Stop Equating Productivity to Worth

10 things I wish someone had told me in quarantine, and a reminder to be nice to yourself.

Listen up, fellow 3-coffee-a-day hustlers turned lazy folk. You’re not less of a person for not living up to ideals you see on social media, especially during a global crisis.

I get it. It’s hard not to feel like your personal progress is ruined when you're separated from friends you rely on to hype you up, living back under your parents’ roof, and struggling to get out of bed to work from home.

Say it with me, “I am still a bad bitch in sweats.” Or in no pants, surrounded by everything bagel crumbs.

Ignore everyone who says routines are a must.

No one has gone through this before, so there’s absolutely no right way to deal with it. Everyone is trying to get through the day as best as they can.

A solid routine works for you? Fabulous. Gone completely nocturnal and your screen time is up to 12 hours a day? That’s okay too.

Do you really think now is the time to get a 6-pack?

This is a big one. I haven’t felt this negative about my body since high school, and I’m sick of social media feeling like fat camp.

I appreciate legitimate, educated fitness gurus sharing their knowledge on the internet, but I can’t be the only one shouting at the trainer or crying halfway through an online workout video. They can’t hear me anyway, right?

It’s okay if some days you eat Oreos for breakfast and watch Netflix all day.

Hi, FBI agent: I know I did a Chloe Ting workout yesterday even though she scares me. That doesn't mean I'm changing my whole lifestyle.

Today, I am still scared of Ms. Ting, not planning on moving, and would prefer to eat my third midnight snack and read Twitter arguments without a feed full of healthy living ads.

Give Charlie D’Amelio her damn job back.

Shout out to college students who are spending more time on TikTok or just getting into it since the pandemic. If spending hours learning dances is how you want to get your mind off the dumpster fire that is 2020, great! But please don't stoop to comparing yourself to 15-year-olds when you KNOW you are capable of so much more.

Blink and you’ll miss a trend – you're not old, the internet is just doing its thing.

Three days ago, I was searching my house for something to squeeze out mini-pancake cereal. Today, apparently the internet has moved on to mini-cookie cereal? Back in my day, we called it Cookie Crisp.

I promise you aren’t the only one without a cool new hobby.

With more free time than ever, it’s easy to feel like you need to master bread baking or cutting your own hair. Do not beat yourself up if all you do in this period is finish The Office for the sixth time.

Also, not giving yourself bangs is probably a plus in the long run.

Scream.

Seriously, just open your window and do it. You’ll feel better. No one will question it. We’re all feeling the same way.

Stop hating on your family.

People who have weekly themed family dinners… how?

To everyone else, you’re normal for being sick of your family. I know as a young citizen of America, it’s my job to have conversations with my parents about the State of The World and Basic Human Rights, but next time someone brings up politics my house might explode.

Try your best to cut your family a little slack in general though, they’re all itching to see people other than you too.

Quarantine is not an episode of Queer Eye.

You don’t have to reinvent yourself in your new-found downtime.

Pool parties are looking less and less like a safe possibility this year, so don’t worry about how you look in your bathing suit – it’s about time we forgot “bikini body” standards for good anyway. But if you’ve always wanted to try dying your hair or shaving it off, why not experiment when you can’t go out?

Zoom Happy Hours are not a nightly requirement.

If it feels like you’re watching endless stories of Zoom-cheers boomerangs while your only company is your 2013 One Direction poster, I promise you’re not alone. This is your reminder to call your friends. They definitely miss you just as much as you miss them.

If you’re one of the people invited to a different Zoom event every other night, you are allowed to say no! You’re allowed to take a break from e-socializing for some genuine alone time.

We are in possibly the only period in history where drinking alone at home is encouraged, are you really going to pass that up?