Photo by Jonny McKenna on Unsplash
Now that we're adjusting to a new lifestyle either spent indoors, or screwing everyone over because your right to flood Instagram with picnic posts is more important than people's health, it's more than natural for our daily routines to change. Some have taken up running for the first time in order to exhaust the government's '1 exercise a day' rule, others have created their first TikTok. There are no wrongs in however way you're dealing with your own situation, unless your solution is to shout Rule Britannia! at a virus that couldn't care less about sovereignty or your love for imperialism. Besides the clear, unpolluted skies, animals returning back to their natural habitat and Mother Nature basically taking a break from her relationship with humanity, there are a few things that I thought would change since the start of quarantine, but didn't.
People’s social availability
As much as the weather is teasing us to have a beer outside in the sun, this will have to remain a dream that's triggered with every look outside the window. Since we can't waste an afternoon in the pub with some friends anymore, I thought we'd at least have plenty of time available to indulge in other ways to socialise. Houseparty has quickly become the top quarantine app, and I've even seen people bake together on Google Hangouts. Complicated WhatsApp groups trying to discuss when to meet up with people probably died with this crisis, right? Turns out I was wrong. For some reason the social availability of others, including mine, hasn't actually changed that much, and meeting up with people in the spheres of the internet now takes almost just as much planning and texting as before (please someone tell me it's not because I’m just an arsehole with no friends.) Is this a sign that in reality, using the default excuse of being 'too busy' is just our subconscious indicating how little or how much company we need to be stimulated? Do we already know this but are too bad at communicating it because there’s this notion that if you simply don’t want to hang out, there’s something wrong with you? Are you still trying to get out of social meet-ups just like before? Luckily, comedian Eva Victor has 23 suggestions for how to end an online call that might just save you.
My sleep cycle
I guess I always blamed my inability to consistently get up early on juggling late bar shifts, uni, and the regular bullshittery of life all at the same time. Well, turns out my brain is just really good at making excuses. It also seems to continue producing its own version of MD every morning, making my bed sheets particularly soft when I wake up. Because I'm the only person holding myself accountable, I can decide when to get up and do work, which feels like something I can postpone forever while stuck in this current fraction of infinity. If it wasn't for my lack of willpower, I probably also wouldn't have binged the last four episodes of Unbelievable on Netflix until 6 a.m., but I guess that's my life now.
My productivity level or guilt for a lack thereof
If there's one thing I'm tired of already that's quarantine related, then it's the endless posts from people either telling us it's fine not to be productive right now, or suggesting to utilise our newly found time to suddenly fulfill our dreams. At the same time, Facebook therapists are encouraging others to take it day by day and accept whatever way our bodies are dealing with this crisis. You see, one part of me likes to believe in the latter whenever I need to justify procrastinating on a difficult task, which will most definitely back-stab future me. The other part thinks about my past self who always complained that I didn't have enough time to do everything I wanted to do. But just like before this pandemic started (remember those times?), I have days where I utilise my time effectively and feel good about it, and other days when my brain is in a complete fog. It's great if you managed to take something positive out of your isolation, but if we truly believe people should accept their own coping mechanisms and reactions in this crisis, then maybe we should stop telling everyone about the supposedly right ways to do so. I'm looking at you Instagram.
My cooking skills
Remember what I said in a previous post about finally cooking recipes I watched people make in aesthetically pleasing YouTube videos? Yeah, about that. It looks like my motivation lasted for about two days before resuming to my usual attitude of avoiding cooking by snacking my way through the day. Most of my meals have been pancakes (does that count as cooking?) or peanut butter on toast. Maybe I added some sliced banana and cinnamon if there’s anything left of the connoisseur inside me from two days ago. I even posted a recipe on how to make chickpea curry goddammit! But then again, I already knew I was a hypocrite.
Wine
I thought I’d have less of a desire to drink because I’m not around people I can share a bottle of wine with during dinner, but here I am, getting through three quarters of a bottle of Rioja while watching When Harry Met Sally. Cheers!