Many people online are searching for ways to improve themselves while at home. Others are buying pets and showering them with love. To think that your quarantine means that you should lose weight or change your lifestyle puts undue pressure on those who do not have the resources to be happy through their recent purchases/lifestyles.
I will admit, I have fallen into that same mentality as everyone else. And thanks to my family's past celebrations and the amount of food in the refrigerator, I have added some weight to my frame once again.
I could exercise it all off and shame myself for indulging myself. But then I would miss the point.
Quarantine is not about how much weight you can lose while at home. Quarantine does not mean that you become an overnight sensation/success. Quarantine is about staying safe and healthy while the world recovers from this current virus. Quarantine is about doing what you need to do to stay happy and healthy.
When we focus on the luxury of staying home, we miss the point. When we focus on preparation and routine, we still miss the point. Every day, life changes and throws us another curveball. Whether it is that there still isn't a vaccine to the virus or our stay-at-home orders are extended, these curveballs reveal the fragility/durability of human life today.
It should be reiterated that during these times, taking care of your physiology and safety are the most important facets of living right now, not luxury goods and items. Giving yourself food, water, shelter, and sleep as well as keeping yourself safe from viral germs is what we should be focusing on — not how much weight you can lose during the quarantine and not buying new clothes to fit your new lifestyle.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in psychology should be considered when you think about your quarantine. If you don't take care of your physiology or safety, then how can you build upon your esteem and love? Meeting your most primal needs first should be the determining factor of success right now.
Because the news amasses with the death and infected toll, focusing on your survival skills should be the most important part of living right now. Don't worry about gaining weight or your roots showing; don't worry that about not having three-ply toilet paper. Instead, reflect on what you can do to be happy with the basics.
I get it — our generation has never really known scarcity as adults. And now we're facing it and it's scary because we don't know how to prepare. We don't know how to cope without depending on our support systems. And that's okay. Because what should be important is not our weight loss plateau or self-improvement but how we as a collective can overcome this tragedy together.
