We can all agree that the quarantine has had its ugly side. Bars and restaurants are closed, travel bans all over the world, and many people have lost their jobs. Will life ever go back to normal? I can't answer that question. However, everything has a flip side.
The good in the bad and the bad in the good.Photo by Alex on
I'm a firm believer that there is a lesson to everything and quarantine is no different. It is better to keep an eye out for those teachings rather than mope around about how bad your current situation is. Here are a few lessons I've extracted from social distancing and quarantine:
1. Live in the present moment.
Before the pandemic hit, I had dreams and plans to execute in order to make my dreams happen. I had just gotten back from a five day trip in London and I was excited to get back to work and execute a financial plan to pay off my car by the time I graduate in December and continue traveling the world with absolutely no obligations back home. I was working two jobs and going to school full time, I was going to start paying double and triple on my monthly car bill, and I had already circled on a map the places I would go to next. As you can see, life had other plans. I lost both my jobs cause of the pandemic and there's no telling when things will operate normally again. At the beginning of quarantine I was crushed. If you're a type A person like me who is always on-the-go and looking at what's next, then you know the feeling. Life quickly showed me how ungrounded I was. I wasn't enjoying the present moment. The "little things" were being taken for granted. They had become so common that I expected them to happen without taking into account how valuable they were to me. A walk around the park, exercising, hanging out with friends, talking to family members, enjoying my meals, etc. Now that life has slowed down I can acknowledge these and I feel an immense sense of gratitude for them.
Nothing to do, nowhere to go, no one to be.Photo by Simon Rae on
2. Life is how it is... not the way it should be.
This is pretty synonymous to the previous paragraph, but I feel it is important to reiterate a bit and to learn to be more accepting of what comes. See, I'm a firm believer that stability and security are myths. To me everything is a risk. If you have a job you run the risk of losing it. If you own a business there is a great possibility it could fail. If you go outside and cross the street you run the risk of getting hit by a car. If you want to take it a step further... there is no telling whether or not you will survive past today. That is the harsh reality we live daily whether we realize it or not. We have become accustomed to thinking that the likelihood of these is minimal, but the truth is that they could happen at any moment to anybody. Life as you know it can change in an instant! As human beings we have a great ability to adapt to changes. Whether we realize it or not, we can get used to different living conditions, but it can only happen if we let go of the past. The quicker we accept life as it comes, the quicker we can move on. Being open-minded is the key!
Always remember to breathe...Photo by Tim Goedhart on
3. You are more creative than you think.
There is something about having limited options that forces humans to be more creative. I remember when I had gone vegan for a year I immediately thought, "Well if I can't eat meat, then what the hell am I gonna eat?". I had become so accustomed to the thought of eating meat that I couldn't imagine a life without it. This forced me to do my research and learn about different ways to substitute meat. It turns out, there are millions of food options out there! There are dishes out there that one would never even think of trying if meat were still an option! The closure of one door led to the opening of a whole new world of possibilities. My experience with a meat restricted diet is synonymous to the quarantine lifestyle. It has forced me to be creative with my time and it has opened the doors to new possibilities despite limitations in other areas of life. I've started doing yoga more consistently, I took up learning Italian, I've been writing in my journal a lot more often, I started exploring the city I live in on my bike, I've started creating different food and drink recipes, etc. I've done pretty much everything except make a TikTok video (sorry TikTokers). We are able to expand our horizons in different areas now that life has hit the pause button on certain things. You might realize you have an affinity for drawing or you might finally start writing that book you've always wanted to write. There's no better time than now to express yourself in different ways!
"Creativity is intelligence having fun."- Albert EinsteinPhoto by Toa Heftiba on
In Mandarin Chinese the word "crisis" is composed of two Chinese characters that translate to "danger" and "opportunity". I love this breakdown of the word because it puts things into perspective. It gives us a choice and right now during these tough times YOU have a choice. You can take charge over your actions and make the best out of this situation or you can mope around with your head hanging feeling sorry for yourself. So, what will it be? Danger (as it relates to the dangers of becoming depressed and powerless) or opportunity? Victim or hero? Are you going to let things happen to you or will you start to make things happen? Choose wisely.