Quarantine, we will miss: what good did self-isolation give us

There is no doubt: the coronavirus pandemic is a huge tragedy. According to official data alone, more than 350 people have died, and the number of people affected by the SARS-CoV-000 virus is approaching 2. It is expected that economic indicators in the world will decline by 6% monthly, global trade could fall by 000%. The global economic losses amount to trillions of dollars. More than 000 Americans, one in four workers, have filed for unemployment benefits. Companies and entire industries are closing, and areas such as tourism and entertainment face an uncertain future.

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For me personally, this is not an abstraction: two of my close friends have been seriously ill with COVID-19, another friend has been fighting the virus for the tenth week. The company where my husband works was in danger of closing at the beginning of the quarantine measures, and my sister’s dental practice near New York was closed for a long time. And almost all of us live in fear that every cough or feeling of fatigue may be the first symptoms of a virus affecting the body, which works like “Russian roulette” - it kills or causes serious illness in some and goes almost unnoticed in others.

However, the last stage of experiencing grief is acceptance. During this time, many of us managed to get used to and find certain positive aspects in social isolation and the situation of decreased economic activity.

Although my family are not Hollywood stars, and we do not live on an estate on several hectares of our own land, on the threshold of the crisis we found ourselves in fairly comfortable conditions. We even joke that we have been preparing for quarantine for several years. We bought a house with a fenced-in plot. We gave birth to a child 11 years ago - now he is big enough, able to take care of himself and independently participate in distance learning. We even planted a vegetable garden and stocked up on toilet paper. So, along with the limitations in this situation, I personally see a lot of positives.

I like working from home, and not just because it’s easier to concentrate in silence. A valuable thing for me is the opportunity to structure work in accordance with my own characteristics. We all have what we call our “most productive times,” when we do our best work. For me it's somewhere from 7 to 10 am. At this time, I reserve for myself the most difficult tasks that require the deepest thinking and concentration - writing original stories and articles.

Earlier at that time, I was going to work and went to work, started the computer and checked mail, participated in the morning meeting. When it was necessary to write an analytical English-language article or a more complex blog, I often got up at 5 in the morning and did this before work or closed in the office room on Sunday morning. And after 10 it’s convenient for me to edit, translate, arrange an interview, write on less complex topics and the like.

I also really appreciate the time I spend with my family, which I always lacked. Since I gave birth to a child in the United States, even my maternity leave was limited to 3 months.

Moreover, now I have not only time when we can do something together, but also simply time to be in the same room. I love the moments when I’m working, and my son sits down next to me to read a book and from time to time comes to hug me. And also - family dinners on the veranda, the opportunity to exchange a word with my husband or pet the dog at any time.

In addition, we found new common hobbies with our son: chess, many other board games, football, watching videos on scientific topics, primarily biological. I think now we have become much closer to each other.

During quarantine, I had the opportunity to communicate more with friends - at least by phone and via video, and more recently in a very limited, permanent circle of people close to me - physically.

Walking in the forest, which used to be our favorite pastime, began to bring even more pleasure. And walking in the woods, and reading a book on the veranda, and playing “Monopoly” with your family is much more pleasant, realizing that you are not missing anything important at this time, and there is no other place where I would most likely be at that moment.

Although I had to give up playing sports, running with other women from the running club, and swimming, I eventually managed to get into a routine of daily exercise. It doesn't have to be a 10-15 km race every time - an hour's walk or 30 minutes of strength exercises is quite enough. Even after quarantine, I would like to find the strength and time to play sports every day.

How about others? I asked my friends to share what quarantine taught them and what they would miss after it ended. Here are some answers that I found interesting.

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Elena Djordjevic, Rockville, Maryland, journalist

I began to live more in the present. During our forced stay at home, we go on long walks around our city. Now I have begun to notice changes in nature with the arrival of spring - more detailed and clearly than before. And also details in houses, neighbors’ faces that I hadn’t noticed before. I would like to maintain this state of calm observation. The rush we lived in in the recent past is toxic and crazy. Free time and family time should be sacred. In addition to the tradition of family movie watching, we have a new one - reading books together. We sit down together and everyone reads their own book.

I became more creative in my work, I have time to focus on individual projects and stories, and not to react all the time to an unstoppable flow of news. In these circumstances, I realized that my interest as a journalist is more in topics of a social direction and in human stories than in politics.

I also realized that it is quite possible to engage in physical exercises using Internet resources. I used to skip a lot of zumba lessons because their schedule did not match mine, but now I can just turn on the computer and do the exercises at a convenient time for me. I learned how to paint my nails with varnish myself, baked a lot of bread and I hope that I will continue to do this.

