COVID-19 restrictions are something that leave us all a little weary on what’s right and wrong. Somehow, everything still seems just a liiiiittle bit illegal, doesn’t it? Here in Alberta, our restrictions are strict. However, we are sitting at a 9.2% positivity rate in the entire province – which means we have higher positive case numbers than Ontario, who in fact have a whopping 10 MILLION more people than we do. So perhaps our restrictions aren’t quite strict enough.
Remember back in March when we would sanitize our groceries before even walking in the front door, latch onto the people we were closest with via FaceTime and Zoom, and go insane from the most solitude we had ever experienced in a lifetime? I have been thinking looong and hard about those days and considering how I personally have acted in the recent ones. Truth be told, I’m no saint, and neither are you sweetheart. Why? Because we CRAVE human interaction, we need it. We want to be touched, held, loved. We want to give love! It’s human nature, right down to the core. 10 months of solitude is near impossible, especially if you are not blessed to be living in a home with your spouse, children or parents.
I’m here to tell you that it is OKAY that you are failing at following these rules. If in fact, you are doing it safely. A walk with a friend, 6 feet apart? One or two of your closest friends that collectively agree you are your only “others” of your household? Picking up extra shifts at work (if you even can) to feel extra social when you can’t see anyone? OF COURSE YOU CAN DO THIS. There are ways around all of these twisty dark days, you just need to be imaginative.
What is not okay? House parties. Gatherings. Multiple different people in your life that see others as well. 15 people at your birthday party in a restaurant where you do nothing but hop between tables. I. Can. Go. On. PEOPLE!! We know this is hard, we know it is not easy to follow these rules… But they will not stop until we take a step back and really (and I mean REALLY) push ourselves to learn how to spend time alone.
In the last (almost) year, I have begun an extensively long list of “to-dos” and goals that I wanted to achieve in 2020. I figured, what better time than now?? I began journalling extensively, I revised my career choices, I looked at my true desires, found the quality of life that I only thought I could dream of living… and I began working toward all of these things. (Survival Guide coming soon)
The rules may be scary, they may seem damned near impossible. We all wish that we could be like New Zealand, mask-free and recklessly dancing at a music festival. One day that will happen. But unfortunately with the “lax” restrictions Canada has imposed, it will take a hell of a lot longer. Do yourself (and everyone around you) justice and spend more time with yourself, try to care about those that you don’t even know, and do every thing that you can to follow the rules. This pandemic ain’t goin’ nowhere. You are capable of doing it because you already did it back in March. Just hold tight. You’ve got this. We all do.
Neesh Media 