How to Stay Positive in Quarantine

With COVID-19 spreading across the world and causing businesses, schools, events, and pretty much our whole lives to shut down, we are clearly living through history. While we'd all rather be making history, we need to acknowledge it for what it is. It's scary. It feels like we are in some weird novel apocalypse that should've never happened during OUR lifetime. This is the stuff that we read about in history books or picture happening in the future right before the world ends (I know, I'm not helping). My point is, your feelings are valid. It's OKAY to feel sad, unmotivated, stressed, or upset, but that's why I'm here.

Your life just got turned upside down, but now you can see things from an entirely new perspective. Being abruptly sent home from college, leaving behind my friends, boyfriend, social life, clubs (and may I mention, ALL of my stuff still sitting in my room at school), it is safe to say I was upset. Every weekend is a new "I would've been doing this" and every day is a new "I miss this". However, after I went through my 5 stages of grief, I have finally arrived at acceptance. Rather than having the mindset that I'm missing out on everything I had planned, I remember that everyone is missing out on everything. People are missing championships, trips, graduations, weddings, birthdays, and even funerals. Rather than thinking "why is this happening to me," I think "thank god this is the only thing happening to me." We are sitting in bed watching Netflix and feeling like our lives are over when others are suffering through life-threatening diseases or fighting in wars. Their lives may actually be over, and all we have to do to fight this battle is stay inside and wash our hands. That's it. Yes, it can be boring, lonely, or a bummer to miss out on everything we had planned, but our lives are NOT over. They are on hold. And they will resume.

While in quarantine, take time to be thankful for all you do have. I've begun to eat dinner with my family and watch a movie together every night, and you know what, I love it. I love our weekend brunches together where we sleep in too late then eat too much. I love saving money and teaching myself how to make my own barista-level lattes. I love having downtime to read, write, draw, dance, or sleep. And you know what, don't you dare feel guilty if you're not writing the next New York Times Best Seller. Just because we have more time on our hands does not mean that we are expected to change the world. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself and do what makes you happy. Workout for endorphins, not because that girl you saw on Instagram ran 10 miles this morning. Make an achievable "To Do List" for the day, even if that only has a few tasks (and even if those "tasks" include self-care). Bake something you've never tried, even if it turns out a goopy mess. Learn that dance for yourself no matter how silly you feel doing it. Dress up or dress down, who cares! You are not disappointing anyone but yourself, so stop being your biggest critic.

Some practices that helped me change my mindset from captive to capable are journaling about what is going on and how I feel (who thought at age 20 I would start a diary), reading books that make me happy or inspire me, taking luxurious bubble baths with candles and a drink of choice, changing my workout routine from forcing myself to walk on the treadmill in the dark, depressing basement to playing Just Dance with my sister and sweating buckets (pro tip: taking a video and laughing at it after makes it SO much better), going on long walks with the dogs, cooking meals together as a family, trying random projects or dances (most likely found on TikTok), listening to podcasts or positive affirmations, and watching movies you haven't seen before but have been sitting on your must-watch list forever.

I've been having vivid nightmares many nights since being home. No matter how much I try to be positive, there's always something deep down telling me to panic. All I have to do is wake up and remind myself that everything will be okay. What is happening to the world right now may seem like a nightmare, like you're in a bad dream you can't wake up from, but imagine the relief you will feel when you open your eyes and it's all over. I continuously remind myself of the saying:

“After every storm, there is a rainbow. If you have eyes, you will find it. If you have wisdom, you will create it. If you have love for yourself and others, you won’t need it.”

―Shannon L. Alder

So when you come out of this, remember how you felt. Remember all the little luxuries, all the people, all the experiences that you missed. When you love, love harder. When you feel, feel deeply. When you live, live to the fullest. Instead of waiting for things to happen to you, make them. No matter how much it feels like you're caught in a storm or stuck in a nightmare, remember that you will eventually open your eyes and see the rainbow.