We are now nine whole months into a global pandemic. I live in america where our response has been next to nothing, and now it feels like this will never end, and I have absolutely nothing to look forward to when I’m feeling down
No holidays, no seeing friends, no going anywhere, I can’t take it anymore, I can’t do everything virtual forever. There’s only so much I can keep myself entertained with all by myself for nine months before I start to go insane
I can’t take being guilt tripped for still going to work because the government wont help us and I need money, or “if you even think about seeing friends or family this winter you’re a bad person”
Nine months and we’ve made ZERO progress. This is never going to end, is it, even when there is a vaccine (god knows when or if) nothing will ever be the same again
There’s so much I wanted to do, so much I looked forward to, and it’s all gone. And I’m sick of hearing “just find other ways to keep yourself busy/interact virtually” as if I haven’t tried that.
i really relate with you. same goes in indonesia. i can’t see a bright future too. everyone just do their own thing and of course because of that the covid numbers just keep going up and up and up and up… what i’m afraid most is it feels like a time skip. we have nothing much to do so time pass by pretty fast. before covid was already like this but it feels faster. anything to do with human activity is always doomed. let us do our best and endure.
Oh @LowerLeftCabinet, I hear you. Where I live (Belgium), we’re entering a second lockdown today for a month and half. How we responded to covid is objectively a disaster too. I didn’t have any mental space anymore to care about it, but hearing that news triggers a lot of dark thoughts and I feel like I have to armor myself even more.
We’re just humans. It’s absolutely okay to have mixed feelings about this situation, also to miss some kind of freedom. It’s objectively hard to move on without knowing where we’re going. We need perspectives for the future. But… we are also able to grow stronger through resilience. We’re able to constantly adapt ourselves to new situations, even when it feels helpless.
There’s so much I wanted to do, so much I looked forward to, and it’s all gone. And I’m sick of hearing “just find other ways to keep yourself busy/interact virtually” as if I haven’t tried that.
Your projects might be postponed or cancelled, but your life is not cancelled. Yes, it’s super frustrating to feel like spiraling at home, doing the same things again and again. Maybe it’s time to make some changes in your routine, if you feel okay with it. It’s not just about keeping ourselves busy, but finding a way to create some kind of purpose through this season and despite the awful circumstances. When we try to stay busy, it’s with the idea that we put our life in parenthesis until things get back to “normal”. It’s not really about spending quality time. But when you start to set short-term goals, to create some kind of new excitment during your days, then you shift your focus on composing with what you have at the present moment. For example: it’s awesome to have access to online activities/interactions - SO needed this year for many of us. But is it the only thing? What helps you to ease your worries, to recharge when you feel emotionally drained? What helps you to have fun, to feel connected to the present moment without having to care about what’s going on in the rest of the world? Is there anything you always wanted to try (a project, a hobby, an activity) that could be still accessible during lockdowns?
Sending hugs to you.
I live in the US too. My company didn’t shut down and I’ve been working through this all. My wife’s family, 1200 miles (1900 km) away, hints very subtly that they think we’re irresponsible, and even though they don’t get to dictate how we live our lives the comments get old after awhile. Just last night my wife and I were talking about if we should follow through on our plans to go visit them for Thanksgiving, and the answer is we don’t know. We already cancelled our trip to visit them this summer. Will my sister and brother-in-law come to town for Christmas? If things keep going the way they are, I’d guess probably not.
Nothing I say is going to make it okay. I think we as people have exhausted all our “other ways to keep busy.” It’s getting old, and there is no working our way around that. We’re all feeling the weight of the pandemic, which I don’t say to diminish what you’re feeling, but to say we understand you. We’re all in this together, and together we just need to find ways to survive.
I know how you feel since the pandemic started I’ve been mostly him I don’t go anywhere unless it’s for essentials and to pay bills. I’m lucky I have a girlfriend I talk to everyday and good friends who love me as I Am. I don’t know if you are religious but this is the time to put our trust in God not in people because people will always fail us but God is faithful and true. I hope things get better for you
