There are two main ideas floating around right now about how people should view any newfound free time they might have because of this pandemic. The dilemma seems to be that you should either make the most of it or you should relax and be okay with not doing anything for a little while. What is most curious about both of these views is why many people think they are mutually exclusive.
We, The Index Editorial Board, believe doing a lot of things — exercising daily, writing papers, learning an instrument or other tangible activities — is not the only way to make the most of your time right now. Just because you didn’t “do” anything doesn’t mean you didn’t accomplish something.
An accomplishment does not have to be something that someone can see or touch. Happiness and good mental health are some of the greatest accomplishments and sometimes relaxing and not doing anything are exactly how we can attain those. In a recent article the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended meditation and good sleep for coping with stress and taking care of oneself.
This is not to say, however, that all you should do is meditate and sleep. We only recommend that you do whatever makes you feel happy right now. If you don’t know what that is, maybe this is a good time to try and figure out what makes you happy and sustains you. If you need some ideas, you can check out what we, The Index Editorial Board, are doing during this time!
While it can be easy to feel unfulfilled right now or like you haven’t accomplished much, remember that having something tangible to show for your time is not the most important thing. If the only thing you bring out of this situation is a healthy self, you’ve accomplished something.