us to keep ourselves busy by performing a series of ‘home activities’ with the goal of conserving the productive self. Despite the fact that it is important to keep doing activities that complement our daily routine, these should be personal decisions made with conviction and influenced by social pressure. In addition, it is important to identify when our mind and body are close to a possible breakdown or burnout. If we are teetering on the edges of breaking down or burning out then we must fully stop, preserve our mental health and let ourselves perform the art of ‘doing nothing’.
Feel your feelings. Having the time to let ourselves experience our emotions and reflect on them helps in the construction of a better emotional intelligence. Once you start being conscious about your body and mind, you begin to identify cues on how to respond to different situations. The only way to deal with uncomfortable emotions is to allow ourselves to feel them so we don’t project them in unhealthy and unresolved ways. Cry when you need to cry. It is okay to feel frustrated, angry, and grief during this time.
Like it or not, a schedule is a good idea. Creating a list of what has been done and what needs to be done will help us manage anxiety. Once your mind knows the progress of your goals, it will start looking for tools and solutions to help to accomplish the ones that are left. Having a schedule and following it will help with managing urges of procrastination and better conceptualize how we spend our days.
Finally, the motivation to continue onwards and cope in these times lies in realizing that productivity looks different now and when we reflect and “do nothing”we are actually investing and learning about ourselves instead of “wasting time.”