Another Day in Quarantine…
So, quarantine.
I’m just going to come out and say it. It sucks.
Before we were given the stay at home order, I was already at home alone by myself most of the day anyway, but now that it’s mandated that we have to stay six feet apart and at home, my anxiety and depression fluctuate more. I feel like there are more bad days than good days sometimes and finding the energy to write has become harder as the days meld together. My mom is working from home (and has for the past six weeks), which eases my anxiety thinking about her working at her office where anyone could be carrying COVID-19 and not show any symptoms. I’m thankful that she can work from home thanks to the nature of her job and that the people above her understand and are taking the pandemic seriously.
That being said, I know there are a lot of people who are essential workers and fighting on the front lines to protect the rest of us, and to them, I just want to say, “Thank you.” I know how hard it must be to stay away from family or risk catching this disease while you do your job, and I appreciate you and the sacrifices all essential workers and first responders have made during this rough time.
So, with that, I’d like to take the time to talk about another day in quarantine with my family. We’re small, only two pets and two people living in a ranch-style home, but we have our moments of fun and restlessness.
For starters, a pro to all of this, is I can write all day if I want. That gives me ample time to just focus typing words onto a page in a Word doc and expressing my creativity. I don’t have to worry about schooling since I took a gap year or work because I don’t have an official job. Yet. (Until my book publishes, I won’t consider me being an author an actual job until I meet a certain revenue, though I would love to make writing my full-time job in the future.) Anyway, I’m still working on finding a job like most stereotypical college graduates, but I’m considering going back to college as a grad student or getting another bachelor’s degree. I don’t know, but that’s another thing about quarantine: You get to spend a lot of time thinking about the future and worrying about what might happen next.
Which, if you have anxiety, isn’t good for your mental health. Sometimes I bog myself down with the what-if’s and forget that I shouldn’t worry about things that haven’t happened yet. Thankfully, my mom is around to help pull me out of the rabbit hole before I get to a bad place in my thoughts.
Another con of quarantine? The restlessness. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels it. Being stuck inside all day tends to make my skin buzz with energy—like I need to get out and go to the nearest shop and buy clothes or books until I’m broke. Our house has an amazing backyard that’s huge with three big trees that allows Ginger, my twelve-year-old ball of energy lab, to run around to her heart’s content. Mom and I try to sit out on our back porch as much as possible, enjoying the breeze and listening to the cars go by (we live next to a busy street, unfortunately). Sometimes I’ll just sit there and watch Ginger run around or chase bugs that fly up in her face. I think, in a past life maybe, she was a frog because she jumps and bites at the air like it’s no one’s business. Going on evening walks, though sometimes I don’t feel like it in part because of my depression, has helped a lot with the buzzing I feel under my skin or the tightness in my chest, but I wish we could actually go somewhere. Like to one of our downtown stores or to JCPenney and CATO.
Fun Fact: He sniffles and snores when he’s asleep.
I think the only one who’s truly enjoying the quarantine the most is my cat Cinnamon. He’s constantly yowling at us to feed him when his food bowl starts to get too low or he sees the bottom of his bowl. He’ll follow me around the house and curl up next to me or on me when I’m trying to work. Like now, for instance, he’s currently asleep with his head buried in the blanket by my feet.
On a lighter note, I have to say that while I haven’t been able to get much writing done this past weekend, I did accomplish a lot during that time.
Created this website from scratch and learned how to use it properly (or semi-properly since I’m still learning how to do certain things but that’s beside the point),
Made a Facebook page and account, a Twitter account, an Instagram account, and a Goodreads account for my author pen name,
Wrote two blog posts and planning on writing a third to be scheduled to post later this week,
Worked on a few posts for my different social media accounts,
Signed a contract with an editing company, and
Promoted my unpublished book.
As my mom keeps telling me, that’s a lot to do in two short days that feel much longer than they actually are. I’m proud of what I managed to accomplish in those few days.
Right now, my goal is to continue to work on promoting A Stream of Darkness and creating an author logo and brand for my website and accounts. I also hope to self-publish my poetry collection that’s been edited and revised soon, and I plan to continue to write on the second book of the Crymsen Crescent series this week. Sounds like a couple of big goals, but I hope to have them finished before next week.
What have you been doing during quarantine? Let me know in the comments below!
Have a great day and stay safe out there!
