Personal stories during Covid-19 lockdown; We introverts are no experts in social isolation

Hi, I am Ravi Timsina, a small-time investor in the stock market and a writer. I run a small website (https://rtistic.info/), where I write mostly on personal finance and investing in general. 

I am what you would call an introvert. Yes, those introverts who are supposed to be "experts" in the process of self-isolation. Once upon a time, reading a book while sitting in your home and not meeting a lot of people was called "being a nerd," but now it is downright patriotic (cool even). I can't say this for everyone, but some of us "introverts" I feel do have a slight edge over our extroverted counterparts. 

I am not going to lie. I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time. I thought a part me always wanted to stay in complete isolation and not worry about being social: I always used to say to myself that if I ever got a chance, I would take the time to do the things I love. Although I am keeping my promise and doing the things I love, this lockdown has not all been rainbows and butterflies. 

Finally! I thought I had the time to focus on my work and not worry about my social life. It was a dream come true, at least for a few weeks. Don't get me wrong I don't crave society or touching people (That might have come out wrong). But I do miss the chaos. It seems that the chaos which I hated so much was actually a buffer. With nothing to do, I spend most of my time while writing and reading, and with no buffer in place, I am starting to suffer the psychological impacts of this lockdown.  

Seeing how the community responded to what I was doing, I was afraid of letting go of my writing even though I was not having fun like I used to. For the last eight months, I don't think I have taken a single day off. I love what I do, and I love writing. However, I also understand how important it is to take care of yourself and not burn yourself out. Recently, I decided to take a few weeks off to take care of myself and my mental health.

As we learn to adjust to this new way of living, we have started to find ways to bring our outside social lives into our homes. And there is nothing wrong with that. But with all the zoom calls and the social groups, I will not lie; it is sometimes difficult and exhausting to keep up. If anything, the real world was a lot easier to navigate. This new version of society that we have created for ourselves is not a lot different from what we left behind. I sometimes feel like I have an obligation to everyone. I know this a peculiar feeling. This feeling of being socially overwhelmed even though we're staying as far away from each other as we can. 

The reality is that introverts don't want to be alone all the time, and extroverts can appreciate moments of quiet. So, it's okay to not respond to a group call or a virtual invitation. You don't have to feel obligated to talk with all your relatives. Everybody is processing a lot of anxiety right now due to the spread of this virus, and we introverts are no experts at social isolation.  

Regardless of who you are, it's okay to feel overwhelmed and anxious. It's okay to not be "productive" all the time. I think we who can live in a good home and not have to worry about where our next meal is going to come from are very fortunate and privileged. It's just a matter of looking at life from a different perspective. We will get through this, and I hope that when we are finally able to get out of our houses, things will change for the better. Until then, let's help each other in whatever way we can because all of us are in this together. 

Ravi Timsina, a small investor and a writer

Dear readers,

We at Sharesansar believe that each of us have stories to share from our Covid lockdown experience. We also believe that someone’s not-so-interesting personal story can become a reason for many to feel in comfort because most of us are going through strange times these days.

So, Sharesansar has decided to provide a space for your thoughts and is accepting short write-ups from our valued audience for our new Readers’ Corner section. You can email us your write-up with positive message to sharesansar@gmail.com and we will definitely promote positivity as much as possible from our platform.

#StayHome #StaySafe #StayPositive #FightCovid19