Living through the COVID-19 pandemic has changed my life, and I know the same applies to most people. There’s no shortage of complaints that could be brought up with everything that we’ve endured in the last two years. However, it has also strengthened my ability to feel gratitude; in that, I am alive and healthy.
Quarantine and self-isolation were very difficult for me in the beginning. I know I am not alone in this. It was incredibly challenging to transition to getting less social interaction every day. The biggest shock was how little I thought of that interaction prior.
Being able to see people, whether it be strangers in a public place, seeing acquaintances at a gathering, or spending time with my close friends, was not something I thought to be grateful for. The pandemic changed socialization from something I felt entitled to, to a privilege that would be missed for two years.
Self-isolation forced us to be our own company. Becoming less extroverted and more introverted was a natural ripple effect of the pandemic. I felt for a while that this was a bad thing and that I shouldn’t let myself become less outwardly social. But now, the amount of daily alone time that I need for my well-being has increased over time.
Now that life is transitioning back to how it used to be, I felt this obligation to live how I did before the pandemic. But I’ve realized that time and energy are finite, and when something is limited, you come to value it more.
When you choose to use it, it’s important that where you are and who you are with is not draining you or exhausting you, but ultimately bringing you joy and fulfillment.
It’s okay to be picky about how you spend your time. Even though we aren’t being forced to quarantine anymore, it’s okay to still occasionally need alone time.
How do you like to spend your alone time? Let us know @HerCampusSJSU