If I were to play the Quarantine Bingo game, I would definitely score a bingo. I feel like I indulged in so many activities during this isolation at home. Not all lasted long, but I am finding my ebb and flow.
As of today, I have been in quarantine for 2 months. Like most people, there is no way I would have imagined this is what my spring would be like if you asked me back in December. In fact, not even three months ago, this was a possible scenario in my mind. We actually had major plans for 2020. Then to suddenly read about COVID19 virus finding its way to Toronto inevitably and cases increasing exponentially, coming across crazy lines ups for grocery and TP hoarding, and how all our plans changed. Just like that. What?
There has been major anxiety since then. Worrying about my parents, worrying about my sister who still goes into work as an essential worker, worrying about financial and job stability, worrying about how things will be after quarantine is lifted whenever that is. There was even a slight scare when my cat was a little unwell or anytime we sneezed. There is a lot of worrying and there is a lot of anxiety.
So how am I staying sane in quarantine?
Productivity
My brain was tricked into thinking “I’m always home now, I will have lots of time.” I felt like I needed to use the “extra” time to be productive, to improve myself. There were so much on social media about free courses. A lot of advises on improving your small side hustle. I gave it a try and I realized this was just not the time for all that.
To be stressed and anxious and putting more pressure on yourself, it wasn’t the right approach for me. I was already so busy with work to the point of putting in a lot of overtime. I took one course and decided that was all I can handle for the time being. As much as I wanted to make use of the free courses and learn more, I didn’t have the mental capacity.
Even with my side hustle, I wanted to improve on it. But again, it’s really hard to be creative under stress and so much uncertainty. And that’s okay. Even without a pandemic, creativity has its highs and lows. However, I did take the opportunity to donate any sales I made to my local food bank to contribute as much as I can to the community.
Coping Mechanism
Do allow yourself to do things that help you destress. I found myself baking more and it was an activity I always enjoyed and wanted to do more of. Then there are the sweet treats you can indulge in after. It’s not stress eating if you’re enjoying the fruits of your labour, right?
Avoid Caffeine
I love Dalgona Coffee and how easy it is to make it, feeling like a professional barista. But caffeine is just the worst for anxiety. I stocked up on a lot of flavoured tea, herbal and low caffeine. It’s not the same, but looking forward to warmer weather when I can make them as iced tea. There are also the occasional bubble tea orders here and there.
Empathy
It’s easy to get sensitive during this time, reacting easily to the news, to comments from partners, friends or family members, to even strangers. It’s important to remember everyone is going through this at the same time, for the same reason. While we all manage our emotions differently, we need to be mindful that they may also be struggling.
This is a very general thought. Some actions may be unacceptable, like those who do not believe this pandemic is real. I’m referring more to the friends who you are hearing less and less from, or to the family members who are being irritating, or the neighbours who are complaining a lot.
Tidying Up
I don’t know if this is a result of my upbringing or because of my Virgo Moon, but I always had a hard time focusing when I am surrounded by a messy environment. I could never study in peace with a mess around me. But I’m also one of those people with a designated side of a bed or a chair for organized chaos.
I always found it helpful to clean around the house and organize things, as the process also allowed me to declutter my thoughts and emotions. With anxiety, thoughts and emotions can become a jumbled ball of chaos, spiraling. Decluttering physically also helped me declutter mentally, sorting through them.
Perspective
Every time I start to worry again and get negative thoughts, I try to be aware of what I am thinking, the reasonability of it and how it makes me feel. I try to switch to positive thinking. It’s not an easy practice and mindfulness therapy has helped me practice this with a bit more ease. Whenever I am worrying about something, I try to let go of the parts that I cannot control so I don’t feel so helpless. I try to focus on things I can do to help myself and those around me.
I also try to pull out the Ask Deep Questions deck (or similar) and go through some of the cards. They’re like little prompts for some deep thinking. Questions like ‘What does home mean to you?’ or ‘What are the little things you miss from before pandemic and what little things are you enjoying now?’ These prompts help to realize a lot of things, bring new perspective, and learn a lot from your own self. You just have to be really honest with yourself.
New Normal
It’s time to accept there is no going back to normal. As we have heard a million times, we are now in a “new normal”. Even after quarantine is lifted, it just won’t be the same. It shouldn’t be. There’s a lot we are learning about ourselves and our lives. There are a lot of changes to be made for our safety, our well being, our community and our economy. We have to embrace changes for a more positive future. With patience and educating ourselves with facts, we can learn to navigate this new normal.
Stay sane, stay safe – just keep swimming. How are you doing?
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