I’m trying to gauge the impact of social distancing in my own life, especially since my cats have been ignoring me and screaming at me at lunchtime way before quarantine-related anger was a thing and my kid has ignored her homework throughout the year.
It’s not been said enough; social distancing is the best thing we can do for ourselves and the world right now. We don’t need to panic, but we absolutely need to do what it takes to keep everyone safe and healthy. And understandably, isolation comes with its own set of drawbacks.
Maybe this is an opportunity for us to see this as the mental health break we need. It is a chance to reflect on all the wonderful things people have done to make this time easier. Meditation apps are curating content for free. Companies are continuing to pay hourly-wage employees. People who are able to afford it are picking up the medical bills of those who can’t. Museums are opening up virtual tours, online courses are available at no cost, all kinds of software is being offered for free. The world has more warmth and empathy than we expected, and that is a wonderful thing to realise.
This is also an opportunity to go at that to-do list we’ve never had the time for. Making and tasting a “Maggi sandwich”? Check. Building a comically large Lego set that your children are not allowed to touch because this is for the grownups? Check. Learn to play the guitar online? Check. Combine two different sets of jigsaw puzzles to see what the new picture looks like? Check. Clean out the sock drawer that has been bugging you for months? Maybe later, after a Netflix break or two.
So download that meditation app, bake a cake, make a watercolour painting that you can say your kids did depending on how it turns out. This could potentially be the downtime we all need, and the world will bounce back rejuvenated and ready to take on what’s next. Stay safe, everyone.