Brave New World

The apocalypse is trending.

The world changed overnight and with it, our sense of normalcy. Our habits and routines are disrupted. The rhythm of our pre-virus lives has been replaced by a million uncomfortable adjustments. You waffle between being completely checked out and being hyperaware of everything that’s different right now.

You’re not alone. As we collectively wonder how long do we have to do this, it seems we’re all coping in similar ways. Here’s an overview of trending behavior per a recent media analysis conducted from my couch.

Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism is giving human-like qualities to animals and objects. My dog agrees that it’s harmless. Watch Jimmy Fallon interview his golden retriever, who sounds weirdly like Drew Barrymore.

Au Naturel

With hair and nail salons excluded from essential services, rachetness is at an all-time high. Acrylic nails are growing out, and eyebrows are growing in. If ever there was a time to get back to your roots, it’s now. They’re going to show anyway.

Introspection

What’s left after you remove your normal distractions? YOU. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. When was the last time you hopped off the hamster wheel and looked around? Have you come to any conclusions or resolutions about yourself lately? Do you feel work on yourself, perhaps taking on…

Projects

I’ve started no less that four home and self-improvement projects that I have no intention of finishing. But with this time at home we feel compelled to do something, don’t we? To do those things we’ve been meaning to do if we only had the time. If starting a project makes you feel better, do it. Who cares what the eventual outcome is if it keeps your soul happy for now?

Zoning Out

The flip side of frantic activity is checking out completely. We can zone out from boredom or as a response to stress (when you just can’t get a minute alone). It’s all completely natural. But would you really care about Tiger King right now if you could leave the house? Are you losing sleep due to marathon binges? Are the kids online for unreasonable amounts of time? It’s fine—no one cares. Read more on why you don’t need to freak out about quarantine screen time.   

Localized sense of community

People are out in their neighborhoods, walking dogs, going for runs, and riding bikes. We’re checking on our friends, families, and neighbors. Just the other day my neighbor sent me a pic of a handwritten banana bread recipe, then left Crisco on her front step for me to pick up. This was the most wholesome experience of my life and I hope it never ends. Also, what’s with the banana bread?

Cloistering

Cloistering is the act of secluding yourself. Usually it’s just for monks and nuns. But as we’re forced into physical isolation, a feeling of emotional isolation can follow closely behind especially if you’re sheltering alone. You feel yourself pulling away from others. It becomes harder to interact as you slip deeper into silence. For those of us who hover on the line of introverted, this forced solitude can make it even hard do crawl out of our shells. It takes work for us to connect and, like any muscle, begins to atrophy with disuse. Cut us some slack if we don’t answer the phone.

Gratitude

Remember when we used to [insert social activity]? How much do you miss friends and family you haven’t seen in over a month? Do you swear you’ll go to the gym every day if it would only reopen? Oh, how absence make the heart grow fonder. I hope we’ve all learned an important lesson about being present in our everyday lives and enjoying the little things. 

Times are tough and things are weird. For once, we don’t have a quickie fix. We have to sit with this new normal, accept that we have no control, and pull from a deep well of resilience and optimism. We’ll learn many lessons about ourselves and our futures along the way. But the most important lesson is this:

Invest in liquor stores.