Soon, it will be a whole year since COVID-19 started. It feels crazy to say that and even crazier that this pandemic is still raging. When we all were sent home last year, we were naïve and made jokes about it being an extended spring break. I remember saying how things would be back to normal by summer, then by fall and now, I have no idea what to believe. Since the pandemic has started, I, like many others, have felt my mental health decline. It’s hard not to feel anxious or worried about what’s going to happen to myself, my family, my community and the world. It has been especially difficult being in a college town this semester and seeing so many people acting like nothing is wrong, frequenting bars and parties like there isn’t still a pandemic happening. Because of my choice to continue to be cautious of COVID-19 by avoiding large gatherings and places blatantly ignoring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, I’ve felt like I’ve losing friends who don’t agree with me, and sometimes, I’ve also felt an overwhelming aching for the normalcy of a life that seems so far away now. However, I recently had a breakthrough: What I discovered is nothing new or groundbreaking, but it is something I needed to remind myself of, and that is to romanticize the little things.
All of the little things?
When I say to romanticize the little things, I mean every little thing. Nowadays, there isn’t a whole lot in the world that can make one feel happy and excited. That’s why it’s important to find, see and celebrate the beauty in all the small things we do every day. Some of my favorite recent memories include things I took for granted before the pandemic. Things like reading a book at the park, having a jam session to old Taylor Swift songs with my roommates, making myself dinner and watching a good movie and lighting a candle to relax. Appreciating these things I do often that still bring me joy in a tumultuous time has been a grounding force for me. Of course, I miss being able to go out and not having to worry about going for a walk outside with a friend, but being cautious is something I want to do to ensure I’m doing my part to keep myself and others safe and healthy.
How it helps me
Something I find myself doing recently is thinking about what I would be doing if the coronavirus wasn’t a thing. When a friend’s birthday passed, I thought about how instead of dropping off a gift, in normal times, we would have been able to truly celebrate together. Or I think about how I would be enjoying my senior year of college as much as I could have instead of spending almost all of my time at home. With that being said, focusing on the amazing, little things in my everyday life has helped to drown out the “what ifs” playing through my head like a movie. Focusing on the things I can still do that bring me joy helps to ground me and connect me to the present moment. By acknowledging that there are still things that make me happy in my life, no matter how small, makes me feel grateful and hopeful. I tried creating a gratitude section in my journal and enjoyed the action of listing out the things I’m grateful to have in my life. When I made my first list, I only wrote down the big, important things, like my family, my health and my friends. But the longer I kept up this practice, the more I had fun with it and would also include small things I was appreciative of, like discovering a new, really good show on Netflix or having a great cup of coffee.
Take control of the cards we’ve been dealt!
Believe me, I know how easy it is to feel stuck right now. It feels like the world is at a standstill, and nothing exciting or new happens to me anymore. But, I know this isn’t 100% true. I’m still taking interesting classes, making memories with my roommates and waiting for law school acceptances. When all my days blend into one another in a watercolor painting of mundane events, it’s hard to see the glimmer of good still present during this time. I have to remind myself there is still good in the world no matter how hard it might be to sift out and spot right now. For me personally, knowing I have control over how I view the world and that I have the chance to find that good has been a lifeline during these very unprecedented times.
I know it’s easier said than done to find the positive and good right now, but I think a good place to start is with the small things. Appreciating things we may view as mundane and ordinary can make us realize there is beauty in everything. I think it’s important to give ourselves grace right now and know it’s normal to feel restless after almost a year of this pandemic. Romanticizing everything acts like a Band-Aid over the anxiety and fear COVID-19 caused. Although it might not solve everything, it definitely helps.