As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, many are scrambling to adjust to the new life under quarantine. For me, UC Irvine announced on March 9 that we’d move all the operations online. During the ensuing three weeks of staying at home, I’ve watched the number of cases in the US surge past that in China, my home country; I’ve heard news that folks in my close communities fell ill to the coronavirus—some were properly tested while others couldn’t be due to public health failure; I’ve continued to receive testimonies from close family and friends about encountering racially charged bigotries towards Asian communities.
Needless to say, the situations have put a huge strain on my existing communities. On the bright side, however, I have also witnessed the resilience of my communities, and how the quarantine has opened up new opportunities to connect people together.
I thought that I would write something about my strategies of community building and staying grounded in these strangely unsettling times. I am sharing not because I think I’ve succeeded somehow. On the contrary, I am still struggling pretty much every day, even as an introvert who loves spending time at home. Building off of the assumption that no one knows the perfect solution in these trying times, I write both as a way of documenting my life and as a way to put myself out there in the hope of reaching others.
Before proceeding, I also acknowledge my privilege salient in this piece—I am fortunate to still be employed, insured, and have access to steady internet. I can continue to do the kinds of research projects I want to do in the new work environment as well. I imagine that many folks have suffered in more drastic ways due to the pandemic, and I understand that unfortunately some of my strategies would simply be unrealistic for some.
Take things one day at a time
One thing that works for me well during the quarantine is to plan out small tasks or activities to do every day, with buy-ins from friends and strangers through the internet. Doing so has a few advantages. For one thing, doing small tasks would make me feel accomplished but not overwhelmed. Moreover, doing something every day creates a rhythm and would make things easier in the long run. To add on to that, breaking colossal tasks (e.g. reading War and Peace, more below) down into, say, 100 days would psychologically prepare me for the duration of the quarantine (hopefully in 100 days I will have finished reading War and Peace and the quarantine will be over, fingers crossed). Below are a few things I’ve tried and stuck with.
LPS Virtual Lounge
Since the campus is closed, graduate students in my department (Logic and Philosophy of Science, LPS for short) cannot work in our offices anymore. To serve as a surrogate for the departmental break room, I’ve started an LPS virtual lounge, daily at 2 PM over zoom, open to all graduate students at LPS as well as their partners, pets, kids, and friends in cognate departments. Some days a bunch of people would show up, some days none, just like real break rooms. Folks would check in with each other, chat, or play games. So many great zoom virtual backgrounds have been generated over these meetings, and it’s a fun way to connect with others with minimal commitments. It’s also super easy to plan, with very little maintenance—just one zoom link and a departmental (or community) wide announcement!
Shared Writing Log
I’ve used a shared writing log with some folks in my department for a while now (thanks to the fantastic recommendation by Darby), but now seems like an even more pertinent time to use it. The core idea is simple—we form social accountability with friends and colleagues. We use the format of this Google spreadsheet (designed by UC Irvine’s Psychology professor Barbara Sarnecker, who has run writing workshops for years), put down daily writing tasks, and select “yes” if we have done at least one minute of writing. With depressing news coming from all over, my shared writing log has provided motivations for me to still do some writing every day.
#TolstoyTogether
One of my favorite writers, Yiyun Li, has started a virtual reading group to read Tolstoy’s War and Peace during the pandemic, with the hashtag #TolstoyTogether. It’s a great time to read the book, and with 12-15 pages every day, we’re on track to finish the colossal 1200-page book in three months, just in time for summer. Yiyun would also jot down her thoughts on the blog. My partner and I were a few days late to the game, but we’re already more than 100 pages in, having just finished Part I. Of course, you do not have to read Tolstoy to get the spirit of communal reading. Pick up a book you’ve always wanted to read if you had the time, and read a little bit every day.
Strengthen existing relations and cultivate new ones
As much as the pandemic put many usual operations on hold, it also provides unique opportunities to strengthen existing relations and cultivate new ones.
MAP Slack
In my capacity as an international organizer for MAP (Minorities and Philosophy), I spearheaded (with the help of my amazing colleagues) the formation of a MAP Slack workspace, to bring together scattered marginalized junior philosophers around the world. We envision the Slack to be a place for folks to share experiences and resources, build support networks, and bounce ideas around. I feel the pandemic brings a unique opportunity to experiment on ideas like this, given that many local support networks might not be readily available. (If you would like to join, check out our Facebook page—MAP @mapcosmopolitan—for an invitation link.)
Aids for the Chinese and East Asian Communities
The Chinese and East Asian communities have taken huge tolls ever since the very beginning of the pandemic, in January. Many in the East Asian diaspora have personally encountered racially charged bigotries, or have switched their behaviors in light of the heightened racism (read this article for more). Personally speaking, I have entirely switched all my grocery shopping to East Asian stores, partly because I don’t want to encounter more racism in unsettling times like these, partly because I want to support Asian grocery stores in difficult times. Chinese restaurants and grocery stores have taken a huge hit during the pandemic due to anti-Chinese racism. If you are able, consider switching your grocery shoppings to Asian stores (they are well-stocked and have minimal lines!), reaching out to your East Asian friends to see how they’re doing, donating to or volunteering for Asian American direct mutual aid groups, such as Homecrest Community Services, which organizes Stir Fry Meals on Wheels in Brooklyn, and bottom line—no be a racist.
Finally, it is of utmost importance to take care of your own mental health needs. This list provides a catalog of free and low-cost online psychiatry resources during the pandemic. We take care of ourselves so that we can better take care of others! Stay at home, and hang in there!
- Community building and staying grounded during the pandemic lockdown - March 30, 2020