For many of us, it feels like time has lost all meaning in this new stay home reality. And although some parts of the world are returning to relative normality, many of us are still stuck at home for one reason or another.

With days feeling like weeks, weeks feeling like months, and a general overall feeling that we’re currently living in an episode of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror (indeed, some conspiracy theorists will have you believe that we are!), you’ve probably found your own ways to start dealing with life in 2020.

In honor of everyone that’s itching to get out of the house and get back to the office (!!), we’ve put together our own take on the various stages of grief during the quarantine.

Stage 1: Hoarding Begins

We get it. ‘Pandemic’ is a scary word, but we’re hoping that you’re long past this stage by now!

During the hoarding phase, supermarkets and stores briefly became reminiscent of the Wild West, where it was every man or woman for themselves in all matters involving toilet paper and hand sanitizer. It’s safe to say that the world had its moment of madness. Everything from face masks and Lysol wipes to flour and eggs became a hot commodity, and some people even tried to cash in by selling on goods at an inflated price (only to be thrashed by the Internet, and rightly so!)

Although hoarding has died down, you’re probably guilty of bulk buying at least a few essentials.

Stage 2: Do It Yourself

By now you’ve been furloughed from work and suddenly have all the time in the world to do all the things you said you’d do last year, and the year before, and the year before that… you get the idea.

Tearing up and re-laying the lawn, re-decorating your bedroom sprucing up the guest room… lots of us have been using DIY as a way to keep busy. But there’s only so much work to be done at home. So, once you’ve exhausted all these opportunities, you find yourself exploring new hobbies and interests.

Baking, lots of baking, putting together makeshift masks, tie-dying your t-shirts and underwear… very few stones have been left unturned during the pandemic. Personally, I took up gardening. At least that’s what I was doing when the weather was nice. Now, not so much… but things are still growing, so there’s that.

Stage 3: Keeping Busy

So, the whole pandemic thing is lasting a lot longer than you expected. Now what? The house is sparkling from top to bottom, you’ve done all the odd jobs you can think of, and you’ve got enough baked goods to feed your entire street.

Boredom is really starting to kick in and you’re longing for the days when you can start socializing with other people again. But wait, you can—just not in person. So, you head to Houseparty and find that almost everyone on your Facebook friends list has signed up. And for those of us who are lucky to be single, we’ve still got Tinder and Hinge, and now’s a better time than ever to try out a virtual date… surely this is a better way to do it? This way, you don’t have to suffer through dinner with somebody who looks totally different from their profile.

Not got a significant other? Don’t worry! You’ve still got options. You could always try out your barbering skills on your boyfriend. He won’t be leaving the house anytime soon anyway, so nobody’s going to see.

If push really comes to shove and you’re scratching at the walls with absolutely nothing to do, you could always give in and watch Tiger King… (I still haven’t!)

Stage 4: Accepting the New Normal

“It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it,” and it’s time for you to accept it. For now, and for the foreseeable future at least, this is the new normal. You’re going to be spending a lot more time living in gym clothes, sweatpants, and shorts, so you may as well order some more.

As for waking up before 9 am, what’s the point!? All you’re doing is sitting around eating snacks, watching YouTube videos, and making memes anyway. The more time you spend in bed, the fewer calories you’re going to get through! 

The important thing is that we accept our newfound duty to stay inside and contribute to the efforts of making the world a better and safer place. Thank the essential workers, call your loved ones every now and then, and be thankful for what you’ve got now, because let’s face it, things could have been a whole lot worse.