Coping with Pandemic 2.0
May 20, 2021 8:20 AM Subscribe
So, last year was hard. Severe movement restrictions, isolation, increasingly challenging WFH setup, and so on. It's a pandemic, it's one year and it's a small sacrifice, next year would be better, etc was what I told myself. Except that it's really, really not, in my country (India). Part rant, part question, below the fold.
So we are in the middle of a brutal second wave (the numbers have started tapering but they are still horrifically high). Severe movement restrictions are back and I have no idea if/when they would ease - and frankly, even if they do, I would not want to risk going places. Vaccination's currently a mess and being fully vaxxed is quite a way away. I am bone tired of the situation and the second lockdown has easily been 3x harder than the first one, because the bad news among friends and family has been more or less non-stop.
Most of last year, the entire world was in more or less the same state, and I thought I had a handle on when things might get better. This year is different - it's hard not to feel resentful and frustrated when I see people in other countries being able to go out and do things when I don't know when that might be possible for me. Talking with friends and family here doesn't help any of us anymore, I think - there's a sense of collective burnout and hopelessness. AND it reinforces that I have no idea when I can meet them in person when we all had (foolishly) made plans for this year.
Last year, I focused on losing weight and eating healthy as a distraction and had a surprising amount of progress in it. This year, I really really need something to look forward to or engage in. I was wondering if there was a small skill or tiny hobby or activity that gradually ramps up so that I feel I'm doing something that feels like growth in the middle of stalled, dystopia time. Unfortunately, restrictions include nothing outside (see: lockdown) and less screentime (though if it's required for picking up instructions, it can work). Bonus points if it's something that I can have reasonable amount of progress in by July (second birthday in complete isolation, yay!)
What I like - art, dance, reading, singing, puzzles, maybe learning a language?
What I don't like - things like knitting or crochet, generally not a crafty person
Please rescue me from this grey life of work-doomscroll-grieve-sleep-work. If you have general ideas about how to get through a challenging time without knowing when it might get better, I welcome that too. This uncertainty has been so hard.
Thank you in advance.
So we are in the middle of a brutal second wave (the numbers have started tapering but they are still horrifically high). Severe movement restrictions are back and I have no idea if/when they would ease - and frankly, even if they do, I would not want to risk going places. Vaccination's currently a mess and being fully vaxxed is quite a way away. I am bone tired of the situation and the second lockdown has easily been 3x harder than the first one, because the bad news among friends and family has been more or less non-stop.
Most of last year, the entire world was in more or less the same state, and I thought I had a handle on when things might get better. This year is different - it's hard not to feel resentful and frustrated when I see people in other countries being able to go out and do things when I don't know when that might be possible for me. Talking with friends and family here doesn't help any of us anymore, I think - there's a sense of collective burnout and hopelessness. AND it reinforces that I have no idea when I can meet them in person when we all had (foolishly) made plans for this year.
Last year, I focused on losing weight and eating healthy as a distraction and had a surprising amount of progress in it. This year, I really really need something to look forward to or engage in. I was wondering if there was a small skill or tiny hobby or activity that gradually ramps up so that I feel I'm doing something that feels like growth in the middle of stalled, dystopia time. Unfortunately, restrictions include nothing outside (see: lockdown) and less screentime (though if it's required for picking up instructions, it can work). Bonus points if it's something that I can have reasonable amount of progress in by July (second birthday in complete isolation, yay!)
What I like - art, dance, reading, singing, puzzles, maybe learning a language?
What I don't like - things like knitting or crochet, generally not a crafty person
Please rescue me from this grey life of work-doomscroll-grieve-sleep-work. If you have general ideas about how to get through a challenging time without knowing when it might get better, I welcome that too. This uncertainty has been so hard.
Thank you in advance.
I'm so sorry you are in this situation!
