I swear I’m the most stressful person in my life. Of course, I’ve already swanned my way through my Netflix watchlist in a blissful hail of unawareness.
Naturally, I also did the exact same to my Amazon Prime account. How was anybody supposed to know there would be a life-threatening pandemic?
If I’d known, I would have prepared.
Somehow, I would have restrained my urges to watch everything online. It would have been a difficult fight against myself, but I’m sure I would have prevailed. Although, now more than ever I’m starting to learn who I am, and this girl is difficult to vibe with.
Because trying to live with yourself on your own is difficult. There’s too little distractions, leaving yourself with too many thoughts.
For Christmas, I was given a ‘self-love manual’ which I hilariously left at home. So, now I’m being left to pan through all the quotes and tips on Pinterest to keep my mind from spinning. Because maybe if I think about myself nicely then my anxiety will cool it when I try to sleep.
Because sleeping is something that seems to almost be fictional now.
Trying to remember the last good night’s sleep I had seems very far away. For many of us, it will be difficult to. It’s hard to be at peace with yourself when there’s so much trouble going on outside your home.
For those who are in accommodation, the difficulties are relatable.
Keeping the nervous thoughts and ‘what if’s’ out of your head is hard. It’s made ten times harder when you don’t have your usual support network around you. Your family is nowhere near you, or your friends are naturally moving back home, and you’re left with yourself.
Hands up if your self is needing to take a chill pill and stop eating all your snacks.
The best advice that can be given is to breathe and maybe reflect. Maybe go through your photo albums and see everything good you experienced before being left alone with yourself. Get excited about everything you can do when this is all over.
Because now is the perfect time to think about what you want. Get excited by thinking of all the places you can go hang with your friends. Because when this is over, and it will eventually be over, the world will be waiting for you.
For now, we’re all stuck indoors without ourselves. So, let’s make the most of it. Watch all those films you’ve watched the trailers for, and use your student deal vouchers on every streaming service you can.
Listen to new albums so you don’t get sick of your favourite playlists. Read that book you’ve been using decoratively for the past hell knows how long. Spending time with yourself doesn’t have to be a hassle.
Because I’ve found out that me, myself and I are pretty funny. Take this time to focus on yourself. If the news is stressing you out, don’t feel guilty about tuning out.
Talk to your friends on messenger, lightly force them to call you and then laugh at their phone voices. Make plans for a Netflix streaming party and argue over what you’re all going to watch first.
Forgive yourself for being unprepared for this mentally, because you could have never seen it coming. No one could have predicted it. This is all new and there’s no shame in feeling a little lost and scared.
I’m going to start forgiving myself for selfishly watching 15 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy throughout the summer.
How I managed that, I’m starting to understand.
Deputy Editor of Brig Newspaper. Fourth year journalism and English student at the University of Stirling. Lover of covering social issues and creator of 'The Talk' column for everyone who needs to hear it.
