31 Days of SMA: The Pandemic Gave Me Time to Rest

Photo courtesy of Ainaa Farhanah Amali

Day 3 of 31

This is Ainaa Farhanah Amali’s (@ainaafrhanah) story:

“Sweet, sour, salty, mixed” — that’s how I describe Year 2 of the COVID-19 pandemic, which of course has not ended yet.

Last year, when the first cases were announced, many people panicked and started preparing for a massive quarantine. Some were still in disbelief, while others thought everything was going on as usual.

Now, when I step outside the house, people are wearing masks. It has become a habit. A year has passed, and this is the new normal.

In or out of a pandemic, I try to find ways to adapt. Even though I didn’t go out, I exercised at home, doing online physiotherapy. I would never have thought that I could do virtual physiotherapy, but fortunately, new technologies and digital communication have come a long way. My physiotherapist has come out with exercises I never would have thought of, and she monitors me through the screen.

I miss my old lifestyle. I do. But it would be remiss of me to ignore that while I’m doing less stuff, I’m making more room for rest — something my body always craves.

Now that life has slowed, I am finally giving my body the rest I had denied it for so long.

In this phase, I am finding myself saying yes to rest. I am seeing how much my body has craved this break and how this new restful time has proven beneficial for me. I am learning that it’s okay to take a break. It’s okay to listen to what your body is telling you.

I hope that my lifestyle will pick up the pace again — maybe not the way it was before but enough to keep my inner overachiever thriving. But when life’s pace does speed up, I’ll remember to prioritize rest this time around.

Although we do not have an exact end date, we do know that the present situation is not permanent. So I focus on what is important. When this crisis is over, our life will flow again. Let us be mindful of each other and be there through the journey.

SMA News Today’s 31 Days of SMA campaign will publish one story per day for SMA Awareness Month in August. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more stories like this, using the hashtag #31DaysofSMA, or read the full series.