I switched up my morning routine. I tried meditation and I've upped my Omega-3 intake. It seems like no matter what I do, my Google results haven't given me an adequate solution to my lack of focus and productivity problems during quarantine and according to our good sis Issa Rae, she can totally relate.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the Insecure star explained that although she's been able to check a lot of items off of her to-do list, the side effects of the pandemic have fumbled her focus in a major way.
"I've been getting a lot done; I turned in two scripts and I'm working on the third one. But it's like, you don't even know if we're going to be able to shoot these anytime soon. So now I'm like, 'Am I working for nothing?' I've reached that phase where it's like, 'Let me just be sad and wake up sad and not do anything.' I'm trying to get back into my groove again."
In an attempt to overcome her self-isolation-induced sadness, the multihypenate hustler says that she seeks comfort in one of her favorite classic movies, but at this point, even that isn't enough to get her out of her mid-quarantine slump.
"Yesterday in my depression I was like, 'What can I watch right now?' And I was flipping and that made me sadder because I was like, 'I don't have anything that I turn to.' I think 'Groundhog Day' is my comfort movie. I think that's gonna be my happy place — but it may feel too familiar. I don't want to come out of this hating 'Groundhog Day' so I also have to be precious with my s---."
The actress, who made the decision to release her latest feature film, TheLovebirds on Netflix instead of in theaters, explained that while the quarantine has thrown a wrench in her plans, now, more than ever is the time for professionals to level up their creative toolboxes:
"I get anxiety about it. Like I know my internet is s—-y, and I'm gonna be frozen on the screen in a stupid position. I feel like internet connections are gonna have to step up. I think people are going to try to get creative in terms of how they're showcasing talent, and they already are — but I know as a viewer I'm not trying to watch a split-screen of Zoom that I also use on all my conference calls. That's not appealing to me."
To read Issa's full interview, click here!
Featuring image by Matt Baron/Shutterstock.
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To help you better understand why this was such a mental awakening for me, I first need to give a bit of my backstory. I’m in my late thirties. I’m an attorneyand a journalist. I own a home and have traveled the world extensively. Essentially, I’ve done everything in life I set out to do. However, when it comes to dating, I struggle. Not because there is anything wrong with me per se, but because my career and “lifestyle” often create problems in my romantic relationships.
View from my hotel room
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I’ve been told everything from, ‘I can’t continue to date you because you seem to choose your career over wanting to settle down and have kids’ by a man after only the second date to ‘Maybe if you just sat down somewhere for a while, I’d actually wife you’ by someone who has honestly never proven themselves to be the settle down type. And these are only a handful of the things I’ve been told over the years.
It’s been frustrating, to say the least, and there have even been seasons where I purposely dimmed my light in hopes that my career wouldn’t push away potential suitors. I know what you’re thinking, “Girl, why would you even consider that? If they’re for you, it won’t matter what you do.” Hey, don’t judge me, but also, I one hundred percent agree.
My hotel bathroom
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That’s why this recent moment in Switzerland was right on time. When I first walked into the hotel to check in, I was blown away by the surrounding beauty. It was a five-star property with one of the world’s most famous thermal bathhouses. Yet, it was something about seeing that 90% of the hotel’s guests were couples, that forced me to sit back for a bit of introspection—while soaking in the thermal spa, of course.
As I went through the mental conversation, there was a battle of sorts. On one hand, I knew that being able to partake in experiences like the one I was having at that moment was important to me. I knew that, at times I actually love being able to dabble in the finer things—after all, I’ve worked hard to be able to afford them. On the other hand, and sadly, I knew that sometimes being a single Black woman that publicly showcases her “luxurious” habits can intimidate men and even scare them off from pursuing you under the guise of them feeling like they “can’t do anything for you, because you have everything.”
My hotel room
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So, what is a girl to do?
Do I minimize/hide the life and experiences that I have? Do I play down the hard work I’ve put in to get where I am professionally? Or, do I risk being single in exchange for being able to have said life, without backlash?
Luckily, the joy that I felt while being at this property won. There was something about taking a full day to simply pamper myself at the bathhouse and in my in-room steam shower and soaker tub, indulging in cuisine from a 2-star Michelin restaurant and doing all of this while surrounded by an amazing group of Black women that reminded me—this is certainly the life I was meant to live and that I deserve. Even if it means that right now, I’ll just have to provide it for myself until the right partner comes along. And honestly, I’m okay with that.
Restaurant at 7132 hotel
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