I Was Quarantined in China for Two Months. Here’s What I Learned About Social Distancing.
The coronavirus put my life plans on hold. But in isolation, I found a silver lining: I had a rare opportunity to learn, reflect, and explore.
By some mischievous calculation of the cosmos, I quit my job in the United States and moved back to China exactly one day before the coronavirus outbreak exploded all over the news. I felt deeply concerned about all those affected by the situation. But admittedly, I also looked at my new reality of being quarantined in my parents’ apartment indefinitely, and thought: “What a bummer.”
I’d left my job to embark on a quarter-life exploration. I had hoped to travel to and learn about different places, meet and embrace interesting people, and find some troubled waters that I’d want to tread. All of that had to be put on hold.
Now it has been eight weeks since increased quarantine measures began all around China, and it’s beginning to look like we will regain our footing soon. Across the country, stores, restaurants, and coffee shops are reopening and itching for crowds. For myself, personally, I look back on the past two months and see a silver lining. My time in isolation turned out to be a special opportunity in so many ways: It was filled with learning, reflection, and exploration.
It pains me to see that people all over the world are sinking into the same shadows my community has been struggling through. And so, I’d like to share some of the lessons I learned from my time in quarantine, with the hope that they might help you make your period of uncertainty as meaningful as possible.
Embrace the reality
I spent my first few days of self-quarantine planning my escape route, unable to accept that this was happening. When our lives are shaken, we often use denial as a coping mechanism to shield ourselves from a sudden psychological avalanche. While this is a normal response, moving through denial could open up new possibilities.
Once I accepted that staying home was my new reality, planning my days became easier, as my options were simplified. I knew my parents would be the only two…
