Quarantine Day (?)

When it finally sunk in that a global pandemic would lead to a shelter-in-place in Davis, my immediate thought was that I would have an insane amount of free time. As someone who usually enjoys being busy, I tried to keep myself just as busy after learning that we are not allowed to leave our homes unless it is essential, and that classes for spring quarter would be completely online. The first thing I did was log onto Schedule Builder and register for two more classes. Why? Because I thought that doing all of my work from home would somehow lessen my anxieties. 

I was wrong. I was immediately met with multiple issues. It was difficult to keep up on my class syllabi even after writing down everything. I had failed to realize that shifting all aspects of my life from “in-person” to “online” was more tolling that I anticipated.  Aside from this, like many other students in Davis, I was informed by my family that staying in Davis would be better than traveling home unnecessarily. And to be honest, I feel like I needed the break from my Davis life. I was sad and disappointed; I still am. I was met with the sad reality that I was unsure when I would be able to see my parents, and especially my grandparents again. Initially, I tried to cover up these worries with more work. 

Three weeks into the quarter, I have found that maybe that was not the best option for me. As I was slowly coming to the realization that the constant lack of routine and self-motivation was creeping into all aspects of my life, I became disappointed. I consider myself a social person, and not being able to leave my house has been a struggle, and I am certain I am not alone in this. As I slowly created a routine for myself, I dropped the two extra classes I added, and I even changed one of my four classes to Pass/No Pass grading. Stuck in my mind was the idea that I needed to be productive, and that nothing less than a 4.0 was acceptable this quarter because I am at home, but no. That is not the case. I have eased up on myself, and I should not expect myself to feel normal within these quite obviously abnormal circumstances. This is the case for everyone, and it is okay if we have yet to master a new skill or get straight As. There is no reason to put pressure on yourself during such a stressful time, and do not let others (or like in my case, yourself) make you feel any different. Focus on staying safe and healthy, maybe reconnect with someone in your life or even yourself.

• anxiety
• expectations
• health
• routine
• stress