Yesterday, I listened to the radio in Japan for 30 minutes. I also looked out someone’s backyard window in Romania, got a hug from a stranger, and spent a few minutes on the moon.
I did these things thanks to the internet, and I did them because, after nine months of Covid madness, my “surge capacity” has been depleted. Professor Ann Masten from the University of Minnesota explains the term as follows:
Surge capacity is a collection of adaptive systems — mental and physical — that humans draw on for short-term survival in acutely stressful situations, such as natural disasters. But natural disasters occur over a short period, even if recovery is long. Pandemics are different — the disaster itself stretches out indefinitely.
When the virus first hit, I did what most people did: I rallied. I bought masks, stopped seeing people, and started working from home. I adjusted to the new normal, and, for the majority of nine months, that seemed to work just fine. But, as Tara Haelle writes: “How do you adjust to an ever-changing situation where the ‘new normal’ is indefinite uncertainty?”
The answer is, “You don’t,” and so last week, my strong run finally came to an end. I caught myself thinking: “I wish I could go back to the library.” I was sad, disappointed, and furious. Why did Germany handle the situation so poorly? Why do we get stricter and stricter rules, none of which seem to work? How can I go to a pool party in Taiwan but not meet two friends for coffee here? It was a mix of anger and depression, two of the five stages of grief.
Instead of overriding those feelings, I decided to accept them. I was tired — worn out from nine months of surging — and so I let the wave of pandemic fatigue wash over me. For the next few days, I didn’t do much. I mostly ran on autopilot, and, sometimes, feeling melancholic and unmotivated is okay.
When the wrong wires cross and sparks fly in your brain, don’t send more power through the grid. Take out the fuse. Let it cool off before it explodes.
Yesterday, I finally turned a corner — to Reddit where I found a treasure trove of cool websites. Some of them were useful, others too niche for my needs, but a small selection showed me something I had almost forgotten: They made the world feel whole again. They made it seem big and small, active and peaceful, exciting and wholesome at the same time.
Here are those websites. I hope they’ll give you a moment of pandemic relief.
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