You have probably seen it on your social media feed: people doing amazing things during the pandemic. Your friend learned to bake bread, your cousin has been working out everyday and lost 15 lbs already, your coworker is cleaning their house and organizing everything… Some people can work on projects like this during the pandemic but others can’t. It is unfair for you to compare yourself to others. To expect yourself to produce and create like someone else. You might be fighting for survival everyday, just trying to make it to the next one. Should we expect you do also create art, work from home, take care of your kids, mow the lawn, and start a massive project if all you can do is lay in bed and try not to feel overwhelmed and paralyzed? No. It’s not fair and it’s not realistic. Be kind to yourself, now more than ever. You aren’t being lazy or worthless— you are doing what YOU need to .
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs helps break down the different levels we each have. Basic needs need to be met (water, shelter, sleep, safety) before we can hope to improve/grow in any other category. For many of us during this pandemic, we don’t know if we will be able to pay our bills, get enough food, sleep through the night, survive to the next day…. So it is unfair to expect you to be getting these higher level needs met when you don’t even have the basic ones. Please be kind to each other. Be kinds to those who are just struggling to make it through each day. Be kind to yourself because you are doing your best.