10 Reasons Why We Hate the Quarantine

“I can’t wait for this to be over so everything can go back to normal.”

 It’s what everyone is saying. They’re tired of waiting in line to get into a store. Tired of fighting for Lysol spray and Clorox wipes. Tired of wearing a mask in public. Tired of being in the house. 

They would much rather things go back to normal so they can get manicures, pedicures, wash and sets and haircuts, shape ups for the men. Boozy brunches and after work happy hours with friends are deeply longed for. Any social interaction that doesn’t include Zoom or FaceTime.

Unfortunately, this is the new normal. 

Those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to work from home, have been inside since the beginning of March, only leaving if necessary. I don’t think any of us knew that staying inside could be as draining and dreadful as it has been. There seems to be nothing to do, but to eat, sleep, and watch Netflix. But after 2 months, even that seems to have gotten old. It seems as if we can’t sleep anymore because our sleeping habits are disrupted, we watched everything there is to watch on Netflix and Hulu, and we’re all snacked out. We are bored. 

Truthfully, we hate the quarantine, but it feels like the way we feel towards the quarantine stems deeper than our boredom, our overeating, our oversleeping and not being able to watch the NBA playoffs. 

This pandemic has disrupted our regular lives so much and it has had adverse effects on our spiritual lives, our social lives, our emotions, and mental and physical health. We are rightfully fearful of a virus that has proven to be deadly and our government has done absolutely nothing to calm our fears. 

We’re miserable and we can’t seem to figure out why. I’ve theorized several reasons why I and any other normal person would hate the quarantine. They’re all pretty logical, some are simple and others are complex, but they may explain what you’re feeling and experiencing. 

Reason #1: We haven’t been getting enough sunlight. This seems really frivolous but sunlight is thought to boost serotonin levels, a hormone the brain releases that is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused. When we aren’t getting a lot of sunlight, our brains are not releasing as much serotonin and decreased levels of serotonin may lead to depression. So if you’re normally a chipper person but you’ve begun to feel depressed and miserable, this could be a reason. Make sure that you get out of the house for at least 15 minutes a day for your daily dose of sunlight. 

Reason #2: There’s absolutely nothing to look forward to. This is an important and complex one. It is basically a cornerstone for some of the reasons that will follow. Before the stay at home order was placed, I had a list of birthday brunches, a concert, and Broccoli City Music Festival to look forward to. Today, the birthdays have passed, the concert I had been excited for, was canceled, and Broccoli City Music Festival has been postponed, but will likely be canceled as well. The things we looked forward to and planned outfits for are no longer. Our calendars are empty with no big events that bring us joy and that has definitely put a damper on our lives. 

Reason #3: We have no form of escapism. Escapism is the tendency to seek distraction or relief from unpleasant realities. Unfortunately, the quarantine has forced us to face the not so good parts of our lives that we could usually temporarily avoid. Work problems, home problems, even internal conflict. Happy hour was one of the greatest escapes. After work, cheap cocktails with friends to get a good buzz and forget about our problems and work and home. Sports could also be classified as escapism. Getting lost in a good game was a pleasantry afforded to us by extremely athletic and talented people. Since most leagues paused their seasons, there are no games to look forward to, and nothing to immerse ourselves in, to distract us from the ongoings of our lives that we would like to avoid for just a while. 

Reason #4: Our freedom is slightly compromised. I’m not saying that our freedom has been completely revoked. We’re simply confined to our homes for an indefinite amount of time. Outside, there are some rules that affect certain freedoms. We have to wait in line to get into certain stores, we can only buy 1 can of Lysol and 1 pack of toilet tissue. We can’t go into certain stores without face masks (to be fair I don’t even leave my house without one). As humans, we don’t like being told what to do, where to stand, or how much stuff we can buy at a time. It’s truly an inconvenience but it is an inconvenience that is temporary and for our safety. 

Reason #5: The people we are quarantined with. Okay, most of us are quarantined with family and loved ones but let’s face it, our loved ones can be just a tad bit annoying sometimes. There have been mood swings, attitudes, and temper tantrums. I’m quarantined with a potty training toddler and a third grader who likes Call of Duty more than he likes to do his homework. Anybody else who is quarantined with children under 10, knows my struggle. Other than that, the quarantine has been ending relationships and ending marriages. Definitive proof that we do not know the people we are quarantined with, as well as we thought we did. The quarantine is giving us a chance to truly get to know the people we are with. Sadly Some of us don’t like what we’re discovering. Two months of quarantine is exposing every truth and every unsuitable situationship. A lot of couples have not and will not make it out of the 2020 pandemic. 

