Lessons I’ve Learned
I’ve always enjoyed when I could work from home. For me lounging in my pajamas meant I could get started on my work as soon as I woke up. I was far more productive at home than in the office. But, that was when I worked from home sporadically. The struggle of adjusting to working from home day after day amid a crisis is real.
Extreme Social Distancing
I realized that I have been practicing social distancing for years. My guess is most introverts are in the same boat. I’ve always preferred to avoid crowds when I could and was mindful of who was coughing or sneezing near me, especially at church and work. I began being more careful about touching surfaces and limiting my outings about two weeks ago. One week ago was my last day at my office – an office of just two people in our building on campus. It was at that point that I limited my in-person contact to only my boyfriend and due to his work and life commitments, I couldn’t see him every day.
Adjusting to being alone shouldn’t have been an issue for me. Despite the fact that the tv must always be on for background noise, I appreciate my solitude and can find peace in it. What I didn’t count on was how hard it was to be home alone and see no one in-person for more than two days or to not leave the house for five days. I wouldn’t say I was going stir crazy; rather I was experiencing a level of stress and anxiety I could never have imagined. Rationally I knew I would likely be fine, but the fear of the unknown and the fear that we would somehow end up in a Hunger Games like society in the next few months was engulfing my thoughts. My stress-level was so high that I lost my appetite and felt nauseous most of the time.
I knew I had to find a way to control my anxiety. I had to learn to accept the new normal.
Embracing the New Normal to Save My Sanity
I’m not sure I’m fully there yet, but here are a few things that have helped me get one step closer.
I stopped watching the news. I realized last Friday that the news coverage and morning shows where non-stop Coronavirus coverage and for the most part everything was focusing on the negative. While I want to be informed so I know what to expect and I can do my part, I can’t be inundated with the negativity 24/7. Now I seek out just the facts and limit my intake to about 15 minutes a day. It has certainly helped.
Going to the grocery store helped me to see that for the most part, people in my community are taking this seriously, but are not panicking. Yes there was no toilet paper, but I was able to get just about everything else I wanted…except a box of Cheeze It! People were generally patient and friendly, but kept their distance. The store had marked X’s on the floor for lines to help keep people distanced and were clearly cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. As long as manufacturing can keep going, we will survive this pandemic without losing access to our food supply and necessities. It made me feel much better to see that in person.
I set a schedule for work and kept my work in my new home office. The first two days at home I worked about 10 hours straight. It was easy to just keep going. I learned to set boundaries and limits so that I would not let work become all consuming.
I started actually going outside for a few minutes each time my dogs wanted out. Normally, I would just open the door and stand there waiting for them. Now I step outside with them and try to enjoy a little fresh air. It does have a calming effect until the dogs spot a squirrel and squeal.
I’m on my way to finding normalcy in my stay at home routine and that gives me hope.
Here’s to hoping enough people take this seriously enough to dramatically flatten the curve.
Stay Safe. Stay Healthy. Stay Home! Save Lives!
musingsbymissmelissann.com 