DISCLAIMER: This blog entry is intended as my personal creative outlet. In no way should it be construed as medical advice of any kind by means of a therapist, nurse or doctor. I am not licensed nor educated enough to be categorized under either title. I am simply telling my business, nothing more, nothing less. 😉
My life changed on March 19, 2020, when CA’s Governor Gavin Newsom issued a Stay At Home order. With the stroke of his pen, Governor Newsom put me on punishment, restriction. While it was a much-needed order, I didn’t appreciate it at the time. Governor Newsom told me I couldn’t go to the movies. He told me I couldn’t go to brunch with my sisters. He told me I could no longer attend yoga classes. He told my job to figure out a way for us to work from home quick, fast, and in a hurry! While I completely agreed with the working from home part, the rest was a painful reality to accept.
For the most part, I am an extroverted introvert which means – loosely translated – I’m an introvert with social tendencies. I love being in my Cubby Hole (apartment) yet every now and then, I have to get out. I have to interact. Going to the movies gives me the best of both worlds. I satisfy the extroverted side by merely being out. Standing in the snack line and conversing with others after the movie ends are both bonuses. I satisfy the introverted side by mostly going alone, choosing a seat with no one else nearby, and selecting a time with low attendance. The last movie I saw was Vin Diesel’s Bloodshot on March 15th. I planned to see the Christian movie, I Still Believe on March 17th. Yet, I told myself, “I’ll go during the weekend.” HA! Governor Newsom changed my weekend plans. I have regrets to this day and learned to no longer delay my movie trips once this order has been lifted.
I’m still as social as I was prior to March 19th, I’m just not as physical as I was prior to March 19th. My text messaging, limited phone calling, emails, and social media interactions are all the same. My introverted side is at peace. My extroverted side is quite unhappy, albeit pissed off. How did we get here?!?!? How did we get to the point where I can’t go to the movies!?!?! UGH! 😦
I have always been a tv-holic but even I can only watch so much Netflix, Hulu, and the like. I want the big screen. I want the plush chairs. I want the snacks. I want the interaction. To combat this, I have returned to writing. I started taking online classes with Centre of Excellence to enhance my writing skills. One of my sisters found a FANTASTIC deal (because I have a wonderful support system), and told me about it 36 hours before the deal expired. I ended up getting over $2k worth of writing classes for $34. I am still excited and at the same time, busy! I am not bored in the midst of this social hindrance.
I am considered an “essential worker,” which means I have permission – if you will – to go into the office and not work from home. However, the vice president of my department is a softy so he made our workplace as remote as possible. Sadly, my department is behind the times so the majority of what we do is quite manual and paper-driven. That being said, I work in the office Mondays and Wednesdays, at home the other days. Monday – Friday, I keep the same routine I had prior to March 19th. I start work at 6:30 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. My lunch is take-out so on the days I work from home, I make sure to frequent a restaurant within a one-mile radius. Luckily, I have a good number of options. I’m maintaining physical distance as best I can while still keeping small businesses in business and partially satisfying my extroverted side.
Being at home much more than before, I had to find other things to do to make this downtime productive and conducive to my overall well-being. The days I work from home, I take my morning shower as if I was going into the office then put on my favorite pajama shirt. In my eyes, I’m wearing a dress. On the weekends, I take my morning shower then put on my spa wrap. Since I can’t attend yoga classes anymore, I reactivated my Beach Body membership for their 3-Week-Yoga-Retreat package. I get dressed in my yoga attire and exercise “Day 1” on the yoga mat in my bedroom. Yes, I have exercised “Day 1” about four times now, haahaaa. Hey, I was taking yoga classes for a reason! My body is out of shape and I need all the help I can get. The days I go to work are my out-days. I do whatever errands on the same days I have to drive to work. It helps reduce the time that I’m out of my Cubby Hole.
So here we are, day 18 or 19, post THE ORDER and I am ok. I am learning to cope without the movies, not well but learning. I’m using what little outside interaction I have to quench my extroverted thirst. I am taking stock and placing a higher value on the personal relationships in my life with family and friends. My text messages mean so much more than they ever did before. Social media matters to me just as much as it did when I wrote my first blog entry, “Social Media Saved My Life.” Social media should matter to many who live alone since physical distancing has become our new norm.
If you are having a hard time “staying in,” change your perspective on the matter. You don’t have to be a religious person to understand the next two passages. I hope you agree:
- “For as [you] think in [your] heart, so [are you] …” – Proverbs 23:7a
- “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind …” – Romans 12:2b
If changing your perspective doesn’t work, send a text, take a walk, request or join a virtual happy hour. Physical distancing doesn’t have to be the end. Let it be your new beginning. 🙂
Writing Waves 