Life in Quarantine

0
1913
My Quarantined Life
When life gives u lemons...

Life in the light of this pandemic (panini, panorama, Panasonic, lol) has been quite interesting. (Quick side note for the sensitive: I am not trying to trivialize the pandemic, it is just nice to smile sometimes). Interesting in the sense that it is very different from pre-pandemic life. Many people have lost their lives to the virus, many who were infected and have recovered are still dealing with residual side effects. The Coronavirus has taken the whole world off guard, threw us all for a loop, and set in place a chain of events that will affect the world for years to come.

The origin of this virus is still being debated but the aftermath is ongoing and one wonders if there is an end in sight. There are vaccines available now, but there is information about a new strain of the virus so the efficacy of the vaccines is still being monitored. We can only hope that the complete eradication of this virus is possible, the loss of lives and people suffering through the symptoms of this virus is abominable. People all over the world have been placed in quarantine to minimize the spread of the Coronavirus.

For me, being the quintessential introvert, there are aspects of the quarantine that I find very bearable. I like the 6-ft rule, I’ve never been one to have strangers in my personal space. I hated being in a line and being able to feel the breath of the person behind me. It’s also the perfect excuse to use with those touchy-feely people, you know the type: “I kNoW wE JuSt mEt bUt I’m a HuGgeR”. It beats having to hold my arm out to stop someone from invading my personal space, now it’s “Aht, aht, coronavirus”, and it stops them in their tracks, like a repellent.

I’m working from home now and that is an introvert’s dream come true! I absolutely love it. I wake up, have my breakfast, brush my teeth, take a shower if I want to, work in my pajamas if I want to, it’s heaven! When I don’t feel like cooking, I order food and it gets delivered to my house. I don’t shop for my own groceries anymore, I order it and it comes to my house, no hassle, no stress. I miss my coworkers though… NOT!!!

While this quarantine is working for me, I am aware that there are many people for whom it is very stressful. Some people have not been handling the isolation well. They miss the social interactions with people. It might not affect me very much because I have family within my household that I interact with and we do things together and have fun without having to go out. We’ve been having dance-offs, karaoke, even our own paint nights on Fridays and we cook/bake together. We have even learnt how to knit via YouTube! We try to make it fun, being miserable about the lockdown only makes it seem more oppressive. Fun for us used to be travelling and being out and about, now we see that fun is wherever WE are.

Zoom has become a big thing now, and there is FaceTime and WhatsApp video calling when you feel the need to see the faces of friends and extended family. We are able have meetings for work and still be able to see each other, though more often than not my camera remains in the ‘off’ status. They don’t need to see my disheveled hair and coffee mug. I am still able to contribute effectively in my pajamas.

There are days where I just want to roll out of bed and just go onto the computer for work but I have been trying to make this quarantine work for me, so before it ends I am also going to incorporate an exercise regimen in the morning AND at night. I’m dead set on losing some weight before I have to go back to the office (perish the thought). I am eating more healthily and drinking more water. I should have started at the beginning of quarantine, I would be seeing great results by now, but better late than never (I will try to let you know how the weight loss works out).

For people who are struggling with the quarantine, I hope that you find something that takes your mind off the isolation, engages you in a positive way and puts a smile on your face. Life may be challenging but we should try to enjoy it while we’re here.