Quarantine Vibes; Positive Message for all of those that feel discouraged

This quarantine was something beyond anyone’s imagination. Everything seemed to be going so right since the start of this year; we were all making plans for the summer, accomplishing our new year’s resolutions, being productive at school and at work. Then, out of nowhere, all of these are ripped out from our grasps. We can no longer leave our houses, we can't see any of our friends. It becomes a challenge to simply get some work done or exercise after a long days’ worth of doing nothing. Those sticky notes with all our play dates, family getaways and road trips are being peeled one by one off of our calendars. To make matters worse, boredom, procrastination, laziness - the things that we try to avoid in our lives each and every single waking moment - are becoming harder and harder to avoid. What is there left to do other then watch Netflix and munch away at everything in the pantry? What's the point of doing our work if we can just stay in bed instead scrolling through Instagram, laughing at TikToks or making fake tinder accounts to catfish some poor souls? Never in our right minds had we thought that our lives would come to this.

The situation that we are all in seems to be one from a movie or from some sort of alternate universe. It's common knowledge that plagues and diseases have followed humanity around since the beginning of time and we've all obsessed over the movies about zombie apocalypses and the end of the world. Who would have ever thought though that something of that sort could happen to us? Obviously there are no zombies outside and nobody's hearing the death siren but still. We're living through a pandemic which has left hospitals completely overcrowded, the streets of the most famous cities practically deserted and locked each and every single one of us up and away in our own private towers. It's like the world has been paused. We weren't prepared because our society couldn't comprehend that there’s always a risk and always a chance for evil to lead its course even in the 'modern world' with all the 'technological advancements' and 'resources' that we now possess. We're all safe. That's what we try to convince ourselves of, that's what our parents try to convince us of, that's what authorities try to convince us of. Nothing is ever going to happen to you; you'll grow old and happy, you'll never be sick, you can do anything...we're all cocooned in this shell of protection because paranoia and fear cause havoc. The thing is there’s always that little thing around the corner; the thing that we are most afraid of...that we are all in denial about. We each try to avoid it no matter how big or small it is but in every good world, bad can't be avoided; instead, it must dealt with. So, when it does come around to scare you, what are you going to do?

Even though everyone has been portraying this quarantine as something bad holding us back from living our best lives and sabotaging every aspect of our social lives, our productivity and our routine, what if it were possible to turn it into something positive. Think about it. When have we ever had this much free time on our hands; time to take care of ourselves, to take a break from the normal life that fills us with anxiety and depression and stress and fear, time to catch up on our sleep, to pamper ourselves to our heart desire, to learn something new, to better a skill that we have, to start on something that we've been putting off for so long because of our busy day to day lives...these are all things can we can do; choices that we can take. They are choices that can make us come out of the quarantine better than before if we so chose to follow through with them. Why not make the most of the time that we have now to work on ourselves. Believe it or not, there are other things that you can do apart from Netflix and food; the possibilities are endless... paint a picture, start writing a book or a journal or a story, aim to get a full night’s sleep, practice cooking, create a challenge for yourself to follow, change some of those annoying habits that you have like leaving your bed unmade in the morning or allowing the dishes in your sink to pile up, clean and reorganize your entire house. Tell yourself and prove to yourself that it's possible to both be productive and have some fun during this quarantine because it is indeed possible. It's possible as long as you set yourself up for that type of success; a success that will be both beneficial and extremely enjoyable for none other than you.

No one knows when this quarantine will end; it could end tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. But when it does end and when everything goes back to a new normal (stressful schedule, constant work, early wake up times, never ending dark circles and fidgeting..........), what will you think about the time that you spent quarantining at home? Will you be happy that you made the most of it? Will you be regretful that maybe you didn’t? Will you long for it because of the peace and serenity and the freedom that you got to experience during it?

Staying home doesn’t mean the end of our lives or the end of the world. We can use this time to reflect on ourselves and to set ourselves up for success not only for now, but also for when this quarantine is over. It's actually one of the most perfect times to do this. Inevitably, you choose how you want to spend this time and you choose what kind of lasting impact that quarantine will have on your life. Will you waste this time or will you make the most that you can possibly make of it given its awful circumstances and undeniable sorrow.

We're all living through this pandemic therefor we must learn to adapt to it and live even if it’s from the comforts of your home. When this is over, things will never be the same. Things will never go back to exactly the way they were before all of this happened. We can't deny this fact because we're living in reality. This is our world and even though it’s come to this, we cannot all just give up. Time is still passing, the sun is still rising and the stars are still shining. We must embrace the state of the world around us and remember that there is always the possibility of positivity no matter how bad things get.