Why It’s Okay to Achieve Nothing During the Coronavirus Crisis and Lockdown
Feeling pressured to achieve something new, yet you have achieved nothing during the Coronavirus crisis? Are you struggling during this coronavirus crisis in general?
Contrary to popular belief, I’ve achieved virtually nothing during the Coronavirus lockdown so far. I’ve revamped my website and I’ve completed a few chores around the house. Considering the fact it’s been weeks and weeks now, it’s something that could easily have been done in a mere two days. I’ve rarely seen the sunlight and I’ve also rarely stepped out of my pyjamas.
Yet everyone keeps telling me to learn something new and achieve something big during this time.
Sound familiar?
You are not alone in this and it’s okay.
Here’s why it’s completely okay to achieve nothing during the Coronavirus crisis and lockdown:
** [For help and advice on Covid-19, visit the World Health Organisation’s official website]
1. Struggling? These Times Are Unprecedented
Apart from the few remaining survivors of the Spanish Flu, virtually no one on this planet has experienced a pandemic quite like this one, let alone our government. For most of us, this ‘new normal’ is going to take a while to adjust. Right now life isn’t normal and that’s why it’s completely okay to achieve nothing during the Coronavirus crisis and not working at your full potential.
The truth is, no one really knows what to do next or even how long it’s going to last for.
You may have had to start homeschooling your children or caring for a family member at home. There have been numerous changes to your daily lives.
To put yourself down for not achieving much during what is literally a world crisis is completely unfair. Try to give yourself a break. Just breathe.
2. Struggling? Adapting to a New Way of Life Takes Time
In our whole lives we have had some sort of routine and then all of a sudden it was taken away from us. Not just OUR routines, but everyones. That makes things even more confusing.
Suddenly our children aren’t going to school and we can’t even pop into a cafe and grab a coffee with a friend when we have had a bad day. That’s HUGE. Things we use to cope with the usual stresses and strains of life have been stripped from us.
You may be a healthcare worker or another key worker, struggling to adapt to this new risk you face every day.
Finding new coping mechanisms for these changes will take time. For some, it could take a week and other’s, months. Just try not to give yourself a hard time. You’ll get there.
3. Struggling? Money and Relationships May Become More Difficult
Due to the Coronavirus crisis, you may have lost your job or have experienced a pay cut. You may also have anxiety about your job and money in the future. Any sort of financial difficulties or worries about employment is definitely going to have an impact.
Anxiety about work and money is completely normal and understandable.
You may find that if you’re living with a partner or friend, then the relationship may feel strained. This is particularly the case if you’re both having to work at home and are invading each other’s space all the time. Now that our social interactions are limited to mainly just this person, then it can cause some issues.
Try to remember that this is not forever and it’s normal for this to happen.
4. Struggling? You Can’t Visit Family and Friends
For many of us, it’s not possible to visit our family and friends. Unless your partner, friend or parents live in the same household as you, then you won’t be able to go and see them, let alone give them a hug. This is especially hard for people who have seriously ill relatives or friends in the hospital.
How can you be expected to function as normal, if you can’t even see your loved ones?
I live abroad, so I’m used to stints of not seeing family members and some friends, however, I was meant to go back a few weeks ago. That was all cancelled and I have no idea when I can go back again. That feeling of uncertainty of when you can see your family and friends again can be awful.
Loneliness is tough. Not achieving anything is completely fine. You miss your nearest and dearest, it’s okay.
5. Struggling? Working From Home (Or Not at All) Is Hard
I’ve worked (mostly) from home since 2017 and despite this, I STILL struggle.
At first, it all seems fun and games. You can wake up 2 minutes before you need to work, you have access to your fridge at all hours of the day and you have so much freedom – wonderful. But it takes its toll. Limited routine, hard to separate work life and home life and when something goes wrong, it’s hard to solve it while stuck at home.
If you’ve never worked from home before and you’re struggling, just know that even the people who are used to working from home struggle.
If you’re not working or have just lost your job, then your routine will be completely out of whack. Unemployment is tough on us emotionally. Just because you don’t have anything to do, doesn’t mean you’re going to be able to write the next best-selling book while in lockdown – remember that. Achieving nothing during the Coronavirus crisis IS going to be a possibility and that’s okay.
6. Struggling? There’s No End Date and You Can’t Make Solid Plans
This is something that I speak about on the phone with my mother every time we call. We always say ‘I think I’d be okay if I knew when things could go back to normal.’ And that’s just it – we don’t know.
How can you prepare and have things to look forward to if you don’t even know when it’s all going to be over?
I’m literally addicted to going to large-scale events, like festivals and concerts (I’m an every-weekend-for-six-months-of-the-year kind of girl). They’re saying that without a vaccine, there likely won’t be any large-scale events. Considering a vaccine takes around 18 months to develop and distribute (and that’s if they find one quickly), then next summer could be off the cards too. But who knows? And that’s precisely the problem.
The same can be said if you have a business – it’s hard to prepare with no end date. Anxiety about all of this is completely normal.
7. Struggling? Your Mental and Physical Health Gets Affected
A sudden global pandemic, leading to countries going on lockdown at a mass scale, is definitely going to affect us all in some way! You may feel mentally well but aren’t out exercising as much. Maybe the gym is closed or you have to self-isolate as you are vulnerable so aren’t going for daily walks.
Or maybe you are finding that your diet has taken a turn for the worst. Instead of eating out, you may be ordering more takeaways, or just reaching for the convenience foods in the supermarket.
Not seeing family and friends, spending large amounts of time inside and not doing routine things, such as getting out of bed, showering and getting changed, can manifest into depression. If you feel like you are getting worse, please reach out to someone. It doesn’t make you weak, this is a hard time for us all.
Trying to keep your mental and physical health maintained, should be your number one priority. It’s not about learning something new, mastering the piano or writing a novel. If we don’t have our health, then what do we have?
Struggling? We Will Get Through This!
Not just we, but YOU will get through this. I really hope this article has put into perspective for you, just how mad all of this and that it’s completely okay to feel lost and achieve nothing during the Coronavirus crisis.
Okay, so we might not all come out of this unscathed, with three new qualifications, a new business plan, 24 lbs lighter and speaking a new language, but as long as we come out of this alive and well, that is an achievement in itself.
We aren’t all in the same boat, but we are all bobbing along in the same ocean.
If you have no one to talk to and are alone and struggling, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Email. I’ll be more than happy to chat with you. You aren’t alone.
Remember: It’s okay to achieve nothing during the Coronavirus crisis. Stay safe everyone!
Liked this article? Check these out:
Learning From Coronavirus: What I’ve Learnt Since Covid-19 Ruled Our Lives
Coping With Self-Isolation: 15 Ways to Stay Sane in Isolation During the Coronavirus Outbreak
How to Cope When Living Abroad During the Coronavirus Pandemic