When we went into quarantine, most of us thought we would use the time to work on many different projects and to stay on top of schoolwork. However, we realized that staying productive these days is harder than we thought it would be. We have enough time but we lack the motivation and willpower we need. For that reason, I have found myself scrolling through social media trying to find inspiration or someone in my same situation. Here you will find three Tweets I believe will help you feel a little less hopeless.

On Productivity

I woke up this morning and the first thing I saw was a Tweet by Michael James Schneider. He posted a photo of himself with balloons that read: “You’re only unproductive by the standards of the world we lived in two months ago and that world is gone now." I believe this is a great reminder for everyone who has been so hard on themselves because of their productivity levels. We are living in a very unique time that has changed our lives forever. We cannot expect ourselves to be as productive as we were before because nothing is the same; we can’t go to work, classes are online, and human interaction is restricted.

On Being Considerate

Studying online has been different for every student. Some of them have done it before so they are used to it. Others are still trying to figure it out. Many are unable to concentrate given the worldwide circumstances. Whatever the case may be, we have to be more patient with one another. We have to understand we are all doing our best. If you —student or teacher— find yourself in a situation where you do not know how to respond to someone's particular situation, I suggest you read this thread.

I came across these Tweets by Melissa Wong a few days ago and found them very useful. Sometimes, especially in this chaos, we lack the appropriate response. That is very normal and you just need to take a few seconds to think about it. Wong can guide you through that thought process with just a few words: “Be human first."

On Support Systems

Due to isolation, quarantine, and social distance, we find ourselves feeling alone and unable to connect with others. Sometimes we feel like we are the only ones sitting on the couch staring at the wall unable to do anything else. But we are not alone. So many of us are dealing with the same feelings. Because of that, I saw this Tweet on my timeline. This girl decided to tweet about how hard it has been for her to do her university work. Because she is not alone, over 155k people liked her Tweet. Many commented with words of support and advice. And just like that she created a global support system.

Quarantine has all of us feeling overwhelmed. We do not know what is going to happen next so we push ourselves to work extra hard now. We see a few influencers working out, baking bread, or painting, and we feel like we are not doing enough. We forget that, one way or another, we are all struggling. But social media can sometimes be helpful. In this case, it helps us see there are others who feel like us; that we are all trying to stay productive. We are all trying to support each other. We are all trying to remain human.

My advice to you is that you spend time reading posts by teachers, students, and advocates. Try to leave the influencers on the sidelines for a little while. That way, you will find motivational content that you can relate to. It is okay if all you do is make it through the day.

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