I have started learning a new language this year to counterbalance depression and lingering pandemic related feelings about time's passing without any indicator of change. I've found it very joyful to feel like I am using time to learn and seeing progress (though it's obviously not quick!). I chose Japanese not only because I am interested in quite a lot of different aspects of Japanese culture and would like to travel there one day, but also because learning hiragana/katakana/kanji is something totally different from my native language and really makes it feel like a fun challenge and very not like my school experience of learning French and German (which I hated). So that's my recommendation: a language totally alien to you even unto the writing system (Russian? Arabic? Mandarin?). Unfortunately it probably will mean screen time but you could make flashcards etc to practice offline.
The idea that ONE DAY I'll be able to use the skills I'm learning now when travelling to Japan is also a nice optimistic thing and way of thinking about this time of restricted movement in a positive light.
posted by Balthamos at 8:41 AM on May 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
I have started learning a new language this year to counterbalance depression and lingering pandemic related feelings about time's passing without any indicator of change. I've found it very joyful to feel like I am using time to learn and seeing progress (though it's obviously not quick!). I chose Japanese not only because I am interested in quite a lot of different aspects of Japanese culture and would like to travel there one day, but also because learning hiragana/katakana/kanji is something totally different from my native language and really makes it feel like a fun challenge and very not like my school experience of learning French and German (which I hated). So that's my recommendation: a language totally alien to you even unto the writing system (Russian? Arabic? Mandarin?). Unfortunately it probably will mean screen time but you could make flashcards etc to practice offline.
The idea that ONE DAY I'll be able to use the skills I'm learning now when travelling to Japan is also a nice optimistic thing and way of thinking about this time of restricted movement in a positive light.
posted by Balthamos at 8:41 AM on May 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
I am so sorry. What you describe is exactly how I felt last year, I wasnt able to see a light at the tunnel because of how bad things were getting in my world and how things seemed to be getting worse, not better. I settled on trusting that things would get better eventually and set to skill growth, as you are doing.
For me, I chose the piano. I did spend some screen time on it but only until I realized I could buy books on amazon. I just drilled pieces and tried to learn them for at least 30 mins a night. It was truly a godsend. Are there any instruments you would like to learn?
Another thing I focused on was learning to grow stuff. I started with herbs and tended to a few easy plants to start. There was something very affirming about the simplicity of it. Just pay the right amount of attention and they will thrive. It was healing for me.
I also took an online music production course but that is ALL screen time. However it was a lovely distraction and the other people in the class gave me a hit of the social connection I have been missing. I really miss interacting with semi-strangers!
posted by pazazygeek at 8:53 AM on May 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
For me, I chose the piano. I did spend some screen time on it but only until I realized I could buy books on amazon. I just drilled pieces and tried to learn them for at least 30 mins a night. It was truly a godsend. Are there any instruments you would like to learn?
Another thing I focused on was learning to grow stuff. I started with herbs and tended to a few easy plants to start. There was something very affirming about the simplicity of it. Just pay the right amount of attention and they will thrive. It was healing for me.
I also took an online music production course but that is ALL screen time. However it was a lovely distraction and the other people in the class gave me a hit of the social connection I have been missing. I really miss interacting with semi-strangers!
posted by pazazygeek at 8:53 AM on May 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
Two things that have helped me over the last year:
1. Learning a new instrument. I take violin lessons over zoom and it works surprisingly well! I like it because I pretty much have to practice a bit every day to make any progress, and because uses my hands and my whole brain, so its impossible to do anything else (doomscroll) while practicing,
2. Having something to DO when I talk to family and friends. My dad and I spend an hour every week doing puzzle games (see my question history for specifics, if you're interested.) It keeps us connecting but gives us something to focus on other than how terrible everything is. It's more like hanging out than a concentrated high-pressure conversation.
posted by juliapangolin at 8:53 AM on May 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
1. Learning a new instrument. I take violin lessons over zoom and it works surprisingly well! I like it because I pretty much have to practice a bit every day to make any progress, and because uses my hands and my whole brain, so its impossible to do anything else (doomscroll) while practicing,
2. Having something to DO when I talk to family and friends. My dad and I spend an hour every week doing puzzle games (see my question history for specifics, if you're interested.) It keeps us connecting but gives us something to focus on other than how terrible everything is. It's more like hanging out than a concentrated high-pressure conversation.
posted by juliapangolin at 8:53 AM on May 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
I took a drawing class for beginners over zoom that was a lot of fun, not just for learning to draw, but also just scribbling (use your whole arm!) with different tools, from thick art pencils to charcoal to drawing with ink using non-traditional tools (twigs, a leaf, etc). It was a lot of fun and really gave me something to look forward to every week, plus when I wasn't in class I could play with what I'd learned.
