Lessons from my first month of corona virus!

Dear diary,

Today is day 31 of quarantine!!! Month 1 of quarantine- complete!

I must say, there is NO place like home. It's been awesome being back.

The problem is that I thought being back would correct the horrible sleeping schedule I'd developed in mandatory quarantine. I was so wrong. I'm back home with more access to Netflix, decent food and my own bed. And yet, I'm still sleeping at 4 am and waking up at 2 pm.

Major lesson here is that if we're not wise, this entire stay-at-home period could pass by without us really doing anything productive. Don't get me wrong, it's important to look at the positive side of things and to appreciate what this time offers you. If for you that looks like watching Netflix, reading books and getting loads of sleep, that's not a problem. But it's important to prepare for those exams (you never know when they'll be rescheduled) and try to acquire something new right now. Honestly, it's not like you can tick off your entire bucket list during this period. But at least have some goals. Be determined to get something out of this time apart from Netflix and sleep (though those are huge perks of this time). Start from your day-to-day schedule. Have a plan. I just know from experience that right now, 24 hours seems way too short if your'e doing nothing.

I also understand that for a lot of people, boredom is hitting hard. Maybe you're tired of seeing and doing the same thing all day. It's not uncommon. But right now it's the reality. There has never been a better time to relax, to read and to really notice the people around you and in your life. So dump the restlessness (though it's hard) and focus on people (those you can see and those you wish you could) and the things you still have access to. Technology  has made it possible for us to contact people and keep abreast of current situations from our living room couches. Skype, Zoom and Facetime are not the same as face-to-face conversations. Online shopping is not the same as walking through the stores. Playing soccer in your backyard isn't the same as playing in the park. But hey! We still have these things. God is merciful. So be content for now. And be more grateful and satisfied of what you have when God finally kicks this virus to the curb!

You know the saying that goes "you never now what you have until you lose it"? I think that sums up this quarantine for loads of people. We didn't know the freedom we had and how much we loved being with people until we weren't so free anymore. Let this time teach us to be more grateful of the people around us and the freedom we have. Let's not wait for another pandemic.

Dera

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