NOTE: During this pandemic, and always, immediate safety, health and other concerns come before discussion on other related issues. Discussion on policies during the pandemic, their implications and choices we make collectively for the future do not, in any way, minimize the impacts of the present crisis.
Over the last few weeks, since the shutdown started in Canada, I have seen a lot of two conflicting messages popping up on social media, with a lot of strong feelings on both sides. So, with the hope that I can diffuse things a bit, I am going to wade into the middle and offer a third way.
Option A: The shutdown means that we aren’t going out as much. We aren’t driving to work, our kids aren’t doing extra-curricular activities and most things on our schedules have been cancelled. We have no sports practices or choir rehearsals or any of the other things that fill our evenings and weekends. Therefore, we have extra time on our hands and have the opportunity to get some extra projects done around the house/apartment etc.
Option B: Things are shutdown because of a crisis. We are stressed and barely getting through the day. Suggesting that we be extra productive is adding insult to injury. Ignore all of the talk about productivity and just get through the day however you can.
Then, by extension, this manifests into countless dichotomies, such as:
“Here’s a calendar that I found helpful for keeping my kids’ day organized” vs “My kids are stressed by having a calendar so everything should be completely open and flexible”.
Or
“Here’s a new recipe that I found that helped break the monotony at home” vs “Extra kitchen tasks are an added stress when I am already stressed about other things…”
And so on… You get the idea. So, in that light, here is
Option C:
Most of us, generally are not endlessly productive robots, and we are also, not spending every minute of the day on the couch watching Netflix and eating ice cream. We are real people with real emotions and varied circumstances, which vary from person to person and from day to day. Regardless of the day, we still need to eat, and laundry still needs to be done at some point. Many of us have kids or others that need help in some way.
We will all likely experience the whole range of emotions and places on the continuum during this shutdown – times where we need to do laundry even when we don’t feel like it, when getting something productive accomplished helps to make the day feel worthwhile, when relaxing with Netflix or a good book is the break we needed, when family life or work or something else is challenging and when it’s relatively easy.
Life is varied, and so are our circumstances and our responses – and, if we are taking a break when someone else is being productive, that’s fine. Maybe tomorrow or next week or next month, it will be the opposite and you will be cleaning our your closet when a friend is watching a movie with a yummy dessert treat. Ultimately, there are plenty of things going on that are stressful, and we are all doing out best – let’s not add to the list by either judging others, or ourselves, for our responses. Let’s focus on supporting each other and bringing out the best in each other, to get through this, and other challenges, together. 🙂
Take care of yourselves, and each other. 🙂
…….
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