Oleg Nikolenko, New York, NY, Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN

Quarantine has shown how effectively meetings can be held online. During a meeting of the UN Security Council, representatives of 6 countries - almost half the world - spoke in 80 hours via videoconference. Most speakers spent 3-4 minutes on their participation. Previously, for a high-level delegation to take part in such a meeting, it took at least 3-4 days, including logistics. I don’t think that the quality of the discussion has deteriorated. This is a case where a problem gives rise to creative solutions. Of course, Zoom will not replace the depth of personal communication between diplomats, but after the end of quarantine, at least part of the meetings at the UN can be safely held online.

Tatiana Terdal, Portland, Oregon, Management Consultant

Quarantine made it possible to know a little more about yourself and other family members. It’s good to be able to virtually join my children’s school activities, to listen to how lectures are held and communication between teachers and students takes place. Usually parents are not able to attend high school classes.

I also discovered the value of structured communication in online groups—even introverts need regular social interaction. We already had a lot of professional meetings online, but there weren’t enough friendly ones. When distance learning began, I and other parents felt the need to periodically meet with children on Zoom and other platforms. As a result, we have created and subscribed to many groups that meet regularly and on a schedule: a parent group of classmates, children's groups, including a video game group, a book club, a Dungeons and Dragons game group, and others. I created a Zoom group and meet weekly with local Ukrainians. I hope that some community and regular communication will remain after the end of quarantine.

Galina Kozachenko, Falls Church, Virginia, vice president of professional association

I realized how much we load children. And how it became easier and more fun for everyone to live without all these circles and sections. I began to communicate more with friends. Virtually on Fridays, we play the Jeopardy game. That way all my friends, even those living in Canada, can join.

I also noticed how few hobbies I have at home. And when the coronavirus pandemic began, I realized that all my favorite activities were outside. I had to rethink myself, figure out what was driving me from home. And I came up with a bunch of hobbies in the house, for example, reading in a small corner with a sofa, baths with oils, slow yoga. I also enjoy digging in the garden and taking long walks alone. I want to keep all this. But I miss my friends in real time.

Natalia Arno, Alexandria, Virginia, President, Non-Governmental Organization

During quarantine, I learned to value human communication even more. Calls to Zoom cannot completely replace it. I learned to appreciate simple things, notice details around, especially nature. It turns out that every tree can be very beautiful, even every leaf of it. Near our house, blue jays made a nest, hatched eggs, chicks hatched, now parents feed them, drive away the squirrel. We are closely watching this. I would like to continue to notice all this and upon returning to the previous schedule with a bunch of flights and events.

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Yuri Deichakovsky, North Potomac, Maryland, cardiologist

The quarantine taught me to always expect the unpredictable, to be flexible, and also grateful for what we have, not to cry because of our own problems and to help others more. We must be prepared for the pandemic to return, and we will have to live in a "new normal" state, which is different both from how we live now and from how we lived before the pandemic. From a professional point of view, I want to urge people not to be afraid to call an ambulance or ask someone from the family to deliver you to the hospital if they feel the symptoms of a possible heart attack or stroke. We have had cases where, due to fear of coronavirus, people did not contact on time, did not receive proper emergency medical care, and as a result had very negative consequences.

Svetlana Ivanishin-Ugrina, Chicago, Illinois, Lawyer

Quarantine has provided a unique opportunity to spend more time with children. Before that, I was in college for 4 years and didn’t have enough time for family vacations. Also, my opinion about distance learning has changed for the better. I used to have some online classes in college and I really didn't like it at the time. However, during quarantine, I started watching advanced training lectures - and I began to like listening to lectures on the Internet.

Ilya Zaslavsky, Washington, DC, Analyst

I had to relearn many skills - fixing a computer, a robot vacuum cleaner, a bicycle, a faucet, and doors myself. We began to appreciate basic things: a walk, fresh air, the ability to move freely. We would like to leave behind the constant worry of getting sick and especially of passing the disease on to our little child.

Svetlana Sischuk, Brooklyn, New York, housewife

I hope that we will never have to repeat the experience we had this year. We are emerging from quarantine into a different world. After all, its formal end does not mean an automatic return to life as it was before the pandemic. The only thing I would like to keep in my life in the future is to be less categorical in assessing the actions of other people and more attentive to those around me. And the understanding that, although my loved ones are enough for me, only me is not enough for them - they also need other people to communicate with. And also - to leave the ability to be calm about changes that I cannot influence.

Original column published on the blog. "Voices of America".

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