Blog #6: Sanity in a Pandemic
How I've been feeling the past month
(Highly recommend following Seth Rogan on insta for some wholesome content during this time)
I think everyone can agree that this is one of the weirdest times of our lives. Grocery stores without basic necessities on the shelves, workers without jobs, a spring break without friends, college without, well... college. The stats and stories (hey, maybe even our blog posts) will be looked back on as historical markers of the mess of our current state, pandemic at hand.
It can be easy to feel as if we have slim to non control over the events of today, because frankly, none of us do. And that can be a pretty terrifying thing. Many of our lives have been completely flipped upside down because of this virus, myself included. Here are a few things I've tried to keep in mind as our days continue to blur together:
Find hope
Keeping hopeful can be difficult to do, but I've found the best ways for me personally, are looking at the facts. Staying consistently educated on the events at hand has simultaneously put my mind at ease while giving me major rises in anxiety at the same time. I've found that this site has given me what I think to be legit, unbiased info on what is going on in San Diego County every week. You can even scroll through and see how all of this has evolved the past month (kind of interesting to look back on).
Keeping in virtual contact with family and friends has given me a sense of hope as well. I had the pleasure of spending my 21st birthday in the midst of this pandemic... not ideal. But! It could have been much worse had I not been able to face time with my fam and gal pals that I celebrate with every year and pass on a nice, virtual "see a chug, send a chug". I was still pretty devastated about subbing out the bars of PB for mimosas in my backyard, but I just have to remind myself my time will come (soon I hope). For now, flashing my ID at the liquor store down the street will have to do.
Stay productive
This might sound a tad dramatic, but getting out of bed in the morning is hard. I found myself in a pattern of rolling out of bed past noon and putting off my school work daily (I still do this, who am I kidding). I've realized I definitely pavlov'd myself into only being able to study and get work done efficiently in a Starbucks with a tea in hand for all of my college career. Now, amidst this pandemic, that is not quite possible, which causes a little bit of an issue for me. It took me a while to figure out where exactly I could work my best with the current situation. Getting work done in my bed is absolutely impossible. Between my ten blankets and 2 body pillows there is just no way. But now I've found a way to get myself to keep up with my classes (for the most part), by finding a few constructive spaces in my house, away from my bed of comfiness. Finding new mini offices, like small coffee tables, has really helped. Keeping a calendar and lists of things to get done has also helped me keep some sense of a time schedule, which for a while seemed to just not exist. I'm still getting into the routine of things, but so far I think these things are working for me.
Love the little things
Finally, finding some peace in little day to day victories is important. I've always been one to find sanity in the outdoors. Having a bad day, I'll just head to the beach for a bit. Have a free weekend, let's head to the mountains. I never thought living in San Diego, I would be unable to do either of those things. But here we are. So in place of my favorite outdoor sanctuaries, I've found some joy of simply jogging around the neighborhood (mostly walking if we're being honest). It can be easy to feel stuck and stagnant in our homes. The beaches and mountains may be limited, but we should take advantage of the outdoors around us, while we can. Or even standing in my backyard and taking a deep breath has helped me too.
Little things like catching up on a good Netflix binge watch with a coloring book has calmed my mind as well. It might sound trivial, but mindlessly coloring has been my favorite pass time so far, especially after cramming in online lectures and assignments.
Well... There you have it... a few things I've kept in mind to find some sense of sanity in a pandemic.
Enjoy a few pictures of my coloring book pages because I like them and no one else is looking at them lol
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ReplyDeleteI have also learned that staying in contact with friends has been a great help to deal with the social distancing norm. The bars of the PB will always stand strong and I hope you get your mimosas upon their reopening. I still battle with my enemy the snooze button on a daily basis and have since kindergarten However, I noticed if I am not on a consistent sleep schedule I feel more sluggish throughout the day.So by keeping a consistent sleep schedule I have been more productive and organized. I have also noticed that adding variety to my day like you have by going on a jog has helped me break the monotony of these social distancing order. Whether it is going on a run in the hills a bike ride, or even simply driving around town I noticed it has helped me out immensely whenever I am feeling overwhelmed by either stress or boredom.
ReplyDeleteHi Anna!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog, not only were you able to tell how you've been doing during this weird time, but you also were able to give some insight into what others can also do in order to stay positive and still maintain some fun. I laughed when you said you pavlov'd yourself into needing a coffee shop and some business around you to get things done, that has by far been my biggest struggle. Sitting in my room makes it way too easy for me to get distracted and go on Tik Tok or start opening tabs and online shopping (bad idea when you no longer have an income) and being in public almost kept me motivated to get my work done in case someone was watching? Weird, but glad I'm not the only one struggling with that.
Stay healthy!
Anna,
ReplyDeleteWOW. Honestly just, thank you! You gave so much in just one post.
I agree, this has to be the weirdest time ever. (At least this year right) I’m sure I am not the only one who appreciates you sharing some things to keep in mind. Finding hope, staying productive, and loving the little things is something I’m sure many of us are struggling with at times. . . Me included! My favorite section has got to be the loving little things. You state how “finding some peace in little day to day victories is important.” You using the word some, literally makes it all ! We gotta see that even the littlest things are important in a time like this, where we shouldnt be going out, are running out of essentials, and so on. Netflix has been on my list of things to do for sure! With all the work I’m doing I love sitting, listening to music, and my coloring book! So I totally understand with you on that. Thank you so much for sharing some of your work! Giving you a virtual high five.
Hey girl!
ReplyDeleteI love this post. I'm sorry that your 21st was stuck inside!! That's so not fair but you'll have so much fun being able to go out when you're done. PB bars are fun but also checkout gaslamp!! Also I find it suuuuper difficult to get out of bed before 12 as there is little to no motivation to do day to day activities other than the fact that I get sick of staring at the same four walls. I relate to your tip about finding a different space in the house that you can work at because I've had to find that too now that I'm staying with my dad. It's hard to get yourself to go outside because many of use just want to wallow, but I've found that once I'm outside I feel much better. I'm glad to be finding that some of the same things that are working for me are working for others. Stay safe and I hope getting out of bed becomes a little easier !