Work/study from home

Looking back to when quarantine started a few years ago, I remember absolutely loving it at first. Staying home all day in PJs, no bra, waking up whenever I wanted—it felt like a dream. Of course, I was still attending online classes, so I wasn’t completely idle. Speaking of “wasting time,” that’s something I’ve reflected on a lot since then—it’s far more subjective than I used to think.

When my online classes ended, I was beyond thrilled at the idea of doing absolutely nothing. But that thrill didn’t last long—just about a week, to be honest! The extrovert in me desperately craved human interaction. I started spending hours on the phone daily, and there was even a phase where I had to put my phone on Airplane Mode to avoid calls altogether.

Soon, I began feeling like nothing mattered anymore. Around that time, a couple of unfortunate events made things even worse, leaving me emotionally drained and stressed out. My response? Well, I did what any normal human would do—binge. I devoured Netflix series and tubs of ice cream, which gave me fleeting moments of happiness. I wasn’t completely sedentary though; I went for walks, but mentally, I was exhausted.

After a few months of this, I realized I couldn’t continue feeling this way, especially since the situation was dragging on much longer than expected. I refused to say that word—you know the one—it was everywhere, and I was sick of it. So, I decided to make a change. I signed up for courses, started reading more, and tried to get back into yoga after a long break. Netflix and ice cream were still very much a part of my routine (of course), but I also spent more time with my wonderful family.

All these changes were my way of being “productive” with the extra time I had. But one day, I realized I had taken on too much. I felt overwhelmed, like I was trying to do more than I could realistically handle. That’s when it hit me: we may have extra time, but we don’t have extra mental energy.

Just because you can do more doesn’t mean you should. Everyone is different, and life isn’t a competition to see who can be the most productive. Why do we label reading a book or working out as productive, but watching Netflix or sleeping in as lazy? You can learn from everything, and you deserve to relax.

I’m not saying you should only take it easy or stop doing anything meaningful. All I’m trying to say is, it’s okay to use this extra time however you need to—whether it’s doing something that makes you happy or simply doing nothing at all. This isn’t a blessing in disguise, nor is it some challenge you have to win. It’s just another chapter, and like all things, it will pass.

If you ever want to chat, I’d love to hear from you! Fair warning: I’m not the fastest responder—I operate on a 3- to 5-business-day schedule. 😊