Tuesday started my fourth week of sheltering in place. I’ve left the house a couple of times to pick up groceries or drop something off on my dad’s porch. I’ve also taken four or five walks around the block after I’m done with work when the weather has been amenable. But other than that, I’ve been within the four walls of my house. And it’s been fine.
Friends keep checking in on me. They’re going stir crazy or having waves of depression. They miss people and going places. And most of them don’t even live alone. They are with their spouse, their kids, or their parents.
I’m not sure if they believe me when I say I’m doing fine. That’s even an understatement. I’m flourishing under quarantine. My house was beginning to look like a contestant for the next season of Hoarders. But now the laundry gets done on a regular basis. The dishes are drying in the rack as I type this. I’m cooking more than I have in ages. I’m getting work done and tackled personal projects I had been putting off.
What is it about self-isolation that has flipped this switch in me? Well, on one hand, I’m saving almost two hours a day by not having to commute to work. That means instead of getting up 5:45 to make it to work by 8, I roll out of bed at about 7:30. That’s almost 2 extra hours of sleep every night.
And then once I’m done with work, there are no social engagements to deal with. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing my friends or having supper with my dad. But I have a hard time saying no to such invitations. So, I end up being away from home three nights a week, getting home and going straight to bed.
Weekends were the worst. I would tell myself I was going to get all sorts of things done on weekends and then I was so mentally and emotionally exhausted from the week that nothing actually got accomplished. But, now there’s so much less of that. I still sleep in a bit on weekends, because why not. But I am able to get so much more done because I’m not trying to slough off the past week.
I had a friend comment recently that he was worried I would never come out of quarantine. And I’ve been thinking about that seriously this past week. Now, I’m not actually going to become a hermit. But I’m considering prioritizing my own time. Putting my projects ahead of spending time with friends and family. Not all the time, but more than I have been.
There’s not much I can do about work. When they say come back to the office, I won’t have much choice. But I’m hoping I can convince my boss that I work better at home and I can negotiate some additional work from home benefits. (Doubtful, but it never hurts to ask!)
So, take this time to explore your own reactions to the self-isolation. Maybe you’ll find that you really miss time with your family. Or that you definitely don’t work as well from home. Perhaps, you’ll discover that you work best in the late afternoon and not so much in the morning. Whatever you find out, use that once this is all over to make a change in your life for the better. Have something good come out of all this tragedy.
What surprising thing have you learned during this period?
KT Byrde Writes 