The Side Effects of Quarantine!
I thought long and hard before writing this blog. Oh hell, who am I kidding? Let’s just say it was another topic of discussion between one of my friends and myself. 20 days within quarantine ( which, I've respectively changed the name to war-rantine), I’m surprised we’re not talking about the texture of our walls. Who knew that going to work was a luxury? OHHHH how I miss the days of detecting calculus and carious lesions in digital x-rays. Sorry. Don’t mind me. I just had a moment! Back to the topic at hand. If you are like me, who’ve read four books so far, created plan A, B, C and D, completed the 2020 census, mastered the art of research, watched “Living Single” twice, and cleaned every inch of your living space; YOU HAVE HAD IT!
Today, I’ve realized how important some people are in my life. I’ve had about five hours to spare, so I made a list of them all.Yes. A whole list of names and their occupations. People who were once an option are now a necessity. For example, I only let one person do my facial. Her name is Tania. She is the sweetest, most caring, compassionate Esthetician I know. However, as desperate as I am right now, I’ll pay double just to get a quick fix from anyone who is half as good as Tania. People like my Esthetician, Waxer, local beauty supply store owner are literally little gods. They keep us alive in ways they don’t even know of. For them, I am thankful. I guess it’s true what they say, “You never know what you have until it’s gone”.
Looking back at 2019, It was a good year. Compared to the first 4 months of 2020; it was a phenomenal year. I’d love to press the restart button now. If you find it before me, please do me the honors. I had great plans for 2020. I really thought 2020 was going to be the best year thus far. In reverse, it’s just sucking the life out of us. The past few weeks have been “REAL” as the millennial’s say. I’ve seen the best and worst side of humans. I’m talking about people volunteering to help others in need to others fighting over toilet paper. Like really people? TOILET PAPER? I am judging you! Maybe that’s a side effect of quarantine.
Like any other vicious drug, this quarantine carries some side effects. Some unpleasant, unruly, bitter side effects. Here are a few I've discovered:
Boredom- This is by far the most universal, life threatening side effect of quarantine. It’s dangerous. Someone DM me last week saying they were hearing voices. VOICES? I will confess to you, that individual was BLOCKED.
Oversleep- This one hit me hard. As a matter of fact, this has taken over me by force. My normal has been compromised. So much so that I have no idea how I'll get back to normal. I used to be lucky if I can squeeze in six hours of sleep. Now, well, let me just keep the fact to myself. I’m too ashamed to share.
Not sleeping- We all can agree that this is a very stressful time for all of us. More so for some of us. Not knowing how long this pandemic will last, worrying about work, our businesses, our loved ones etc.. It’s no surprise that stress will rob us of our sleep.
Overeating- #GUILTY! I never knew food could be so comforting. The other day, I caught myself eating- JUST BECAUSE. I repented right away. This side effect can cause so many other side effects. Such as, gaining undesired weight, creating fatigue and laziness, and it can cause overall health issues. I’m warning you, BE MINDFUL.
Too much sex- Ok, go ahead and laugh. I am serious as a heart attack. I truly believe that after this, there will be an increase in birth rate.
Fear- is it me or everyone is a target? In Dental school, they teach you to treat every patient as if they are harmful. Therefore, having the right PPE on is essential. I feel like this is what I am experiencing now. When I step outside of my house, everyone has gloves and masks on. Oh, and let’s not forget the 6 feet apart rule. In addition to that, we all just fear that we are going to DIE. If we sneeze or cough, the thought of COVID-19 comes up. How long will it take to mentally heal from this virus?
Deprived of human connection- I don’t care how many meetings we do on zoom or live stream, it will never bridge the gap of human connection. Being able to touch, hold, kiss etc… is essential for human development. Phone calls and Facetimes are not enough.
Allow me to be completely honest with you, I suffer from at least 4 out of the 7 side effects. It’s almost impossible to not be a victim of one of the seven. Comment below let me know which ones you suffer from. Or if you have your own, let me know too. I encourage you to speak on it. And don’t forget to subscribe for more updates.
