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The year 2020 has been the ultimate write-off. The pandemic that is engulfing the world has made it that way. It was terrible during the time everything was locked down. And now that things have eased, especially in the US, the Coronavirus has been spreading like wildfire since many people are acting as if there is no pandemic. They are going to bars, restaurants, malls, to the beach, to parties, and so on.

The problem with that is that this extremely contagious virus is infecting anyone that it comes into contact with. And many people are ending up in hospitals and crowding them. The same is going on with Brazil, currently. Fortunately, in Canada, the cases are declining and they have been steadily declining over time. The same goes for many other countries. However, sacrifices have had to be made in Canada for that to happen. Especially in Ontario where the province was hit the hardest, next to Quebec.

Even though things are slowly opening up, accessing them is not easy. And many people are hesitant to do much, and the majority of people here are staying at home. Very few people are going on vacation and that includes me this year. It is better to be safe than sorry. But there is a big problem with that as well.

You are at home, day after day, other than running necessary errands. You are working from home, doing the same old thing, day after day. Wow. I am yawning just by writing this. This is the ultimate Groundhog Day life. You may be safer this way. But you certainly are losing every bit of enthusiasm that you had at one time. There is nothing to look forward to, except for a vaccine or proven treatment to end this thing? But at the very least, that is months and months away. So you are stuck. Stuck doing the same thing over and over again because the options are limited to do much.

The next thing you know, you are apathetic, going through the motions, bored as hell, and you also are at a point where you don’t care. That is because there is nothing to look forward to, and when you get to that point, you are suffering from Groundhog Day Syndrome (and here is a secret, I am as well, but I am trying to heal myself from it). But the good news there are ways to heal yourself from it. Let’s look at the five things you can do to make your life a little more exciting given the extreme restrictive situation right now.

1. Shake Up Your Routine A Bit

You are not able to do much of this if you are working, but during the times you aren’t, maybe shake up your routine. Even if that means if you are going for your morning walk, take a different route. Seriously, any small change will help, even if it is a little. Go and brew yourself a different flavor of coffee in addition to that. If you can find some different small things to do, then do them. It won’t be the ultimate ‘woohoo’ for you, but it may help liven you up, even if it is just a tiny bit. Anything helps, right? No matter how small. But if you are in a position where you can shake your routine up even more, then do it!

2. Get Out Of Your House

Yeah, most places around the world are not in complete lockdown anymore. And getting out of the house does not mean you have to do anything risky either. I also don’t mean to just go and take a walk around the block. I mean, get out of the house. I was so fed up today that I drove right to Starbucks and bought myself lunch and sat on the patio there. And really, it helped a lot. But if you are in an area where restaurants haven’t even opened up their patios, then go get takeout and eat it in the park or something. And as silly as this sounded, sitting at the patio at Starbucks felt like a bit of a vacation. That is how sad things really are.

3. Take Time Off Of Work

If you are working from home and the monotony of that in addition to being so restrictive is turning you into an apathetic zombie, then consider taking some time off. Yes, you can’t go on vacation and that part of sucks. But you can do the points mentioned above, in addition to doing other things that are enjoyable. Sometimes that break will help lessen the boredom you are feeling.

4. Take The Summer To Consider Getting Into A Different Line Of Work

If you are really looking into something to liven you up without needing to go on vacation, you can look into getting into a different line of work. This really applies if you are getting sick of your job or career, and this is only worsening your Groundhog Day Syndrome. If this idea appeals to you, then the next thing you need to do is determine what it is that you want to do. And once you make that decision, you will need to build the skills for it if necessary. That means to look up courses and other information, and spend the rest of your 2020 focusing on that during your free time.

5. Remind Yourself That Before You Know It Coronavirus Will Be History

Yes, it feels as if COVID-19 will never go away. But think about previous pandemics. Eventually, they all disappeared whether it was through a vaccine or it dissipating on its own (which I, unfortunately, don’t think will happen so the first will have to apply). Yes, this year is a write-off and you just have to accept that being the case. It does not mean at all that next year will be and I think things will start getting back to normal next year sometime. Either way, COVID-19 will not be here to stay for good.

You will go back on vacation again and you will go to concerts again. You will do whatever you want again without having to worry about catching the virus or passing it on to someone else. So that means the next time you think this is final, remind yourself that nothing lasts forever, good and bad.

It sucks, it really sucks. By this time last year, I was already looking forward to my trip to Vegas. The year before that, I was really looking forward to my trip to Myrtle Beach at this time in 2018, and so on. But it is what it is. The pandemic has robbed so many people of that. And those who are going on vacation will have to endure many restrictions that will put a damper on it. So what is the point of going on vacation? The world is on pause in 2020, and I think that is how this has to be viewed. So, with that being said, maybe it is time to change careers?


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