The first one was taking up half of our floor space, and I think Devin wasn’t too thrilled about the mess, but I reassured him that the 1000-piece Monet painting would only take a few… weeks.
Everything about COVID-19 has been confusing, frustrating and depressing. Although I am fortunate enough to say I’ve had it easier than others, it’s been a dark time for me too. No, I didn’t lose my job (because I didn’t have one…),and Devin is able to pay rent, and no one in my close circle has been ill (knock on wood/“syv, ni, tretten” in Danish), but the entire situation is still terrifying.
So what do we do?
We stay productive. The rock-solid answer when people are asking “How are you holding up?” is a short and simple: “I’m good, just trying to stay busy, you know.”The alternative would be slightly TMI: “I’m mildly depressed. Went through four shows on Netflix, I’m baking cake like crazy and spending at least two hours a day on Candy Crush” — clearly not the most interesting and Insta-worthy response.
I have, like so many others, felt the pressure from people preaching about productivity and the 1001 challenges that formed on social media in the beginning of lockdown. Push ups on one finger, knit a wedding dress, write a book, idk it got pretty wild. We feel guilt and feel like we need to reinvent the wheel so at the very least we can come out of this pandemic with something to show for ourselves (5 months at home and all you did was…cake?)
My solution
(BE AWARE: I haven’t tested this on anyone other than a 5’5’’ blond Scandinavian, but it should be applicable on anyone with an open mind).
I won’t try to make this something it’s not. We’re living through a worldwide pandemic, which means businesses shutting down, families stressed, severe suffering. Okay, that got a little dark, but I promise I’ll brighten it up again now…
Point is, stay positive and busy, but be gentle with yourself. Avoid needless pressure to spend every second of quarantine wisely.” No one needs extra weight on their conscience during an already heavy time like this.
If you feel like blaming the virus, I’d say go for it. For me, blaming Covid has been a way to accept limitations and vulnerability. I gained 5 pounds: “COVID.” I finished Sweet Magnolias in one week: “COVID.” I’m broke: “COVID!”
Dealing with the situation in quarantine is, for me, about finding a balance between absolute zero productivity and maintaining health (and sanity).
I’ve watched shows that I would never “waste” my time on before and it feels great. On the other hand, I’ve experimented with at-home workouts and made sure not to eat pancakes every day.
Let’s backtrack a bit actually. I say Stay Positive, and you’ll be like, “Is the recipe for that linked somewhere or something?” I’m still working on it, but for now I’ll give you a piece of advice: Make sure to mark the good days. On days when I actually succeed in crossing items off the To Do list (whether it’s just groceries and cleaning, or an X number of finished blog posts), I’ll thank myself (and Devin!) for a great day. It sounds a little bit religious as I type it out now, but that’s my honest way to find some joy. It reminds me that there are good days to break up the bad, those afternoons where I seem to be eating too much cake and finishing too many crosswords…
A day at a time
No one can tell exactly how long it’s gonna take for COVID to die down or for someone to find a vaccine. Maybe you are waiting to travel somewhere or aching to get back to normal school and not these virtual lessons. And trust me, you’re not alone. We need to take one day at a time. Mark the good ones, and stay strong on the not-so-good ones. Every day is a new day, and let yourself recharge in between each of them.
We’ll get through this together (with a mask, hand sanitizer and physical distance). Have a good day. Stay safe and sane.
If you’ll excuse me, I have a puzzle to start.
Kys og kram,
Victoria Liv