By: Komal Gulati
Twenty-twenty has been a tough year for all of us in as many different ways. At times, it has been isolating, disheartening, depressing, anxiety-inducing, never-ending and just plain awful. But like all other trials and tribulations throughout human history, we find ways to get through it, provided we have been fortunate enough to remain in good health.
I am grateful to report that thus far, staying at home as much as humanly possible, masking up when outside the home, social distancing, and sanitizing diligently has kept me physically healthy enough to focus more on keeping myself mentally healthy. I’ll admit that like most people, it hasn’t been easy for me either, especially while dealing with the stressors of being in my second year of medical school. But for better or worse, we are the generation that has an endless supply of activities to keep us busy – from bottomless scrolling on TikTok to DIY projects on Pinterest, and from binge-worthy new shows on Netflix to all of the Zoom calls and classes in between. Here are some of the new skills and old habits that have kept me going, even on some of my toughest days:
Staying Tidy
I’m not necessarily a morning person, but I am one of those people who makes their bed every morning. It helps me feel like I still have some semblance of a routine and provides me with that burst of accomplishment that comes from finishing your first task of the day. Later, when I come back to a clean bed after a long day of classes, there’s no better feeling than ruffling the sheets again and getting cozy. In fact, research from the National Sleep Foundation says that people who make their beds in the morning tend to get better rest at night because they are falling asleep in a tidy, organized bedroom. If that’s not enough, take it from William McCraven, former Navy SEAL and author of “Make Your Bed: Little Things Can Change Your Life…and Maybe the World”:
“If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day…It will give you a small sense of pride…And by the end of the day that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed…And if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made — that you made.”
Cooking & Baking
They say this has been the year of the bread. In an unexpected pandemic-related twist, yeast has been in scarce supply across the U.S. because so many home bakers are becoming reacquainted with their ovens. While bread-baking is a skill I intend to but have not yet acquired, I have learned how to cook this year and I can honestly say it has been my biggest accomplishment of 2020. For nearly all of my twenty-four-year life, I saw my mom and my mom’s mom as the kitchen heroes they are. I marveled at the way they never needed recipes and knew exactly what blend of spices would compliment each other without any measuring devices. I thought it was one of those mom genes that just skipped a generation and I was happy to stick to my boxed cereals and occasional grilled cheeses. But throughout this year, I’ve acquired my own repertoire of dishes and an understanding of various spices and ingredients. I’ve experimented with Indian dishes (like butter chicken, arguably the #1 food of my people), Thai curries, Italian pastas, Mexican chilaquiles, and the French Au gratin, to name a few. And I’ve really come to enjoy the process. While I have a ways to go before I can lay claim to my mom’s level of culinary finesse, I’m happy to continue quarantine cooking.
Staying Social (While 6 Feet Apart)
It is well known that human beings are social creatures. So when we were forced into quarantine in March, while some of our introverted selves thrived, many others struggled to cope with the isolation. I struck a balance somewhere in between – loving the work-from-home life of a med student, while being in constant touch with my closest friends and family, often through Zoom or FaceTime. Knowing that I had them, whether virtually or in person, kept me sane, more than I can say.
Binge-watching
This one goes without saying. At any given moment, you’d be making a safe bet to say that I’m probably rewatching The Office, Schitt’s Creek, or New Girl if I’m not binge-watching something new. Regarding the former, there is something so comforting in the nostalgia of rewatching old shows. For all the 90s kids out there now on the hamster wheel of higher education or corporate America, I recently watched the Even Stevens again, (yes, as in early 2000s Disney Channel) and I was shocked to find that it is still just as much fun to watch. It fulfills that craving you might occasionally get for a simpler, less technological time.
Unplugging all except TikTok
Several years ago, I removed the Facebook app from my phone. At the end of 2019, I removed Instagram from my phone. Though my accounts still exist, I’ve been unplugged from social media almost entirely, and truthfully, I haven’t looked back. Initially, I got rid of the apps as temporary mental health measures. But I realized I truly didn’t miss much without them. If I ever did attempt to go back – for example, to check a specific invitation or post when prompted by a friend – it felt as if I was relapsing on a former addiction. I found myself scrolling and passing mental judgements on the political conversations or life choices I saw others making on the internet (whether good or bad) that I could just simply live without. I felt noticeably better when I wasn’t hooked. TikTok, on the other hand, has proven to be a significant source of laughter and surprising source of learning (especially for recipes and DIY projects) for me over the past few months and one that I am happily hooked on, at least for now.
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Komal Gulati is a medical student at Temple University and an advocate for mental health with NAMIPhilly and Medical Minds Matter, Inc. Her writing has appeared in Scientific American, KevinMD, Temple Health Magazine, and the NeuroLeadership Institute’s ‘Your Brain at Work’ blog. She is always open to collaborating with new people and looks forward to connecting via LinkedIn.
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Posted on November 30th, 2020. Follow us on Instagram at (@medical.minds.matter).
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