The other day I didn’t open my eyes until 1:30 in the afternoon. When I did, I still found it difficult to do anything beyond scrolling on social media and watching pointless videos for at least another hour. While on Instagram for probably the hundredth time this week, I found myself mesmerized by the people I know posting about the ways they are coping during all of this. New work out routines, studying tips, recipes they had always been too afraid to attempt but now “what’s stopping them?”
I know I can’t be the only person feeling an overwhelming sense of pressure and weight from the universe to make the most out of the situation we’re in, and I really applaud the people that are. It’s true that we’ve been given a lot of extra time, but the simple fact is that not everyone can handle it in the same way.
Creating works of art and picking up new hobbies is a wonderful way to cope, but we also have to give each other permission to breathe and do, well, nothing. If the most you can do some days is take a shower, that’s just as amazing as bread making or cleaning your house. You have no reason to feel like you’re less than anybody else in society just because you’re feeling unproductive during an actual pandemic. The world has stopped — it’s okay if you do, too.
I find it helpful to try and not compare your experience to others during this time because not a single person is feeling the same way that you are. Your emotions are entirely your own and everyone processes grief, change and loneliness in different and unique ways, even if what other people post might seem “relatable.” If you’re feeling overwhelmed, that’s alright. You don’t owe the universe anything; you just owe it to yourself to take a step back and let yourself breathe.