The COVID-19 quarantine that we are currently under can feel like the perfect time to relax and take a breather from your once hectic busy life. However, after days on end of nothing to do except relax and complete schoolwork, your mind may start to fall into self-help mode. As there is less and less to do in your life, the pressure of feeling the need to create or fix yourself starts to set in and quickly begins to make your perfect opportunity for down time turn into a constant self-induced guilt trip.
One of the most popular ideals that people are trying to adapt or enhance during this quarantine is exercise and overall health. While most of this is due to the fact that people are tired of being stuck in their houses and they feel the need to get moving, a lot of it stems from people who felt they never had the time to live a healthy and active lifestyle. People may also want to adapt a better healthy lifestyle due to the fact that there is a very serious disease spreading around. It is easy to think about how simple it is with all of this extra down time to be able to wake up every day, go outside and exercise and eat healthily. In actuality though, it is far easier just to stay in bed, lounge around and eat mass amounts of junk food. When life was normal, it was okay to make excuses for your exercise goals because you were busy, but now what? Contrary to popular belief, it is still hard to improve your lifestyle even when you have all the time in the world.
Another way that people are trying to change themselves during this quarantine is through picking up hobbies like art, reading or trying to find something new that they are good at. This pressure to reinvent yourself can become especially hard when you see people on social media posting their newest art piece or DIY-ing something they saw on Pinterest. Even if you have never considered yourself a creative person, the tug to make yourself good at something is still there. The want to impress others with your abilities really stems from the fact that other than yourself and potentially your family, if you are truly quarantining you are in isolation mode. If you are a generally social person, sharing your life on social media really does become one of the only ways to feel like a member of society. Due to this, this constant need to recreate yourself or your talents through ideas like being creative becomes one of extreme importance.
If you are one that feels the intense pressure of improving or reinventing yourself, know that this is not mandatory and that you are perfect just the way you are. However, if you are set on finding new parts of yourself, you can do it! If you’re one of the ones that wants to exercise more or just be overall healthier, there are many ways this will enrich your life. Go for a walk or run outside and try to make better choices when eating. Your physical and mental health will thank you later. Also, this doesn’t have to be boring! Find new workout routines or a type of workout that is fun for you. Try new, fun and exciting food and smoothie recipes. If on the other hand, you are trying to be more creative or find something new to master, try and try until you’ve exhausted every option. Not everyone is a master artist or a Pinterest guru. Not matter what you decide to try, just remember to try not to get discouraged and that getting a kick-start to a new and improved you is only as fun as you make it.
