Day 100: Is the Routine a Blessing or a Curse?
Day 100: July 4, 2020
Global Cases: 11, 372, 202; Deaths: 532, 864
Egypt Cases: 74, 035; Deaths: 3, 280
Mona Khalifa
Executive Assistant to the Chair of the Department of Law
The continuity of the pandemic is affecting my reactions day after day. I woke up this morning thinking that it is all a nightmare but instead faced the ugly reality. It is happening on and on. We are living the daily routines of our lives thinking that it will be over soon, but are we sure of that? If yes, when?
Being confined to a certain place, even if it’s your home, can trigger mixed feelings. I should stay home and yet have this nagging feeling that I need to go out. Not long ago, I wished I could stay home longer and rest. Well, this is it. Why is it weird now?
I get busy every day taking care of my long-neglected garden – that’s one positive aspect in the age of corona. I believe gardening provides mental health benefits. If you consider that gardening is to spend some time outside home, then gardening it is.
The act of gardening, taking care of the plants, waiting patiently for a plant to bloom, the afternoon breeze you long for in those hot days – it’s all refreshing. Well, for most of our lives we try to control things that we cannot. The more that we accept that we cannot do that to all things around us, the more we achieve peace of mind.
I have come to learn that there are things out there that we just cannot control. Practicing gardening has given me that. There are just some plants that you cannot bring to life even if it they were well taken good care of. This is not about giving up, it is about doing your best and letting go of the rest.
For The Caravan‘s previous diary entries in Arabic and English go to our COVID-19 Special Coverage page.
Can I enjoy the routine? Is it possible to reflect on something that you do every day for hundreds of days? Routine can diminish your feelings of an event. I am beginning to accept the new living circumstances, not because I like them, but because I can’t do anything else to revert this.
When things are imposed on you, one coping mechanism is start to reflect on them, like them, see the beauty in them. You start to like things that you never noticed had existed before.
Am I feeling bored during quarantine? Not at all. I have everything that can sustain my life. I go out once every wto weeks to attend to necessary things: bank, grocery store and pharmacy. It is truly amazing to wake up every morning to a life full of blessings.
