Let's Talk Quarantine

Alright, hear me out. I asked a couple of weeks ago what everybody was doing during quarantine so I could make a list for anybody who needed some ideas. I sat on it. I viewed suggestions. I jotted down all the different things I was doing. I compiled information about people who were doing cool things in specific quarantine areas. If that’s what you’re here for, here are some starters...

Cook, exercise, learn how to do hair or makeup, paint, plant a garden, write, read a new book (or several), play board games, spend time with other quarantined loved ones, subscribe to something, etc.

However, that’s not exactly what I’m here for. I used to beat myself up really badly about consistency and about all the things I needed to do with my blog and my website, for my followers and contributors. Then, I was hit with a lot of trauma and at the “end” of that trauma when I was focused on trying to heal, CORONA VIRUS!

So where did that leave me? Where did that leave many of you? I saw a lot of posts about the expectations since many of us were going to be stuck at home anyways. YOU BETTER start that business. YOU MUST take that online class. IF YOU DON’T do that thing you’ve been putting off, you’re never going to succeed. All this noise. Chatter. Static. Not everybody has the same sentiments in regards to activity during a time when an unknown factor swooped in and greatly affected most of our lives.

Then there are the people who have decided to do absolutely nothing. I’m at home. I am eating, binge watching Netflix and sleeping because I can. I don’t have to go to work so I don’t have to do anything else either. I'm taking my time. YOU MUST rest. YOU NEED to relax. YOU BETTER let go of busying yourself. DOING TOO MUCH is going to kill you.... Noise. Chatter. Static.

I’m somewhere in between, doing way "too much" and nothing "at all." I’m an essential worker in education and healthcare. I spend the majority of my day at work, but working 5 hours less a day than I normally would. Some weeks I work 4 days instead of 5. I’m putting hours in for my second job at home via phone calls and computer work.

​I’m still attending charity meetings online, but those occur weekly or monthly. My mind stays on Haiti often, but I can't be there right now. I do my work on the back end. On the weekends I visit my parents and spend a lot of time in my room, in my bed. We have family dinners on Sunday and usually do some type of activity together over the course of the weekend. Whatever we feel like.

​I come home to do an hour of working out, following The Sleepy Athlete’s 8 Week Home Training Program. I’m supported by my mother and a group of women who I don’t know, but today is the end of week two and they are seeing amazing results. One person lost 6 pounds, another lost 13 and I have no idea if we are following the same program, but then it hit me. WHAT IS FOR ME, IS FOR ME! My results in all aspects of my life are going to be different than the results of somebody else.

This is what staying in between really means. It means that I am neither here, nor there, conforming to the expectations of any person or group. I am exactly where I’m meant to be, learning to rest and taking advantage of opportunities when I feel so inclined to do so. I pick and choose what I want to do and leave room for things I love to do. I’m reading daily, working out and doing more Bible study because that's what I want for myself during this time. I take Communion at home with my family. I bought some cook books and am expanding my cooking horizons, not because I have to, but because I feel like it. Cooking and meal prepping are becoming enjoyable for me. I colored my hair with wax and am learning how to do protective styles while I can't get to the salon. I watched the entire series of Boy Meets World and I’ve increased my Spotify playlists and am listening to more podcasts. I've been doing super small art projects for fun and I’m saving a ton of money! I'm spending more quiet time with my best friend and doing more listening. I'm doing all things that feel important to me and I'm eliminating the things that are not.

I haven’t been blogging, but I’ve been journaling and focusing on myself for once. I’m enjoying the peace that comes with being still, listening and reclaiming my time as I’m still in a process of healing. I realized that although one woman lost 13 pounds and I’ve only lost one and a half, I’m proud of myself for recommitting myself to journeys that were lost to pain and anger.

So whatever you decide to do during quarantine is OKAY! You’re doing what you’re meant to. If you run ten miles a day, good for you! If you wake up in the afternoon and find the energy to move from bed to couch, good for you. Don’t forget that your journey is for YOU and nobody can make you feel inadequate during this time of uncertainty! Your feelings and needs are valid. All of them. Claim your time because you do, truly, deserve it!