The Pandemic to an Introvert

I remember earlier in February 2020 I was constantly on the internet looking for friends online. I messaged a couple of people I have missed talking to and reconnected with a couple of online friends I made the past year. I wasn't feeling lonely but it felt right to reconnect with people I lost touch with. On the other hand, I wanted to get a lot of things done in 2020 - a couple of them I did. I've managed to invest in myself that year and boy was I proud.

Jumping to June 2021, I have left my previous job to rest and work on my skills. I have managed to put up my website because why not. I've been trying to put this up for more than a year or so and I have used up more money than I should have. More than a year into the pandemic, here are some things I realized as an introvert.

I enjoy being a homebody but I do enjoy the company of other people.

Even though I can live with myself without talking for weeks and weeks, I realized that even a little bit of interaction from people other than my family gave me a bit of comfort. Just knowing that they are safe and doing okay gives me something to look forward to. I may not be the type to want to hang out with friends all the time, but just knowing they are alive and well makes me grateful.

As someone working from home, it's a conscious effort to see through the lens of other people.

One of the pitfalls of working from home is being desensitized to the plight and struggle of other people, especially during these hard times. I honestly constantly need to make myself aware of the life outside for people who don't have homes or for those who cannot afford healthcare. Taking action is also another thing. It kind of feels odd and impersonal to donate money online but it seems to be the best course of action with the virus(es) still around.

Social media is a source of entertainment and is also a bore.

It might be one of the most understandable things to do during this pandemic is to go to social media and connect with people. Posting texts and pictures might give a little bit of hope and lighten up the mood for some of us. Personally, having to scroll down and check everything on social media makes a lot of topics muddled. Sure, there are discourses out there that do make sense and give you a bit of a glimpse of what the general population thinks, but lately, it has been much more fulfilling to read articles and books that provide the mind with mental models to navigate these difficult times.

Living constantly with myself opened avenues for reflection.

Since I already enjoyed working from home and being in silence for long periods of time, with all of the adjustments being done in the world, it has given me more time and venue to think about the things that most matter to me. Living and going back to my parents also gave me a different perspective on parenting and parent-child relationships. Being with my family for long periods of time gave me more patience in talking and socializing with people but also gave me the strength to set my boundaries and be respected by them. The constant reflection and adjustments gave me the freedom to decide on who I am and where I want to go. And I'm quite sure I do them for myself as to not dilute my motivations and my individualism.

This is the perfect time to reconsider your goals and maximize your potential.

With the world "paused," this is the best time to think about what you need to do in life. For a number of people I know, resigning from their long term jobs was the best decision. They were faced with the truth about their jobs and decided to pursue a more meaningful career choice. For some of us this is possible, for others not so. For me I realized that this is definitely the best time to max out and take advantage of the time to work on myself and get a grip of what I want to do in the short term especially now where it's hard to recognize our daily wins.