The pandemic has thrust the world into the throes of a collective traumatic experience, and some countries have handled the crisis better than others.
As difficult as it is to hear of the thousands of people dying each day and to feel frightened of the virus's economic impact, there are some positive stories to come out of isolation, believe it or not.
After Redditor GrootTheTree asked the online community, "What positive effects has the quarantine had for you?" people shared their stories, and it's nice to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel for many!
"I was burnt out..."
I was burnt out at work and with being social all the time. So spending quality time with myself has been great. On top of that, not having time to myself resulted in me not cooking my own meals and I've gained a bit of weight in the last year. I've been cooking my own healthy meals and going out for long bike rides. No idea if I have lost weight-I get obsessive over the scale. I have been living in sweats and leggings the last few years and decided it was time to put effort in how I look. I've started learning about how fashion works and sold/donated some of my clothes. My room was depression messy and I cleaned it right after my work shut down and have kept it clean since.
"My boss..."
My boss just said when he opens the office he's going to make it voluntary to work there (vs. Work from home), because everyone did such a great job working from home. Now everyone gets to pick full time from the office, full time from home, or split. So happy. :)
"I'm finally not exhausted."
GiphyI'm finally not exhausted. I've slept better than I have in years. I'm broke af, but at least I'm sleeping. Lol.
"I've been going..."
I've been going on daily walks in wooded areas, noticing things in nature I'd never paid attention to before.
"The quarantine..."
My wife has breast cancer, was pretty aggressive.
Was diagnosed back in August and finished chemo towards the beginning of the year. She has since undergone a few big surgeries (mastectomy/plastics/lipo/hysterectomy) and recovery since the quarantine started.
I'm a school teacher and had I been in school, I would've had to take a big pay cut (due to only having 4 sick days a year), gone on long term fmla, or quit. With the shut down, I've been able to be there for her, tell her how beautiful she is everyday, cook/clean, make sure kids are fed/active/engaged in activities/keep myself sane et al.
The quarantine could not have come at a better time and for all the hurt and death it is causing, our highly immuno-supressed family has been able to hold everything together through this.
"Due to my job..."
Due to my job, and the hours I work, I spend most of my time alone. There are days when the only people I see are the person who worked before me, and the one who works after me. But now my roommates work from home and I actually have people to talk to, and be around. I feel like it has been good for my mental health.
"It forced me..."
It forced me to change my business from catering big parties to serving carry-out dinners a few at a time. I made a decent living from catering, sure, but I'm making an absolute killing on these dinners and now I even get to take weekends off. Plus whenever large parties become a thing again, I will have introduced myself and my product to several hundred potential clients with a marketing expenditure of $7 - the cost of the sign I put by the side of the road that simply says DINNER.
"Oh man."
Oh man. So many positives. I bartend in a restaurant so I've been laid off and collecting unemployment and it's more money than I make in a week. I paid off my credit card debt, my carpal tunnel has healed, I have been drinking significantly less, quit smoking, I've been cooking more, saving money by not going out, I have a regular sleep schedule, I've been reading more, I've lost weight, I don't wear makeup anymore and my skin cleared up, I got a puppy and I've had all the time I need to train him, and so much more, this run on sentence could go on for hours. I think the best thing is realizing how important it is to make the most of time away from work and to establish a routine that doesn't revolve around a job.
"Loving..."
Loving not having the commute. I can wake up five minutes before work starts and I'm fine. And at five o' clock I'm instantly home.
"I'm still not convinced..."
I'm still not convinced it's positive, but I've probably gained about 10 lbs and have not made myself throw up since March 19th, the longest stretch I've gone in about 10 years.
My body feels so different and it feels like I have curves in pants that fell off my hips just a few months ago - terrified yet kinda proud of my new butt.
Do you have something to confess to George? Text "Secrets" or "
" to +1 (310) 299-9390 to talk to him about it.
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