Has your consumption of online information changed since :::waves hands:::: ALL OF THIS began? I certainly am reading more stuff from Hilda Wong than I was previously. But I’m more interested in how (or if) the type of blogs/online articles that you are reading has changed. I’ve found that my attention economy is in many ways mirroring the actual economy.
For example: I literally do not care what anyone is wearing. Style content, which I usually enjoy a bit, is just totally unappealing to me right now. I don’t give two shits that LOFT is having a MAJOR sale right now. (Also, spoiler alert: LOFT is ALWAYS having a major sale. Never buy anything there full price.) I can’t imagine this is unrelated to the fact that I have spent the last two weeks baaaaaaaaaarely getting dressed. I mean, I’m not naked either, but still doing just fine over here in my house clothes that are comfy and sort of cute and require zero accessories.
(That said I will probably up my game a wee bit for the Zoom Happy Hour my boss has scheduled for my team today at 3:30. I hope I haven’t forgotten how to blow dry my hair and do my makeup. I will report back tomorrow. :))
Did you notice that when many companies sent their employees home to work, the internet had an exponential growth in “Tips On How To Work From Home” posts or “100 Workouts You Can Do From Home.” I get it, obviously. And to a certain degree I understand that link round ups and listicles get pinned + clicked and of course writing a tips post when you are the author probably feels very helpful.
But I wonder – am I alone in the fact that many of these posts are making me feel very much NOT SEEN in the moment? I don’t really need 50 workouts I can do from home. I need someone to write a post about how to give a shit about working out when the world is full of uncertainty, many are going to fall ill, and some people will die unnecessarily. (Has somebody written this post? SEND ME THE LINK!)
Whoa, ok that got a little dark there for a second. I am not in a completely depressed state. But I will admit I am slightly more eye-rolly at a lot of the “LOLZ maybe we all won’t get TOO FAT if we do a pushup challenge! Tag you’re it, girl!” Anyway, I am changing the content I consume and also working to be more tolerant. Some days I do better than others. Yesterday Garrett and I learned a Tik Tok dance, so we haven’t gone 100% Cameron Frye around here.
I am also trying to notice what sets me off and why. I clicked on something the other day that began with something to the effect of “Things are probably quiet over there for you too, aren’t they?” And I immediately felt my blood pressure rise and wanted to shout “ARE YOU KIDDING ME, YOU COMPLETELY TONE DEAF IDIOT?” But I was able to walk myself off the ledge because I also realize we are all in different life phases and so for some people, this actually may feel like a quieter time in their life and there is nothing wrong with that. Totally valid. But it was a very tangible reminder to me of how important it is to feel seen.
If you are having a hard time coping today, or feeling extra annoyed even if you don’t want to be: I SEE YOU OVER THERE. Maybe tomorrow will be better for us. I’m hoping a bubble bath and a little bit of time with a book tonight after Holden goes to bed will help. And the 90210 reruns that Garrett + I are making our way through are also helping. But man, that is a rabbit hole post all to itself. (Also: RIP LUKE PERRY OMG IT IS STILL SAD!)
In sum, I’m not feeling tips and tricks posts lately. I don’t really want to know about sales. Working out isn’t something I’m prioritizing (though I’d like too, we’ll see…) And if you are sharing about all the stuff you are doing to “keep busy” or “be extra productive” while at home – I’m going to skip your content for right now because you make me want to burn everything down. 🙂 But people sharing their day to day experiences that are similar to mine, are giving me life. I want to dig deep in the minutia in hopes that someone else who is having my exact same feelings will articulate them in a way that will help me exhale.
So tell me: What are you enjoying these days?