After studying on my own for a couple of years, I've been taking formal language classes online through a community college, which has also been a good distraction.
posted by mogget at 9:22 AM on May 20, 2021
After studying on my own for a couple of years, I've been taking formal language classes online through a community college, which has also been a good distraction.
posted by mogget at 9:22 AM on May 20, 2021
Oh Nieshka, I am so sorry. I am in the US but I have family in Calcutta (cousins, auntys, uncles) and my stepmother is currently stranded in Delhi as she went there last Jan to help take care of her ailing mother and got stuck due to travel bans and movement restrictions. One of my auntys died of COVID-19 in Jan, and one of my cousins, her husband, and daughter got it last month and are still in various stages of recovery. My stepmother lost two family members within three days of each other last week.
I'm not saying this to depress you - I'm saying this because from my vantage point in a state in the US where mask restrictions have been lifted for fully vaxxed people, I am so frustrated and angry and feel so helpless watching what is going on in India. Every desi I know in the States is watching this happen to family long distance. The helplessness especially is devastating. So I'm just trying to say that while I don't understand as one directly affected, I have so much sympathy and empathy for you as someone with loved ones directly affected. Please go easy on yourself, be gentle with yourself, be safe.
As for your question, I think learning a new language would be a fantastic diversion - in fact, I wish this is what I had done last year. My friends speak highly of Duolingo, and I think it would not just be a distraction from the non-stop mess around you but it would scratch an intellectual itch, allow you to get some interaction (passive though it may be), and also give you a tangible goal to work towards, which I find tends to keep me motivated more than stuff like "ok I'm just going to knit for hours on end". Maybe you and one or a few of your friends can pick a language you all want to learn and then in addition to Duolingo you can have language practice buddies (over Zoom or Skype or WhatsApp) which will give you safe interaction with friends but limits you to a new language so you don't get bogged down in rehashing the mess that's occuring around you.
Big hugs from afar. I am so sorry this is happening to you.
posted by nayantara at 9:46 AM on May 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
I'm not saying this to depress you - I'm saying this because from my vantage point in a state in the US where mask restrictions have been lifted for fully vaxxed people, I am so frustrated and angry and feel so helpless watching what is going on in India. Every desi I know in the States is watching this happen to family long distance. The helplessness especially is devastating. So I'm just trying to say that while I don't understand as one directly affected, I have so much sympathy and empathy for you as someone with loved ones directly affected. Please go easy on yourself, be gentle with yourself, be safe.
As for your question, I think learning a new language would be a fantastic diversion - in fact, I wish this is what I had done last year. My friends speak highly of Duolingo, and I think it would not just be a distraction from the non-stop mess around you but it would scratch an intellectual itch, allow you to get some interaction (passive though it may be), and also give you a tangible goal to work towards, which I find tends to keep me motivated more than stuff like "ok I'm just going to knit for hours on end". Maybe you and one or a few of your friends can pick a language you all want to learn and then in addition to Duolingo you can have language practice buddies (over Zoom or Skype or WhatsApp) which will give you safe interaction with friends but limits you to a new language so you don't get bogged down in rehashing the mess that's occuring around you.
Big hugs from afar. I am so sorry this is happening to you.
posted by nayantara at 9:46 AM on May 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
Home exercise? I find it really satisfying to watch numbers go up or ability improve — plus it makes me feel better in my skin, physically and mentally. At least personally. And it’s a great distraction from heavy feelings and situations.
Strength training works really well, if you can get access to weights at home . Body weight strength training would work too, but results aren’t as clear-cut as “I could lift X pounds last month and now I can lift X+1!” Requires no equipment and should be lots of info on YouTube, etc. That said, I’m honestly not sure about the quality of that info because I personally haven’t tried it.
