Hoarders, Producers, Ignorers, Speculators, and Outliers
I’ve never been an extreme couponer, because it just took more time than I was willing to give. I did try. But my hat is off to them, because amidst the mass hysteria that the grocery stores are, they get an opportunity to sit back, chill, and enjoy the fruits of their labor. This COVID-19 pandemic has injected a mix of fear and anxiety, hope, conspiracy theory, frustration, excitement, sense of community, uncertainty, creativity, disappointment, and confusion into our world. But it has also made us aware of a clearly defined stratum of groups within our society - the hoarders, producers, ignorers, speculators, and outliers.
Panic buying is nothing new. Every time there is a potential disaster, it’s easy to find the shelves emptied of water, bread, and non-perishable goods. As I searched for toilet paper, (just because we were running out) I jokingly told my friend that I needed to stock up on a grill, generator, candles, snow shovels, flashlights, batteries, and apparently toilet paper in times of non-crisis. If you’ve seen shows about PEOPLE WHO HOARD, you probably understand that this behavior is related to reducing anxiety. We have a tendency to hoard because it makes us feel secure. We feel in control of our personal security. During times when the future is unknown, these actions provide some solace.
If you’re in need of a schedule, course, guide, or tips, the PRODUCERS have them for you! Just scroll to find something to keep you busy, active, focused on your goals, and optimistic about what the future holds. They are there to reassure you that this time SUCKS, but with a little creativity and ‘glass-half-full mentality’, we will ALL get through it. Faith over fear is their mantra.
But the IGNORERS don’t have much time for getting creative because ‘the show must go on’. They’re only concerned about the bottom line, ‘business as usual’, and wondering why everyone is panicking about a superflu. They legit don’t care, and live to fly their unbothered approach in the face of reality, shaming and ridiculing those in their path who are genuinely concerned. In a mix of denial and aloofness, they power through, unwilling to acknowledge ‘feelings’, ‘facts’, and ‘fatalities’.
On the other end of the continuum, you’ll find the SPECULATORS who are attuned to every single detail, seen and unseen (emphasis on unseen). They will tell you to stay woke, while explaining the subtext, hidden meaning, and disclosing privileged information. Inevitably, their predictions are fatalistic. You’ll spot them on most social media feeds where people start a sentence with, “Did anyone notice…” While it’s not a great idea to bury our heads in the sand, you have to know your limits here. You will be triggered on a whole different level if you don’t.
But just like in life, everyone doesn’t fit neatly into a box, or even remotely embrace the beliefs and behaviors of the aforementioned. These are the OUTLIERS. They are either booking flights and scaring family members with their selfies from cruises, brunch, or social gatherings... or self-quarantining with zero tolerance for social interaction - rationing food, toilet paper, and water in calculated hopes that it will stretch.
Just know:
not one of these groups is better than the other.
we are ALL of these people.
we will experience a range of emotions by the week, day, hour, or minute.
we won’t even notice sometimes until we’re doing it or reflecting on how we did it.
it’s best to be flexible - expecting the unexpected.
it’s okay to do the MOST to keep your sanity.
it’s alright to do NOTHING because you’re emotionally spent.
the unknown can be SCARY!
it’s not wise to believe everything you read, hear, or imagine.
faith over fear can actually be a perfect mantra for right now!
Be easy on yourself. Be kind to others. We will get through.
