Whilst we continue living our lives during this pandemic it becomes more and more challenging to keep our sanity intact. Or at least balancing on that fragile line between going fully berserk and keeping the appearance of normality in our behaviours.
As grown ups it is reasonable to think with all seriousness about the entire situation and worry and plan and find solutions and take care of the others and provide for the bare necessities at least and perform at our jobs and still seem to be in control and balanced somehow.
Oh, my God, the pressure!
Kudos to the ones who are able to do so naturally without the need to let off steam in some ways. If those specimens even exist!
For the rest of the mature population on the planet – where I include myself too – there are usually some coping mechanisms attached to adulting.
One of the harmless behaviours that can release the pressure of the day to day struggle – which got even bigger during social distancing – is acting silly and not taking yourself too seriously. Finding the time to take a break from all that mature and reliable etiquette associated with adulthood.
Solomon Marcus, a Romanian mathematician that I admire a lot who had interests in different knowledge areas like linguistics, semiotics, philosophy, etc. identified 10 human needs to fulfil for a satisfactory life. Amongst the need for meaning, for identity, for transcendence, for doubt and questioning, he also mentioned the need for curiosity, wondering and playfulness in everyday life which is not to be associated with childhood period only.
In fact, acting silly and playful is not a silly thing at all. It is a way of expressing “la joie de vivre” – the joy of life and aliveness. What better way to manifest it, especially now?
Obviously, it’s important to keep this kind of behaviour for the people who can relate to it. Probably it’s not the best approach to have at work! But, in your personal life it’s essential for your energy to help you go through everything that’s happening in your life at the moment.
My close ones and I brought awkwardness at an art level even before this entire turn of events. Somehow embarrassing and funny situations always found a way to get us, or better said, we created them to counter-balance the not so positive events we’ve been through. It’s our own way of seeing the half full part of a glass.
Now, living in the Zoom era, we adapted, but didn’t give up. This could (potentially) mean:
– Dressing up for a special occasion during one of our regular video calls
– Having a contest on how many doughnuts one can have in a week before the (not so friendly) scale will notice
– What possible pranks to play to the partners (too much togetherness in a couple can be too much sometimes ;P)
– Deciding on what irrelevant-but-all-of-a-sudden-necessary purchases to get (thinking there is time to start a new hobby or new actions) which will be forgotten the moment we’re allowed to go out again
– Debating ideas of home-made remedies for body care now that the parlours are closed; ideally without burning the entire house
– Making detailed plans for the trips that won’t happen this year
– Etc….
One may think this is superficial and totally disconnected to the reality we’re living in. Let’s agree to disagree. Whatever keeps your spirit high and your heart light during these times is worth pursuing. Playfulness and a sense of joyfulness is, in a way, a form of defiance against the challenges we all face now and a form of hope for the better days that will eventually come.
Take care of yourself,
Xtina
