To be business as usual in the middle of a pandemic is stupid.

Instead, do what you can but don’t exert too much pressure on yourself to deliver value or ruthless productivity at the expense of your mental health. I’m not saying live in your ivory tower and play Mario Kart all day. What I repeat is this: do what you can but don’t cry over the things you can’t do.

The situation varies. My partner is a breadwinner and I understand he doesn’t have some of the liberties I enjoy. He has tuitions to pay for. He needs to provide for his family. He has to be productive, yes. But I’ve noticed, thankfully, that his company supports working from home. His company enables him to work from home. It’s win-win.

Others out there have lost their jobs. In Singapore Q1 this year, total employment has plunged according to Channel NewsAsia. The travel industry is crippled. Blue-collar workers are without work. They say that the pandemic is the first wave. The economy is the next to suffer. It’s not looking good.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States. This is where attention needs to grow. First, society looks at containing and mitigating the pandemic. Next, how are we caring for the mental health of those affected (which is virtually every person out there except perhaps the Sentinelese). In Singapore, an Indian national who had Covid-19 was found dead at the foot of a hospital stairwell. Dead by unnatural causes. What made him end his life?

The situation in the foreign worker’s dormitories in Singapore is SAD.  I’ve refused to write about anything that might seem politically-charged (I mean, my blog is really personal and about gadgets, and food). But I hope this pandemic has placed the magnifying glass on Singapore’s migrant population. They are heroes. They build Singapore: MRT stations, buildings that house Fortune 500s, condos, roads, and parks. I hold faith in Singapore’s efficiency. I hope those companies that neglect worker’s rights and promote sub-standard living conditions are punished.

Wheew. What a mouthful. Probably because we’re halfway through circuit breaker.

It’s a new month and instead of checklists of what I need to do… I’m reversing it. I’m writing down things I’ve doing each day to make it to the next. It could be as calm as answering three emails and then making myself another cup of instant coffee. It could be walking around the neighborhood with a 1.5 kilometer distance… yes, shorter than the usual 3-5km I’d enjoy running. But 1.5 km is an achievement. Even 200 meters is.

This pandemic is a middle finger to a society bent on over productivity. Do what you need to do to get something important done, absolutely. But don’t overstress it.

Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself better.