Sometimes, major, historical events influence everyday life gradually and in subtle ways. Structural economic changes upend some lives entirely, but for others accrete slowly, in the form of slightly more or less disposable income. Migration and mobility patterns transform neighborhoods bit by bit, one house or one home improvement (or lack thereof) at a time. Climate change has been evident to scientists for 50 years; we are seeing its evidence before our eyes only now.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been a historical force of another kind, disrupting and transforming everyday life suddenly, but with a continuous, varied unfolding. Literally a natural disaster, the pandemic gathered and landed on our ordinary lives with the swiftness of a hurricane, but with greater staying power and more various effects.
Our volunteer writers have registered these shocks to ordinary life since the pandemic’s start. Two weeks ago our writers submitted their second day diaries of the pandemic. (If you don’t know about our diaries, these are detailed documents that our volunteers produce three times a year. We identify a day and our volunteers endeavor to record everything they do, and much of what they think and feel, during that day). These latest diaries will appear on the web archive shortly.
In April, we also sent out a questionnaire asking our volunteers to reflect more systematically on the ways the pandemic has influenced their everyday lives.
Over the past few weeks, we spent some time reviewing these materials in preparation for a Webinar put on by the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office. At the Webinar, we and our partners at Muncie Public Libraries and Ball State’s Archives and Special Collections presented our collaborative efforts to document how the pandemic is being experienced locally.
Here are some initial patterns we noted among our volunteers’ accounts.
People are adapting creatively, evolving new rituals and practices to sustain themselves physically and emotionally amid the enforced isolation and other disruptions to the daily rhythms of work- and home-life:
- “Coffee in bed. This is my favorite part of the new routine. Every day we spend the first hour of the day sitting in bed, playing with the boys, drinking coffee. It really is the best way to start a day.” (Diarist A07)
- “I’m finding, in pandemic quarantine, a renewed focus on small things around the house. I’m looking at nature more, finding quiet moments, and appreciating them. If not for the horrific reasons why I’m home, this would be beautiful.” (Diarist B37)
Others are sustaining old rituals in the face of daily changes that might seem to make them obsolete:
- “I give my wife her ‘heading to work’ hug. We’ve kept doing this even though she’s not leaving the house.” (Diarist C46)
The conscious practice of gratitude is a leading mental-health strategy. In the years leading up to the pandemic, gratitude practice emerged as a major theme in pop psychology, with a basis in empirical studies in the field of positive psychology.
Our diarists express gratitude for the positives in their lives and actively seek things to feel thankful for as they report on the emotional landscape of pandemic life:
- “Early on I started a silver lining list….we will see the tulips bloom….I have time for tasks I put off.” (Diarist G61)
- “I still remain grateful that the opportunity to work is there and that I haven’t been furloughed.” (Diarist C45)
- “We are grateful to do what we can to stop Covid.” (Diarist H66)
The weather has taken on increased importance, as it determines how cooped up we have to remain.
- “With our stay-at-home orders, the weather affects my mood more than usual.” (Diarist G61)
- “We are anxiously awaiting dryer and warmer weather so we can get into the garden.” (Diarist G61)
- “Almost every day the first thing I do is check the weather. Sun and warmth make our locked-down days tolerable. Rain and gloom leaves me feeling a bit trapped.” (Diarist A02)
Grooming norms have loosened their hold for those working and socializing from home.
- “I may get to wear yoga pants all day, but I sure enough am still wearing all the hats, so to speak. I am juggling working from home, with a child learning from home, in a house where all the boundaries have disappeared.” (Diarist A28)
- “It is funny to realize that my personal grooming is now dictated by upcoming zoom meetings. I laughed at myself as I got ‘ready for church’ Sunday…doing my hair which I am not bothering with much on other days. During the first week at home I didn’t get out of my bathrobe many days. I finally decided it was not emotionally healthy as a new practice…” (Diarist G61)
- “I debated putting something on besides sweats, but decided not to bother. I know I’m not alone.” (Diarist A02)
For much more on how our volunteer writers are experiencing the Pandemic, we invite you to read our May 21 diaries and the pandemic questionnaire responses