But I do personally love yoga — I swear I’d be recommending it to anyone asking this question. You can see and feel progress in your physical practice (“last month I couldn’t reach my toes and now I can touch the floor!”) Lots of info online here too. I subscribe to a streaming platform for classes because I find YouTube pretty iffy in quality.
I’m really sorry this is all happening and I really hope things improve. Hugs if you take them.
posted by liet at 10:32 AM on May 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
Strength training works really well, if you can get access to weights at home . Body weight strength training would work too, but results aren’t as clear-cut as “I could lift X pounds last month and now I can lift X+1!” Requires no equipment and should be lots of info on YouTube, etc. That said, I’m honestly not sure about the quality of that info because I personally haven’t tried it.
But I do personally love yoga — I swear I’d be recommending it to anyone asking this question. You can see and feel progress in your physical practice (“last month I couldn’t reach my toes and now I can touch the floor!”) Lots of info online here too. I subscribe to a streaming platform for classes because I find YouTube pretty iffy in quality.
I’m really sorry this is all happening and I really hope things improve. Hugs if you take them.
posted by liet at 10:32 AM on May 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
Seconding the recs for Duolingo, though I also sprung for a Babbel+ subscription to really drill into my basic Russian. If you like to karaoke, other than specific apps like WeSing, youtube has an incredibly deep catalogue of karaoke-ready songs. That's been my lockdown standby.
posted by cendawanita at 10:32 AM on May 20, 2021
posted by cendawanita at 10:32 AM on May 20, 2021
Depending on budget/time zone coordination, you may find an online language class more satisfying than Duolingo. A lot of U.S. universities, including Harvard and NYU, have continuing ed departments that have gone just about completely online for now. I took an evening language class that was fun, if perhaps slightly more stress than I should've signed up for (just because the language is challenging and the class was intermediate level). We're going to keep reading texts over the summer, without the prof!
posted by praemunire at 11:32 AM on May 20, 2021
posted by praemunire at 11:32 AM on May 20, 2021
I’m another American watching with breaking heart as people struggle in India. I’m so sorry it’s so hard and I hope like crazy that safety and health come back to you, your family, your community as soon as can be.
I coped with the last year by doing a lot of art, specifically learning watercolor. I found that Josie Lewis (https://www.josielewis.com/) had great recommendations and resources for getting into a flow state (I.e., losing yourself in just a little bit of challenge) by focusing on color and pattern. She has a fascinating TED talk that might resonate with you. Unsurprisingly she sells a bunch of stuff on her web site, and the paints are a lovely vibrant palette— but the templates are also available in PDF form for printing, and you could for sure use other media (colored pencil, acrylics, crayon, tempera) to work them. MeMail me if this is of interest...
posted by Sublimity at 1:33 PM on May 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
I coped with the last year by doing a lot of art, specifically learning watercolor. I found that Josie Lewis (https://www.josielewis.com/) had great recommendations and resources for getting into a flow state (I.e., losing yourself in just a little bit of challenge) by focusing on color and pattern. She has a fascinating TED talk that might resonate with you. Unsurprisingly she sells a bunch of stuff on her web site, and the paints are a lovely vibrant palette— but the templates are also available in PDF form for printing, and you could for sure use other media (colored pencil, acrylics, crayon, tempera) to work them. MeMail me if this is of interest...
posted by Sublimity at 1:33 PM on May 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Anyway, some ideas:
Learning a language - start with Duolingo but online tutoring or classes may help more and provide a little human connection.
Learning a goofy skill like unicycling or juggling or even magic tricks (bring a little joy while mastering a physical skill)
Volunteering of some kind - maybe something you can do from home (peer counseling??)
Becoming an excellent cook
Political organizing: Is there a group you can join that is doing something together about the fucked up things going on? Engaging with others to make change is one tool for addressing this externally imposed hopelessness.
posted by latkes at 8:37 AM on May 20, 2021 [1 favorite]