Wherever you look, people are saying that this is the time for you to make some crucial changes in your life.
Everyone is advising you to use this period to become the best possible version of yourself – physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally.
Let’s get one thing straight: this approach is amazing. It motivates many to get through the crisis with more ease.
It helps a lot of people take their mind off dark thoughts. Keeping themselves busy helps many maintain a sane mind and a healthy body.
Besides, you’ve spent the last few decades of your life in a rush.
You’ve never had enough time to exercise, to read all those classic novels you skipped in school, or to learn how to cook.
You’ve always been too tired to learn a new language, to pursue your art career, or to adopt any type of new skill.
These are all the things you have been planning to do. Nevertheless, over time, you became the queen of procrastination.
You’ve been postponing all of these things for some other time. For a period when you’ll have more time, when you’ll have less work and when your life won’t be as busy.
So, now the time has come. However, you’re still not doing anything to achieve your goals.
You have all the time in the world and it seems that the entire Universe has hit the pause button but despite all that, you’re still not doing anything concrete with your life.
Consequently, you can’t help but feel guilty. You feel like you’re an incapable underachiever.
Everyone is doing better than you. It seems like you’re the only one stuck in one place in your life while everyone around you is moving forward.
It’s like every single person in the world will come out of this crisis as an improved, updated version of themselves. Everyone but you.
All of your friends are making something out of their life while you can’t seem to get up from the couch.
You haven’t finished the big spring cleaning of the house, you haven’t painted the walls of your bedroom, you haven’t rearranged your clothes.
The hell with it, you haven’t even read a book or called that friend you’ve been planning to talk to for months.
Your concentration is at its lowest point. You can’t seem to focus and you feel anxious and depressed.
So it must be something wrong with you, right? Are you the only one who can’t adapt to this new situation?
Well, let me tell you one thing: you’re not. In fact, there is absolutely no need for you to feel guilty for not being productive.
You don’t have to become fit during the lockdown. You don’t have to set up your own company or change your career.
Nobody expects you to write a novel or come up with a Nobel prize-winning science project.
All you have to do is survive and you are doing a great job of it. So please, forget about shaming yourself. Moreover, don’t let others do it.
Ignore the pressures you’re getting from the society. After all, remember that social media isn’t real.
All of those people who appear to be super productive during the lockdown crisis have their bad moments as well.
However, nobody is going to post a photo of themselves lying in bed or wearing pajamas for a few days in a row.
Remember: it’s okay to feel however you’re feeling. It’s okay to be overwhelmed, anxious, or scared and to feel like an emotional wreck.
It’s okay if you’re not able to do your best in a situation like this. It’s okay if you don’t function well under stress.
After all, you’re just a human being made out of flesh and blood.
You’re not a robot and you don’t have the capacity to just flip a switch and get used to new circumstances in your life overnight.
I’m begging you not to allow yourself to be guilted into being more productive during this time.
Don’t push yourself over your limits and don’t do anything you feel uncomfortable doing.
Don’t let anyone judge you and most importantly, don’t judge yourself. Instead of being self-critical, show some compassion towards yourself.
Spend your time pleasing and loving yourself. Use this period to recharge your batteries so you can confront whatever comes next with more ease.