Reason #6: The people we aren’t quarantined with. Humans are naturally social beings. We have best friends, close friends, associates, acquaintances, we even smile at strangers if we’re feeling nice. With less social interactions with people we want to interact with, we feel the quarantine a little bit more. We’re miserable because we miss our friends. I miss my friends! The last time I saw my friends was the first and second weekend of March. One night out and a baby shower. We had fun, shared laughs, had a few drinks, the fundamentals of every friendship. I would do anything to just hang out with them for a few hours or even hug them! Everybody has been socializing through Zoom and having virtual brunch, virtual happy hour, but it simply does not compare. 

Reason #7: We are uncomfortable with being ugly. While we are quarantined, the hair salons are closed, the nail salons are closed, the spas are closed. Without our traditional beauty services, we are left in our natural state. To put it nicely, it’s not pretty. Some of us like to be well groomed, polished, and pristine at all times and some of us need it. Our image of self can be warped at times. Sometimes we attach too much value on these outside things so getting our nails done or our hair done makes us feel better about ourselves. Society also plays a huge part in us wanting to look beautiful or perform beauty at all times. So much so that we are devastated by being in the house and unable to get any beauty services at all. Even though no one but our family and loved ones will see us because we are in the house. 

Reason #8: We’re afraid of getting fat. New Year's Resolutions are usually to lose some weight and start going to the gym more. If anybody was following their resolutions, the gyms probably closed around the time they began to see progress. Gym equipment is expensive, not to mention most affordable gear and equipment sold out the first couple of weeks after the stay at home order. People are so afraid of gaining weight. We’re forcing ourselves to workout when gaining weight is likely inevitable because we’re less active than before. We’re eating a lot. We’re going to the fridge every 20 minutes because we’re bored. It’s bound to happen, gaining weight does not make you unattractive and it’s natural. Your weight will fluctuate due to hormones, stress levels, bloating. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. 

Reason #9: Our complicated relationship with death has become more complicated. Death is one of the biggest uncertainties, if not the biggest, in our lives. It remains a mystery to us because those who die, do not get to tell the tale of their experience. Death leaves us to grieve which is an extensive process. These days, it seems like we can’t turn on the news without seeing how many COVID related deaths there have been. Everyday the numbers grow larger and larger. More people are being affected by COVID-19 and more people are dying from it. People are losing loved ones but the news only acknowledges them as just another number. There has not been a national memorial recognizing the humanity of those who lost their lives to COVID-19 and the negligence of the government. The bereaved have not been able to go through the traditional ceremonies that proceed death. We can’t comfort our friends who lose their family the way we usually would. It’s heartbreaking. Not only that, but COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting black people, young and old. People that were otherwise healthy have been dying from this virus. Our fears of death are rightfully exacerbated and it will be difficult to get closure from sudden and unexpected deaths. I send love and my deepest condolences to those who have lost family or friends to COVID-19. Their existence was much more than a statistic during this pandemic. To those who are currently battling COVID, I will continue to pray for your health. For those who have not been affected and who are immunocompromised, I will pray for your safety and well-being.

Reason #10: We’re not sure what the future may bring. Unfortunately, we don’t know what tomorrow looks like. The fear of the unknown can be crippling and debilitating. Personally, the quarantine and the state of this country has me stricken with anxiety. I’m usually anxious about my future. Now the uncertainty of America’s future, which directly affects mine has caused me to be even more anxious about the future as a whole. Some people are out of work. A lot of us don’t know if we’ll go back to a job, or if we’ll be able to get a new job when this is over. We don’t know how this pandemic will end and the after effects of it. We do know that the unemployment rate is rising increasingly. We know that businesses, big and small, are losing money. A recession is likely on the horizon, which is a threat to all of us. The state of our country is in peril and thinking about it everyday and seeing the proof of that peril everyday is depressing. We don’t know if a vaccine will be available by the end of the year. We don’t know what changes will go into effect after this is over, but we do know that there will be changes. The world as we knew it ceased to exist the day this quarantine began. However, it is my belief that all of these old, inadequate systems and these old ways of life will pass away and a better, more efficient, and safer way of living will come to pass. 

It’s true that this isn’t normal. We should be able to enjoy life, like we have been. However, we should be able to preserve life as well. Staying inside preserves your life and it stops the spread. The summer is coming, but COVID-19 isn’t going to go away because of nice weather. If anything, the nice weather will cause the virus to spread like wildfire. Stay safe, keep taking safety precautions, stay inside until it’s all over. 

I would like to add, find a way to bring a little joy to your day, everyday. Make a list of all the things you love and that brings you joy. Think about those things when you feel like you’re beginning to feel unhappy. Staying afloat the joy boat is imperative during these times.