You got what you wanted.
Youâve been fetishizing about taking time off to focus on yourself, self-care, #cancellingplans and staying in. You can finally use all those new-age candles youâve been stocking up on.
So why are you freaked out?
Youâre not sure why you feel this insane urge to fill your time or what to do with your now empty calendar, now that social distancing is the new âIâm so busyâ.
Your social media is filled with people reminiscing about fabulous trips they took last month, given theyâre stuck at home. The elderly, at risk, front-line workers and daily-wage earners seem to be strangely quiet, but weâre already remembering the world we once knew.
But wait. Itâs not too late. VCs on Twitter are doling out productivity tips about WFH, and your inbox is filling up with recommendations on what books and music and films to consume, so you can continue to distract yourself. Home work-out classes and remedies are on the rise: you already miss your gym instructor and threading lady.
You can handle your co-workers annoyingly glacial decision-making online (thank you, Zoom), but itâs your IRL family thatâs getting to you. What do you do when you have to be around your spouse all day- or your kid when theyâre forced to learn from you?
When you allow yourself to reflect-in between scrolls- you have to admit, youâre not sure what youâre trying to run away from. What is so scary about being genuinely free- in a house filled with food, running hot water and electricity?
Itâs okay to be lonely. Maybe youâre in a long-distance relationship, or away from family. Itâs okay to be scared. Maybe youâre at-risk or one of your loved ones is, or youâre worried about not being able to keep your job. Or maybe youâre too close for comfort to your extended family. Itâs also okay to fight. Conflict is a form of closeness.
Weâre so emotionally and mentally unprepared for whatâs going to happen when climate change really hits. This isnât going to be the last global pandemic we face. What happens when we get to food and water shortages- and even worse- when we lose our WiFi?
Time is a gift. You can use it to look inward, to create, to offer help, to breathe. If youâre reading this, youâre one of the privileged few. Our grandparents were forced to go to war. All thatâs being asked of us is to stay at home, wash our hands and not lose our minds. Letâs deal.
Show some kindness: to others, and yourself.