Some Feelings I Have About This Pandemic Trend

We at Notable Woman’s Magazine remain committed to documenting culture in the time of coronavirus, with this, the first in a regular series of pandemic trend essays.

As the world grapples with self-isolation, a new trend has emerged online: people engaging in _______ [BENIGN ACTIVITY]. Each day a new photo pops up in my _______ [TWITTER/FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM] feed and I’m surprised to find that everyone (in the small sliver of humanity I’ve curated in an app that likely reflects my specific social circle and interests) is constantly _______ [BENIGN ACTIVITY].

As if keeping myself _______ , _______ , and _______ [FED/BATHED/WELL-RESTED/EMPLOYED/SANE] isn’t hard enough in this moment, now I have to worry about becoming a/an _______ [BENIGN ACTIVITY] influencer overnight? This new trend makes me feel _______ [STRESSED/INADEQUATE/GUILTY], as if I’m failing quarantine. Usually, in times of stress, I want to _______ [READ/WATCH TV/TALK TO FRIENDS/A PITIFUL HOBBY ONLY UNPRODUCTIVE LOSERS POSSESS], but suddenly that seems wrong. Every day, another person in the world suddenly decides to become an expert in _______ [BENIGN ACTIVITY], and anyone who isn’t doing that is suddenly _______ [A LOSER/LAZY/GOING STRAIGHT TO HELL TO BE TORTURED FOR ETERNITY.] And if that isn’t true, I wouldn’t know, since the existence of this essay is predicated on what I see in my _______ [TWITTER/FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM] feed.

I spoke with _______[FRIEND] who I saw _______ [BENIGN ACTIVITY] online, and she told me that _______ [BENIGN ACTIVITY] is a chance for her to take a moment away from reading _______ [INCREDIBLY STRESSFUL NEWS SOURCE] and focus on herself for a second. I also reached out to a few other people like _______ [PERSON I FOLLOW ON TWITTER WHO LIVES IN MY CITY AND WORKS IN MY INDUSTRY] and _______ [ANOTHER PERSON I FOLLOW ON TWITTER WHO LIVES IN MY CITY AND WORKS IN MY INDUSTRY] for their take as well. _______ [PERSON I FOLLOW ON TWITTER WHO LIVES IN MY CITY AND WORKS IN MY INDUSTRY] told me over DM, “engaging in _______ [BENIGN ACTIVITY] every day makes me feel good, but nobody should feel pressured to suddenly take it up as well.”

I understand what _______ [PERSON I FOLLOW ON TWITTER WHO LIVES IN MY CITY AND WORKS IN MY INDUSTRY] is saying. This is a _______ [CHAOTIC/SCARY/STRESSFUL/INTENSE] time, but I can’t let the trend that I’ve decided is actually prevalent worldwide in this moment get to me. I don’t want to feel _______ [STRESSED/INADEQUATE/GUILTY] about what I am or am not doing quarantine. And if I’m not spending my days learning to _______[BENIGN ACTIVITY], that’s okay!