May is right around the corner already and we are getting ready for summer as we enter the 5th month of 2020… However, there is just one thing that is putting a pause on all outside activity and social gatherings throughout the world: The Coronavirus. 

"This recent pandemic has cost over 207k deaths worldwide, 55,417 in the United States, and 1,651 in my home state, California."

With the numbers rising at a scary pace, this pandemic has struck fear for many Californians. California has enforced the “ Stay at Home “ order. It is because of this, that many are choosing to go into quarantine and self isolate from the outside. As the days go by slower and slower, many seem to be over the quarantine. They begin to long for life pre-Corona… And as they stay indoors day after day, their mind starts to slip...What effects could isolation cause on the human mind? The answer to that, my friends…

Cab·in fe·ver - noun: irritability, listlessness, and similar symptoms resulting from long confinement or isolation indoors during the Winter.

Wilshire Boulevard west from Hope Street, downtown Los Angeles, California, on a Sunday afternoon / Photo Credit: Downtowngal

What time is it? Why won’t the wall clock shut up? Is today Tuesday, or is it Friday already? It was not long after the walls caved in and my room suddenly began to feel like a workspace cubicle, that I began to ask myself these questions as the madness begins to set in...

"Tick-Tock...Tick-Tock..."

The wall clock that ticks as the days start to go by slower during the quarantine.

Tick- Tock. Time moves slow. The sun teases me with its bright light and beautiful beaming rays. Oh, how I long to be outside in the beautiful sun. Tick- Tock. Maybe I should clean the house again… No, I just cleaned it five minutes ago… or did I clean it yesterday? I don’t know, everything looks clean anyways. Tick- Tock. Did I hear someone outside? Is that a person? Tick- Tock. Oh, it must be time to eat dinner. How long has it been so far? I’ve been sitting on this couch doing nothing for quite a while now… Only 5 minutes?! Seriously?! Tick- Tock. How long has it been? A week? Five days? Help me to recollect..

As you sit in your house and practice social distancing and self-isolation, do you begin to feel like you’ve got a case of the old cabin fever? I sit in my house unmotivated to work on a new script, or to even pick up the guitar and play some relaxing tunes. Instead, I stare out the window and look up to the beautiful sky and daydream of the beautiful people of Los Angeles walking the streets and my city alive and breathing once more... I take a deep breath of fresh air. It’s hard not to feel like you’ve caught cabin fever after feeling so scared and confused by the pandemic that is the Coronavirus. However, there are some brilliant remedies one could do to prevent “ye old cabin fever”:

-Watch Movies  
-Read Books (I read H.P Lovecraft short stories)  
-Listen to that album you always wanted to check out but never got the chance to. 
-Watch that one t.v show you’ve heard good things about, but you claimed to have “been too busy” to watch
-Pick up a new hobby (I picked up tattooing!)

Aside from the many different activities you could be doing, this time alone and indoors by yourself or with loved ones is time to take advantage of. It is a time of reflection and meditation. Life has slowed down. And yes it is very scary not knowing what could happen next with the world. But what does matter is you are alive and you get to wake up and feel the sun. 

 "It is a time of reflection and meditation. Life has slowed down.​"

Deserted Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard / Photo credit: Shutterstock

Appreciate the small things. If you’re home with family, take this time to enjoy their presence and place in your life. Relax, we are all going to be okay. Don’t forget to wear a face mask and gloves when you go out. Wash your hands every time you touch something like a door knob or go outside. And if you’re lucky enough, get some hand sanitizer and keep your hands clean of germs. Stay safe, and stay calm everyone.

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