You’re Doing the Same Thing as Everyone in Quarantine… So What?

We’re two months into quarantine and we still have a long way to go… Have you baked that banana bread yet? I’m here to tell you that you shouldn’t feel bad about joining the rest of the world and doing the “same thing” as everyone else. In fact, setting up little daily challenges for yourself could bring some value and change into your life. While quarantine isn’t a productivity race, it’s important to think of the future–this too shall pass. When we get back to our new normal, won’t you regret not having focused on yourself when you had the chance to? If you feel pressured to listen to negative voices around you warning you of the risk of becoming “basic” if you try a popular activity, read on to find out why you should ignore these comments. 

Let’s be real for a second. “You, too?” is a question people ask when they secretly mean, “I wish I had the guts to follow my heart and have fun without not caring what people think of me.” 

Another thing to remember if someone comes at you for doing the “exact same thing” as everyone else is that doing the same activity doesn’t mean you’re experiencing the same emotions. That’s what makes these TikTok challenges so fun to begin with! They may come from the same idea, but everyone has their own twist to a dance or a recipe. I, for example, tried making Dalgona coffee yesterday and failed miserably. So, I failed–who cares? Did I learn something in the process and have fun at the same time? Absolutely. Put your own spin to the activity that everyone else is doing, be it another baking or cleaning challenge, or something else entirely. Maybe listen to your favorite music and dance in the kitchen in your pj’s with a facemask on, or try to do a DIY photoshoot with your iPhone. Remember: it’s your experience; do whatever you want with it. 

It’s also important to think of the future. While putting “proficient in making banana bread” on your resume doesn’t exactly speak of an ideal candidate, the next time an interviewer asks “How did you handle your latest crisis?”, you’ll have a perfect answer that mixes in productivity with your creative spirit. Anything’s better than saying, “It was hard, so I just watched Netflix all day.” Of course, there’s nothing wrong with embracing some much-needed me time, but it’s important to make sure you didn’t resort to watching Netflix because you were afraid of trying something new!

Now that you’re on board (hopefully), think of all the fun skills you could learn during this time,  from photography to videography, and social media management. Make a personal boomerang or create your own filter. Need new footage? Why not look at the latest challenges on TikTok or YouTube? Another reminder is that no, you’re not too old to have fun on social media. I recently saw a quote on Instagram that I really didn’t like. The post said, “If you’re using eye cream, you’re too old for TikTok.” That is absolutely not true. Having fun while providing value for your audiences does not have an age limit. Let’s stop setting all these limitations on what are the right ways to entertain ourselves during this time.

We’re all in this together, and I don’t see a reason why you shouldn’t put some spark into your days while learning something new along the way. You’ll thank yourself later if you read five more pages, learn that new recipe and edit it to make it look really cool, move your body more, and try out even more daily activities until things return to normal. Try to do things daily that in “normal days” had to be left for a special occasion, and you’ll make every day feel different and unique.

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