I Have All The Time In The World

Quarantine and how I’ve used it to my advantage.

Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

Quarantine has got me thinking.

Well, I’m sure all of us have been caught up in our own heads a little more than usual because of quarantine, but I’m saying that quarantine has given me time to think.

I don’t currently have a job. I go to school online. These things don’t require me to step outside my front door, most days.

Which means I have a lot of spare time on my hands, as some of you might have as well.

And, surprisingly enough, I’ve been able to take advantage of this time.

I am currently working through Camp NaNoWriMo for the first time, which I never would have had time for had I still been employed, along with the fact that I would’ve been distracted by meeting with other people in places that are, right now, closed.

I’m not angry about this. I completely understand the need to social distance and stay inside.

And, yes, I am going to be one of those people that tells you this can be a good thing for you.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to make quarantine a fun, productive time if you have incredibly persistent depression, like I do. I spent the first part of this quarantine lying around and doing nothing more than the bare minimum for my schoolwork, which was enough for me to be proud of, but I knew I could do more.

So, I started going outside.

It’s a small step, and I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but taking the time to get outside, even if it’s only for a few minutes, can make any day seem like you’ve done something. Like you aren’t just reliving the same day for weeks on end, since there’s practically nowhere to go if you aren’t an essential worker, or if you no longer have duties that take you out of your house.

Going outside gets me in the sunshine. It reminds me that there’s still a world out there, that there are still people who are also going outside to make themselves feel better. That I’m not as alone as I might’ve thought I was. And as I write this, late at night, I find myself getting emotional about it. About the fact that people are going outside, masks and gloves on, ready to get even half an hour of sunshine before they…