Hello strangers! Sorry for my extreme lack of posting but I’m
working on a rebrand of my blog and channel and I got behind on posts and
uploads between that, moving (twice), working on my dissertation, and adjusting
to the end of lockdown. But I am happy to say I’m back with you and I have a
new vlog on my channel which documents the move(s) and the overall adjustment!
Speaking of lockdown, restrictions are gradually being
lifted here in Ireland although the post-lockdown world still feels weird and
foreign. As we re-emerge into post-pandemic society, it’s led me to reflect on
some of the major things I learned from three months in isolation.
Here are four things I took away from my time in quarantine:
1. 1. Productivity isn’t everything
This was a tough pill to swallow for me and
everyone around me. As a graduate student who frequently overloads themselves
with classes and projects, I had gotten in the habit of tying my worth to my
productivity.
2. 2. Little interactions matter
I have no problem admitting that I am a huge
introvert and I try to avoid human interaction wherever possible. I will always
opt for self-checkout or some other automated android rather than have to
interact with another human. I save all my interaction energy for my close
friends and colleagues.
3. 3. Health is everything – physical and
mental
Productivity might not be everything, but
health is. I’ve often said ‘if you don’t have your physical and mental
health, you have nothing’ because literally, you’d be dead.
Taking care of ourselves is something we too easily put on the backburner even though it is more critical to our survival than any task, any appointment, any obligation. As soon as we went into lockdown, I realized how anxious I had been feeling, how tired and burnt-out and sluggish and run-down. I knew I needed to take a break to relax, find a doctor, find a psychotherapist, start eating better, and start taking care of myself. The shocking this is, if a global pandemic hadn’t forced us to lock ourselves indoors for a while, I don’t think I would have ever taken the initiative to take that break. Even though it was crucial to maintaining my health.
It may have taken a global physical and mental health crisis to get me to prioritize my own health, but at least I got there in the end. Now, I will hopefully feel less reluctant to take time out to work on my own health, because my health is all I got!
4 4. Time spent alone isn’t time wasted
I know a lot of people started saying “2020
is cancelled” or “let’s pretend like 2020 didn’t happen” as if this whole year
is a designated write-off. I don’t like thinking that way. Sure, it’s tempting –
I didn’t get to travel much this year, didn’t get to see as many of my friends,
didn’t get to go to all the concerts I wanted, likely won’t be able to go home
to America for a long time – but just
because I spent this time alone, at home doesn’t mean it’s wasted.
Of course, I could go on forever about all the stuff I learned about myself in quarantine, all the self-help books I read, and all the rest but these four things have been some of the more interesting revelations. Please comment below and share what you learned – about yourself, about the world, about social justice, about Tiger King – whatever!
