2020 has been one of the scariest, most annoying, and uncertain rides our lifetime. With mask regulations and isolation restrictions, most of us being in quarantine is a new experience that can impact our mental health and emotional well-being. We’ve never known a life of strictly working from home, only going out for groceries, and not being able to visit friends or family. Every day begins to feel like Groundhog Day. Keep reading to discover 5 reasons you may feel like you are going crazy this year.
The “oh no I forgot my mask”
It’s time to go to the grocery store. Phone? Got it. Wallet? Got it. Keys? In your hand. You walk out, start your car, and you pull into the grocery store. Then, it hits you: the worst feeling. You forgot your mask. You scramble around your car trying to find an extra, but there’s no luck; you need to turn around and go back. All that time driving, wasted.
One of the most stressful and annoying parts about being stuck in the pandemic is the constant need to carry around your mask. When you forget it, you literally can’t do ANYTHING. Unlike not having your wallet, or your keys, without a mask in this day and age you can’t go anywhere. Some public outdoor spaces even require that you wear it 24/7. Forgetting your mask is one of the worst and most stressful situations to be in.
Workout programs feel virtually impossible
Working out is a crucial part of daily life for so many people (and CBD helps many supercharge their routine). At the beginning of the pandemic (especially in colder areas), it was nearly impossible for gym fanatics to continue with their workout programs. Working out releases chemicals in your body that make you feel better about yourself and reduce your anxiety. Being unable to continue with your workout program can drive you insane.
For people living in cities or apartments this is a very big problem. Yes, yoga and small close-quarter exercises are possible, but other than that, you can’t do much more. After a while, being trapped in a small, 800 square foot area starts to get the best of your mind and body.
Even if you have to time to head to the gym and get a quick lift session in, there is always the uncertainty that you won’t get a spot! Many workout facilities have restrictions on how many people can be in the building and use the equipment. These places are also first come first served. Like the mask issue, if you drive all the way to your local gym and realized its packed, then you miss out that day.
Quarantine Meals
Everyone who is a student or was forced to travel this year understands the struggle of quarantine meals. You have probably seen in numerous TikTok or Instagram videos that COVID-19 has impacted the way we travel or interact with people, but with that also came the dreaded 1- or 2-week quarantine. During your isolation period, most colleges, hotels, or places of work will deliver food to you so that you don’t leave your room. From the outside, it may look nice, relaxing even, having meals delivered to you, but it is actually a world of sad and disappointing food.
In a recent TikTok video, one student made vlogs about all the meals that she received to her dorm room. They were clearly subpar, they looked anything but appetizing. Her breakfast meal contained warm grape juice, an unripe orange, and even a “mystery” vegan muffin. Now this wasn’t just a one-time issue, this occurred daily, with thousands of other people receiving mystery meal items.
In addition to the mystery foods provided, more profound issues occurred. At numerous schools across the country, students missed their deliveries. People who were supposed to come around at appropriate times to deliver bag meals never showed. So many students nationwide were going hours, even days without meals to eat. No wonder students went crazy, they were super “hangry” all the time!
Provided meals are a big issue, but everyone working from home understands the feeling of eating at odd hours of the day. Whether you are working on a project for your boss or you wake up at the crack of noon, so many of us can relate to the “oh I should probably make something to eat” at 3PM. This then leads us in a very ineffective cycle of eating random things (does a bag of chips count as lunch?) at the most random times of the day, which gets us moody, stressed, and out of our daily rhythm.
The Social Media Rabbit Hole
Ahhh, yes. Social media. Researchers have only begun to tap into the social media effect on our moods and personalities. Since 2019, there has been a 9.2% increase in social media usage across the world. Picking up your phone, opening Instagram, and scrolling for seconds, minutes, or even hours has turned into such a subconscious thing to do. Average screen time has increased astronomically, and this has only resulted in individuals feeling more lonely, depressed, and anxious than ever before.
Think about it: if you are stuck at home and you have nothing to do, what do you grab? A book? Knitting tools? No, you grab your phone, tablet, or laptop.
This has led to so many of us becoming disconnected from our families who are right there in the house with us. For some of us who live alone, social media may be a great thing! Your connection and outreach to your family has never been stronger, but for most of the population that is not the case.
You don’t sit down and have discussions with your family like you used to, you just go online instead. You scroll through social media and come across negative news, unachievable body types, and just a constant overload of information. More information is not always better, sometimes ignorance is bliss; especially if it is affecting your mental health.
Finding a daily routine that works
One of the hardest things for many people to adapt to was finding a daily routine that worked for them. For many people, especially young adults and blue-collar workers, this was extremely difficult. You become so used to filling in every time slot of your day that involves either work, fitness, cooking, cleaning, bringing the kids to school, etc., that when it is all put out of balance you don’t know what to do with yourself. When you work from home and spend most of your day there, it can lead to unproductivity and lack of motivation.
From Wi-Fi issues to kids loudly screaming during a Zoom call, it is almost impossible to predict what will occur when you wake up in the morning. For many of us, this causes extreme anxiety and stress because you cannot plan these unexpected situations. You set a time to meet with your boss, but it turns out your 5-year-old took a marker to your wall instead. Situations like these and being confined to an area with your whole household is very difficult to deal with.
Everyone is going through their own unique struggles during the pandemic. Some people have issues up at school with isolation, while others are fighting a mental battle because they aren’t staying in shape. Obviously, there is no miracle solution, but it helps to take a step back and realize that you’re not the only one struggling. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed sometimes, as the situation clearly is unprecedented and challenging. It’s also perfectly okay to ask for help.
We can’t conclude this article without mentioning the calming benefits of CBD. Sure, they won’t magically solve all your problems, turn your kids into angels, your sad lunch into a 5-star meal, and sneak a mask into your pocket for you when you’re about to forget it, but our products can definitely help give you that “I’ve got this” feeling that we sometimes desperately need. Try adding our soothing CBD softgels to your routine for instance, and enjoy feeling calmer and more balanced.
