How to Stay Home and Feel Good About it

2020 was the year to slow down and stay in. Some of us have spent decades doing it. Being lazy and mellow became not only legit, but critical surviving skill for this era, so here are some tips.

I’m not an introvert, I like people. I like to speak to people, one or two at a time, in my own kitchen over a home-brewed coffee. My ideal plan includes sushi delivery and sweatpants because Athleisure is really over-doing it.

Long before we were socially bullied by Instagram to be “FUN”, to “DO THINGS” I felt pressured by friends and strangers to pick apples as if I don’t get “Fresh Direct”, hike or climb a wall, like a toddler in a jungle gym.

Physical activity isn’t the problem, although it is a huge turnoff. I felt the same discomfort when attacked with a proposition to join a gallery opening, indie concerts, or an experimental art performance. They all hold a slim chance of enjoyment over the obvious, guaranteed hassle of leaving your couch, where the entertainment and temperature is controlled. For most people it’s a risk worth taking but I am not most people and in 2020 it has finally paid off.

Reluctant to explain my predicament, I would often rather give in to the ultimate “… but it’s SO nice out” weapon. It was easier to abandon my slippers to join a pumpkin patch or an artisanal brewery raid, then be - or just feel - lame. But if there is one thing this pandemic has taught me, is that Lame is the new black and that finally, at the face of the apocalypse, my skills and disposition were valuable: Anybody can stay at home, but a homebody can feel good about it.

I have always been a stay-at-home gal and inevitably blossomed into a successful stay-at-home-Mom. Society has traditionally discounted those of us who play it safe, prefer the bench to the court, the nerds and wallflowers, but I’m here today to tell my comrades, whom I will never meet, that our experience and knowledge are valued today.

You’re probably thinking; How do you stay at home and Zen when you’ve got little humans to keep alive for 12 hours a day with enough energy to power a Tesla? The answer is simple; we don’t always stay Zen. However, a child grown into a slow pace routine, will develop that busy-bee immunity as well. We have passed countless Sundays with books, puzzles, LEGOs, Playdoh, paint, stickers and make-believe picnics. We recommend using screen-time for the remaining 11 hours. PBS and PJ’s worked fine for me as a child, and I am proud to pass on the tradition to the next generation.

For those of you who wonder how to sit through this time when each day feels like a month, here is my free advice: Pretend for a day that you need to accomplish nothing, kids or not, put your phone aside, those Memes can wait. If you are not rushing or missing anything outside, you might find some treasures in plain sight, indoors.