Hey friend,

Hello there from quarantine!

I have a new post and podcast episode for you to check out today. Click here to read or listen.

Here’s an abbreviated version for you: You might be feeling some shame for being unproductive or lazy or depressed during this time of crisis and social distancing.

Please allow me to make you feel better:

I am doing this worse than you, promise.

Did you go for a walk in the rain on your birthday and cry for an hour?

Did you spend an hour making dinner then spill hundreds of peppercorns all over the food… and eat it anyway? (My mouth is still burning, by the way.)

Do you wake up every day with the best of intentions to do something productive during the day and end every night watching "Community" on Netflix, swearing tomorrow will be better?

Has you diet gone out the window?

Is ice cream your new best friend (cookies ’n’ creme, of course)?

Have you wondered what the point of “you” even is?

Do you find yourself saying ridiculous things to friends just so they keep texting or talking to you?

Have you failed at every goal you set including the one to stick with a single television show for more than an evening?

If not, then you’re doing this better than me. And if you still think you’re worse off, I dare you to email me with your situation, and we can commiserate together.

But the truth is that even though I am a hot mess right now, I’m still making it through.

We all are. If you’re still here, you made it another day. And that’s wonderful.

Admittedly, this has been a challenging time for me: socially, psychologically, physically, vocationally. And I’m pretty fortunate. I realize I still have steady work to do, still have a home, still have all my family members.

So I don’t mean to be glib about any of this, but I do feel like I could be way more productive. Most days, I simply go for a bunch of walks and spend too much time on Instagram, then wonder where all the time went.

That said, there have been a handful of habits that I’ve accidentally stumbled upon that have been super useful to me during this time, and I’d like to share them with you in hopes of helping.

1. Stick with something stable. Like a good job or steady relationship. We need rhythms and routines right now.
2. Create something stupid. A little levity never hurts. Yes, it’s good to get things done, but it’s also nice to do something that doesn’t need to have a point other than to cause you delight. For me, this is doing random live cooking shows in Instagram.
3. Have something new to start. Now is the time to begin something new: that writing habit, podcast, book, etc. Insecurity and possibility always go hand in hand. There’s no guarantee that it will work, but that’s part of the fun.

Click here to read the rest of the article and/or listen to the audio essay.

How are you coping in these times of uncertainty? What stable, stupid, and new things are you doing to stay sane? I’d love to hear about it.

And if I can make you feel better about your situation — because I swear I am quarantining worse than you — please shoot me an email and let me know.

You can also find me on Instagram @JeffGoins where I am sharing daily videos on my thoughts on what you can create in a crisis.

Thanks,

Jeff

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