At this point, we’ve all been living in a coronavirus world for more than five months. That’s almost half a year lost to a terrifying and depressing pandemic limbo.
Some of us seem intent on returning to our normal lives, but what we have now is still so far away from normal. Plenty of people are working from home for the forseeable future; every day seems to bring news of another canceled event, and parents are playing guessing games when it comes to school reopenings. Oh, and don’t forget: Cases are still on the rise.
Even if you or your loved ones are lucky enough to have avoided the worst of the virus, you’ve probably still had to shelter in place, upend your routines and deal with all kinds of uncertainty, all while keeping yourself occupied, sane and as safe as possible. And let’s face it, there are definitely some things we’ve all gone through. Hopefully this checklist will make you feel a little less alone.
To keep busy
__ Bought something unnecessary because you were bored and you saw it online
__ Made a TikTok account
__ Actually learned a TikTok dance
__ Felt very old after learning a TikTok dance
__ Rewatched at least one of your favorite shows
__ Binged a new show
__ Finished a puzzle
__ Completed a craft project
__ Got a pet
__ Came to a new understanding of yourself with all of those “which ____ are you” memes
__ Participated in some kind of challenge online or in one of those vintage email chains
__ Went to a drive-in movie or concert
__ Attended a virtual museum, play or festival
__ Baked bread
__ Baked anything
__ Attempted to be good at cooking
__ Actually got kind of good at cooking
__ Grew something in your garden
__ Joined a (virtual) book club
__ Took a socially-distanced road trip
__ Went camping, because who needs people and crowds and civilization anyway?
__ Visited a national park
__ Booked an Airbnb getaway
To (attempt to) stay healthy
__ Streamed an online workout
__ Bought a Peloton or some other (way less expensive) piece of at-home workout equipment
__ Became an expert on the best walking routes in your neighborhood
__ Went on a long drive just to feel something
__ Wore the same clothes a few days in a row
__ Gained weight
__ Lost weight
__ Struggled with an online doctor’s appointment
__ Found a therapist
__ Started journaling
__ Learned how to cut your own hair (or just let it grow and grow and … )
__ Grew a quarantine beard
__ Gave yourself a pedicure
__ Invested in skincare products (aka, the much more pleasant kind of face mask)
__ Googled flights to fantasize about vacations you’ll take whenever this ends
To master that stay-at-home life
__ Wore pajamas to work
__ Left your video conference call un-muted on accident
__ Had your pet or kid crash a work call
__ Invested in a standing desk, second screen or some other tech necessity
__ Got disconnected from your WiFi (and had a completely understandable panic attack)
__ Learned proper Slack etiquette
__ Felt completely out of the loop with the whole WFH thing, because your job definitely can’t be done remotely
To be social … kind of
__ Canceled or rescheduled a big life event
__ Moved out of your place, possibly back to your parents’ or some other more cost-effective situation
__ Formed a “quaranteam”
__ Organized weekly video call hangouts with friends and family
__ Still haven’t gotten tired of weekly video call hangouts with friends and family
__ Got tipsy alone in your room during a virtual happy hour
__ Committed to never judge someone who’s gotten tipsy alone in their room during a virtual happy hour
__ Played Jackbox Games or some other multi-player party game
__ Participated in a “PowerPoint party” (popularized by teens, who seem to have no PowerPoint-associated trauma like the rest of us)
__ Celebrated a quarantine birthday
__ Did a social distancing hangout in someone’s yard, roof or cul-de-sac
__ Got in a fight with a friend or family member (because everyone’s on their own emotional rollercoaster right now)
__ Went on a FaceTime date
__ Fell in love despite it all
__ Broke up with someone, because 24/7 with a significant other just proved to be too much
To try and process it all
__ “Doomscrolled”
__ Purchased way too many cleaning products
__ Wiped down all your groceries (PS: Experts say there’s no need to do it anymore)
__ Sanitized all your packages
__ Forgot your mask when leaving the house
__ Invested in cute masks after realizing you’ll need them for a long time and, after all, they’re now kind of a fashion statement
__ Argued with someone over their thoughts on coronavirus guidelines
__ Cried for no reason
__ Googled coronavirus symptoms a time or two … or ten
__ Actually got a coronavirus test
