I thought my days were a blur before COVID but, it turns out, those were my halcyon days. Now, every day feels like Monday. Drag myself out of bed, manage all the household stuff, drink tons of coffee, make sure everything is set for the endless video calls, run a comb through my hair, put on a clean shirt. Next day; rinse, repeat. No trip to the gym, drinks after work, weekend getaway, Saturday night date at my favorite restaurant. Nothing to indicate that TGIF and some down time is coming.
I can’t f*cking take it anymore! I’m depressed, emotionally exhausted and somedays I feel like I’m going to go under. For once in my life, I don’t feel like an oddball. I know everyone is struggling with the same feelings. I’ve tried all sorts of strategies to pick myself up with limited success. But here are a few things that worked.
I take a Mental Health day when I’ve spent a week or more in what I call the gray zone. It is a day when I give myself permission to f*ck off in whatever way I choose. I’m MIA to all.
Being outdoors, getting a hit of vitamin D is actually helpful. Working remotely and being quarantined doesn’t mean we have to stay indoors. Even 15 minutes of sunlight has perked me up a bit.
Escapism is acceptable now so I’m all in. Superhero movies, Monty Python, Fleabag, travel or food shows, trashy novels. I just love that I don’t have to refer to them as “guilty pleasures” anymore.
Someday, we’ll emerge from this. Life will be different and some of that will be good news. Personally, I’m looking forward to knowing what day it is without checking my phone.
