So much of how we deal with these crazy times depends on our circumstances: where we live, whether we're employed or not, essential or working from home, and what our family structure is, whether we're partnered, single, with or without kids.
I happen to be single, without children. I own a house and live alone in a small upstate NY town. When the pandemic hit in full force back in March, I was sent home to work, but there wasn't much to do, so I had a lot of free time on my hands.
Lockdown rules said we weren't supposed to leave our homes for anything other than groceries, medicine, essential work and walking a pet. In those early days, the virus was raging through New York State, especially NYC, where my sister and other family members live. I was so sick with worry most of the time that I couldn't concentrate on anything. In fact, I felt paralyzed.
Then my dog ran off more than once after critters (once, I actually had to circle the block in my car to find her). And this set me on a path to fence my property, which was the first Pandemic Project.
The fear of losing my dog, and the desire to protect her, was a powerful motivator. Luckily, Lowe's was an essential business. The store became my go-to spot other than the supermarket. I set out to build an inexpensive fence in the back and front yard, mostly by myself, with a friend helping me when I needed an extra hand.
At the same time as the fence project, I started getting my garden together, buying plants, pots, soil, mulch, building beds, planting, mulching, and, of course, making countless trips to Lowe's. When I was working on the fence or the garden, I didn't think about anything else. After a few hours of physical labor, I would be too tired to worry, at least for a little while. I was in my yard every single day, rain or shine, working working working. Both projects took me, on and off, about two months to fully complete.
In the evenings, I zoomed with friends I hadn't talked to in a long time, with family members. I watched movies. I wrote. And I started reading again.
Reading was a Big Deal because I hadn't had the mental concentration to read a book since my brother died two years ago. The book that changed that, which I picked up two months into lockdown, was Alex Haley's 800-page novel ROOTS. I could not put it down (more on this seminal book in a later post). After that I read the dystopian novel STATION ELEVEN by Emily St. John Mandel, about life after a pandemic. Also couldn't put it down.
Looming over these other projects was my screenplay, which I've been working on for a long time and decided to finish this year. Since, lockdown forced me to be home all the time, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity.
It was rough in the beginning. Being so terribly worried about family and friends all over the country and world was not conducive to writing. But I tackled it like all the other projects, a little bit at a time. There were days when I would tell myself, "all you have to do is write for one hour." I would set my timer, silence my phone, turn off the WiFi, and begin. Inevitably, at the end of the hour, I would want to write for another hour, and another.... Then, when I could see the progress and the "light at the end of the tunnel," it motivated me even more.
I finished the first official draft in May and sent it to my representation in Los Angeles. I completed a second draft in July (based on their feedback), and now I'm waiting for notes that will, no doubt, lead to the next draft. Each draft gets me closer to my goal.
I guess the thing that's helped me deal with the pandemic the most is staying busy, and staying CREATIVE.
My advice to others struggling to stay productive during these times is to:
Have goals, no matter how small, and work towards them
Tone down expectations; realize that everything takes longer than usual these days
Avoid negative people and toxic energy like the plague
Avoid anyone or anything that doesn't feel right, period
Go out of your way to be kind and forgiving to yourself (and others)
Get outside as much as possible, while avoiding others
Change the scenery if you can; go somewhere new, even if just for a few hours
Talk to someone, a therapist or confidant, or write down what you're feeling
Read, read, read, read, READ
Exercise in whatever way you can, stay hydrated and eat healthy
Stay in touch with the people you care about
Limit how much you listen to and read the news; take social media breaks
What has helped you? I'd love to hear about your Pandemic Projects.
