About 29% of Americans can work from home which makes the Stay-at-Home orders feel almost like a Snow Day. A prolonged Staycation. 15% are working in what have suddenly become essential jobs. And as we know about 15% are unemployed since the pandemic changed all our lives. In the early days, we had a common experience and our FB posts looked like:
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Thank god for Senior Hours at the Target – we scored Toilet Paper!
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We’ve been home 10 days… I begin to feel like we might be safe.
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Every time my eye itches, I think I have COVID… you?
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Baking Bad – people who can’t bake like their gourmet friends who brag on FB.
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Quitting touching your face is harder than quitting smoking. Need a 12-step program.
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It is 4/20 – and the prophecy comes true. We are required to stay on our couches. The government is sending us money, and weed is essential, and can be delivered to your door.
In the beginning, this was hard, but unconflicted. We were sheltering in place, and that was that. There was clarity, and clarity is freeing. We were free to complain, procrasti-bake, clean closets, and score toilet paper. We cooked and baked. We zoomed night and day. We still had TV we were looking forward to binging. And the days seemed very long – like each day lasted 64 hours.
We are past the 2-month point. And for most of us – even with some easing of the stay-at-home orders – we are still here, living within the four walls of our homes, for an indeterminate amount of time. LA is retaining shelter-in-place regulations through July, it was announced. We are sick of cooking, and out of new episodes of everything.
In fact, a month ago, there was an obvious case of quarantine fatigue. Cell phone data showed a big increase in people leaving home and making their way across town – more people, more often, went further. And now, despite opening ups people are staying home, more now than they did in mid-April.
We have cabin fever – but we’re scared and cautious about any real fever. We’re collectively t – i – r – e – d.
So, it’s no wonder we’re jealous of people who still seem to have the same energy we had in late March/early April. We’re doing less procrasti-baking, and more actual procrastinating. We’re losing steam. Now, I feel as busy as I ever was, and keeping a lot of plates spinning. I might as well be in an office with bosses and deadlines. It goes to show how much we create our own pressure.
And you question, since you are in complete and utter control of everything within your four walls, why are you setting yourself up for such … anguish… difficulty… anxiety… fear… busyness… tiredness… and yes, even envy.
Some people in quarantine are KILLING IT. A friend of mine recently posted pics of their family at night, enjoying their new outdoor hot tub, watching a movie projected on the back wall of their house. Nailed relaxation and family time!
I just finished a class with 6 students, each of whom wrote DAILY, and got their momentum back on what they were writing. One published on Medium.com; all 6 participated in a live reading of their works-in-progress. That’s some quarantine progress, eh?
And, not to brag, but in my family we’re working night and day to “refresh” our kitchen and two bathrooms. We’ve been designing, painting, shopping and chopping. We painted cabinets. We’re trying our hand at changing grout color and replacing broken tiles. On Facebook, it’s exciting and enviable. Wow look at us! In real life, it’s dirty and exhausting work. Looks nice though, right? (So far…)
Quarantine envy much?
How are you spending your quarantine times? What do you wish you were doing? If you had a do-over of the last two months, what would you wish you had done with that time? Envy is a desirable emotion, believe it or not. It helps you see more clearly what you want. If you re-read this blog post, you’ll see what I unconciously envy – family time, relaxation and a hot tub. Writing daily. Cooking, baking and eating well.
Let’s have this discussion this week in the FB Group. Ask to join, if you haven’t already. Come be with us in the Write Without the Fight group. What do you envy about others’ quarantine? What do you wish you were doing?