If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past month, then you’re aware of the current global pandemic that has forced all of us to drop everything and put our lives on hold. There have been multiple changes within the past two weeks that have had a major impact on all of us and unfortunately, it only continues to grow worse with no silver lining in sight yet.
I’m an anxious personality type to begin with, so the uncertainty of everything has put a real damper on my mental competence. If you’re anything like me, then you’ve been watching the news constantly and you have tweet notifications on for all the major news stations. It’s been a huge adjustment – staying inside, not being able to go grocery shopping without worrying about someone coughing within six feet of you, having to partake in all your classes online. BUT…and hear me out on this one…I’m choosing to look at social distancing as a good thing.
If I’m being honest, I kind of needed this. Again, besides the fact that I can’t go get my nails done or see my friends like I normally would, I now have newfound time to do other things. I’ve been pushing much of it aside because I never had the time before.
I’m not going to pretend that I haven’t been suffering through all of this. I was scheduled to go on a class trip to England in May, which has now been cancelled due to travel restrictions (obviously). Do I feel the urge to cry and scream every time I think about it? Absolutely. However, instead I’m vowing to myself to make time for a trip when all this clears up (my flight is already paid for, so might as well, right?). I’m promising myself to do it for ME; even though I will no longer be receiving a credit for it, it will be an opportunity that I manifest for myself and for my own happiness.
Before all this social distancing stuff hit us, I was in a major rut. I had recently gotten out of a four-year relationship with someone who I still consider to be one of my best friends. I didn’t know how to let go but now, thanks to COVID-19 and new quarantining measures, I have no choice but to go without seeing him and distance myself. I recently realized that this will help me get the closure that I want and so desperately need so that when these measures are lifted, I can start fresh. This isolation is giving me time to heal and time to work on myself.
As for how I’m managing to keep up my physical health, before this I never had time for the gym. Between classes, homework, working and sleeping, I always made an excuse for why I couldn’t work out. But again, the only thing I have now is time. I keep up with a regular sleep schedule so that I don’t feel as tired throughout the day. I’ve started going for walks/runs now that the weather is getting nicer and I try my best to fit in at least a half-hour home workout every day. I’ve also managed to keep up with a skin-care routine, which I could never be bothered with before because I had “no time.”
I don’t want to forget to mention that while we’re all stuck inside there are less cars on the road, less factories at work and less pollution. Our Earth now has time to heal itself. The air is cleaning itself; the lakes and canals are clearer. Our job is to sit back and let our home repair itself, all the while healing ourselves as well. Reading books, spending time outside, spending time with our families. This is a good thing if you let it be. The rest will pass.
Sure, there’s a good possibility I won’t be leaving my house this summer, but when I finally do, I will be well-rested, with great skin, a trip planned and I will be completely caught up with school. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and that timing is everything. I thought I had it figured out before all this happened, but what do any of us really know? This is giving me newfound time to heal, work on myself and be at peace. It’s teaching me that nothing is certain and it’s teaching me how to live with that uncertainty. It will all be okay and I know that with time, everything will work itself out. In the meantime, all that any of us can do is stay home, stay healthy and stay positive.