Do Something Normal: A Quarantine Survival Hack

By Rachel Zar, LMFT

You know those movies you watched a million times when you were a kid? The ones your parents could tolerate, but were still kid friendly, so they made frequent appearances in the rotation? One of those repeat Blockbuster rentals at my house was “Oh, God!,” a 1977 comedy about a man who comes face-to-face with a quirky God who wants him to spread the word. (Think “Bruce Almighty,” but 35 years earlier.) I’d completely forgotten about this relic until a family member sent me a YouTube clip last Saturday, just as the shelter-in-place order came down on Chicago. In the scene, our protagonist, Jerry, is taking a shower when God shows up in the flesh for the very first time:

“Don’t catch cold,” says George Burns as God, tossing the naked Jerry a towel. Jerry (John Denver) looks the little old man up and down. “Not what you expected, huh?” says God. “I picked a look you would understand. For someone else I would look different. I could do any face, voice, whatever. I could even be a woman. You’re feeling a little strange, huh?”

“Very strange,” Jerry responds.

“Like you’re going to faint?” God asks.

“You know what’s good for that? Shaving.”

“Shaving?”

God nods. “Sometimes when you don’t feel normal, doing a normal thing makes you feel normal. Here, start shaving.”

Sometimes, the best advice comes from cheesy ’70s not-so-classics, am I right? We’re all feeling various levels of heightened anxiety due to the pandemic right now. That’s OK, and that makes sense. Our day-to-day has changed drastically, and there are many unknowns about the future. Things are not normal. But just the littlest reminder that we’re still us helps us remember that this is temporary, and that one day, things will be normal again.

When big things are happening, it’s truly the little things that count. So, even if you’re working from home, try going through your usual morning routine: Shave, take a shower, eat breakfast, exercise, and maybe even put on real pants. (Ok, that last one may be a stretch. But what about daytime pajamas?) Talk to friends and family about something other than the pandemic. Breathe. Laugh, joke, and play games, even if you’re playing on FaceTime. Order food from your favorite restaurant, or cook the same pasta you have every Monday night. Or, do what I’m doing tonight: Watch a movie you loved as a kid. When things feel familiar, they feel safe. And we’re all in need of a little more of that right now.