When the news was first spoken about coronavirus, it seemed something far and unrealistic, much like the humanoids living on Alpha Centauri. That day I could not even imagine that a few months later this infection would appear in my country, in my city, on my street, somewhere very close to me and will radically change my life for the better. That's right - for the better. Indeed, in addition to the global catastrophic consequences of the pandemic, such as the collapse of the economy and the collapse of the medical system, there are also less obvious, but positive changes.
More sleep and relaxation
A forced vacation is almost as good as a regular vacation. In connection with quarantine, you have to rest at home, but my family and I come up with new entertainment every day, so you don’t get bored:
- We create our own board game. Everything that comes to hand is used - buttons turn into chips, small tubes and bottles are transformed into towers and guns, and excellent figures of people and animals are made from unnecessary boxes.
- We organize a quest with small but pleasant prizes. And sometimes also with unpleasant surprises (for example, the one who falls into the trap is obliged to wash the dishes after dinner or hang the laundry).
- We make dumplings or pies with unusual fillings or make cookies, inside which we put notes with funny tasks.
- We have a picnic in the garden. If you are in the mood, prepare food on the grill or grill, try new recipes from the Internet.
Well and most importantly - a dream. For the first time in many days, it became possible to sleep as much as you want. You don’t have to shudder every morning from the cries of the alarm clock, crawl out from under the covers, clumsyly dress and run somewhere - in life it has become less stressful.
Ability to work remotely
Not all professions allow you to work from home, but I can say I’m lucky - there is no longer any need to spend two to three hours daily on the way to the office and back. And if you managed to cope with the performance of official duties faster, you do not have to "spend time" on the remaining working time, drinking a twentieth cup of tea. Instead, you can do useful and interesting things - clean up your closet, transplant flowers, watch an interesting movie, or just lie on the couch, imagining that the sea is somewhere nearby.
More communication with family
Quarantine is a litmus test for relationships. People who were not connected by anything except dinners at the same table and shared utility bills after two or three months spent “imprisoned” understand that it makes no sense to call such cohabitation a family. Those who have common interests and feelings, on the contrary, got the opportunity to enjoy each other's company.
New knowledge
Many online schools have opened free access to study materials for the quarantine period or made a substantial discount (50–70%) for those who enroll in the course at this time. Moreover, the “freebie” extended not only to training, for the most part entertaining (for example, painting or playing the guitar), but also to professions in demand in the modern world, such as graphic designers, software developers, and web server administrators.
Well, I - and, accordingly, other people - got time to get new knowledge. I, using the moment, decided to improve my spoken English. Success so far so-so, but judging by the spread of the epidemic, I still have enough time to get rid of the terrible accent.
Change of world view
When you live with firm confidence in the future, thinking that nothing bad will happen, you can allow yourself a lot of liberties. For example, expensive rash purchases, without which it is quite possible to do.
Coronavirus is the same shake that many lacked to correctly prioritize and understand that the main thing is not the one hundred and twenty dress and not the last iPhone model purchased on credit, but the availability of funds for survival in any conditions. For example, a profession that does not lose relevance under any circumstances, or other sources of income that are little dependent on external factors.
More time for yourself
In normal times, I had to solve many problems that with the beginning of the pandemic faded into the background. There is more time that you can devote to yourself, for example:
- read a book that is still waiting in line at the far shelf;
- disassemble the wardrobe;
- pay attention to the skin of the face and hands;
- make a complex of hair masks.
In the end, just be alone at home or somewhere in a deserted park (if quarantine conditions allow you to stay in recreation areas).
The ability to adapt to new circumstances
We are all accustomed to a certain rhythm and way of life. But coronavirus divided our existence into two radically different eras - before the pandemic and during it. Judging by the number of indignant posts on forums and blogs, it was difficult for many people to change their minds, and some are still trying to resist reality. However, what is happening now is the opportunity to learn how to survive in unusual conditions and achieve their goal, while other people are disoriented and do not even try to find a way out of the situation.
New skills
“Why do something yourself if there is a specially trained person who will do the job quickly and efficiently” - by this principle, humanity has been living for more than a dozen years. But during quarantine everyone (including myself) was faced with the inability to get a number of services:
- Since the beauty salons are closed, I had to dye my hair and eyebrows on my own, having mastered, if not all the wisdom of color, then certainly its basics.
- The lack of masks in pharmacies (and the fantastic price for them in those rare moments when antiviral remedies still appeared on the window) forced to learn how to cut and sew.
- Difficulties in the work of restaurants and cafes led to the fact that the recipes of your favorite, but complex dishes had to be found on the Internet or recreated experimentally. After two months of kitchen misery, I can confidently say that my level of cooking excellence has grown several times.
When life returns to its former routine, I’m unlikely to continue conjuring with proportions of colors, drawing patterns for sewing, or preparing delicious dishes. But I’m more than sure that the skills acquired during the pandemic will still be useful to me in the future (I hope, in less sad circumstances).
How to spend time in quarantine with benefit, if there is nothing to do?
The person who reads this article probably has Internet access. So, there is the opportunity to find a lot of training materials on the network - knitting, embroidery, cooking, photography, drawing ... You just need to find something for you to your liking.
If you have expert knowledge in any field - you bake excellent bread, know everything about the contents of aquarium fish, know how to sew elegant dresses or cut stunning candlesticks from wood - create your own training course. You can distribute it for free or for money - in the second case, you not only pass the time, but also get additional income.
What to do when it becomes boring?
Sitting and waiting for someone to organize an entertainment program for you is a failure. You yourself need to look for ways to have fun. If you are accustomed to constant walks and talking with friends, nothing prevents the company from gathering virtually - through video calling. This will not be a full substitute for live communication, but will get rid of the boredom associated with loneliness.
If you are oppressed by the monotony, try to bring something new to the interior of your home. Make a rearrangement of furniture, buy or sew new curtains, repaint the walls.
Another option is to change your daily routine. For example, doing gymnastics in the morning or doing yoga, preparing some exotic dish for lunch, watching a new movie in the evening and writing a review on it.
Where can I get money sitting at home in quarantine?
If it is not possible to work as before, you will have to look for alternative ways of earning. For example, view ads on freelance exchanges. There are various tasks - from very simple, which anyone can cope with, to complex, oriented to professional performance.
“There is no better time for happiness than the present,” Richard Carlson, an American writer and psychotherapist, once said. This phrase should be adopted by anyone who is negative-minded and sees only flaws in the coronavirus pandemic. Yes, each of us runs the risk of getting sick and supplementing the mortality statistics, but as long as we are alive and relatively healthy, nothing prevents us from enjoying this life and taking advantage of new opportunities.