Quarantine seems to have been going on forever and while it seems things are beginning to open up, time has melded together; it’s become difficult to separate Wednesday from Friday.
At the start of this isolation process (which I still fully support), there was a sense of excitement in some ways. We were going to suddenly, magically, have all this time, permission almost, to do all the things we never have time for. Others have made good on that, all the banana bread and workout videos are a testament to this.
For those of us who can work from home, the blessing was a double-edged sword: You can roll out of bed fifteen minutes before a mandatory check-in Zoom meeting, looking business like on top and pantless at the bottom. Consequently, it also meant bosses exhibited little trust in their employees and piled on the work because hey, you’ve got time and very little excuses to not deliver.
As life marches on and seasons are beginning to change, that initial, even if slight, excitement or silver lining, is starting to vanish. There seems to be no end in sight. How long are we going to be confined? Even when the restrictions are relaxed, how long is it going to take before we get back to normal? Is there ever going to be a normal? What will life post-COVID-19 look like?
Many of us are wondering if we’ll get another job, or how long the grants are going to last. When we’ll get to see family members or friends again. Some of us have faced grim isolation apart from the people and activities that keep us sane, and the constant reminder that we should have picked up at least three new hobbies by now is enough to drive anyone crazy. When does it all stop?
It stops when you tune out. It’s okay not to have it all together in this season. It’s okay to not have picked up ANY new habits if you’ve just been taking it a day at a time, keeping a business afloat or keeping your children alive, or even if you’ve just been learning to meditate and keep your thoughts from racing. Pause and tell yourself, it’s okay.