To all Women in quarantine: You are amazing!

It happened all of a sudden. As we all moved into our shelters with all our children (furry and skinned ones) our work doubled.

We found ourselves locked in our houses with our little ones running around, nothing to do, bored, cheating on the online school tests, wondering what is for dinner. 

In addition to cooking, cleaning, entertaining, now we had to become teachers, therapists, and experts at maintaining the peace.  

Some of us lost our jobs, others had increased work hours with no breaks, since our kitchen and bedrooms became our offices.

Looking for a new job or trying to keep up with all the work changes while having kids around 24/7 is one of the big challenges.

And guess what? We women are strong, creative and capable of handling many tasks under pressure. It is in our genes. 

Yes, we go to meetings with the supermarket list in our bags and we have special codes with our children to pick up the phone no matter when, if it is an emergency. We practically prepare for disaster every day, all the while making sure our children are happy and fed. 

While being in quarantine has certainly been a challenge, it also has sparked many women to unleash their talents, learn new skills. The more I look around, the more I see women everywhere contributing to our society. It makes me proud to be a woman.

Technology came to stay, so we are now familiarized with all kinds of Zooms; meetings that enable us to meet everyone we need from the comfort of our kitchen table.

Some of us thought we would have more time by staying at home, but all over the world everyone complains about the same lack of time, due to the increase of chores in the house, hours of work, or hours spent looking for a job and trying to keep the kids under control.

And we do get things done quickly. We have always been adaptable and we know the world doesn’t slow down for us. 

So I think the time is now. Actually, I saw this somewhere “the time is always now.” As we move through our busy schedules we save some time to get back to that dream that was kept in our drawers for such a long time. 

Learn to play an instrument. Start a writing class. Build something. Grow something. Make. Create. Inspire.  

Here are some examples of what women have been doing that somehow are contributing to their growth:

Life coaches, doctors, and teachers are mastering their craft online. Introverts are connecting in new ways. Artists are finding crafty ways to make PPE for nurses. Being in the house for such a long time, has provided us with the opportunity to reflect about who we are and what is important for us. So now I urge you to untether your superpowers, your talents, raise your voice for what matters to you and stay inspired! 


About the Author:

Ilana is a journalist and entrepreneur from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is passionate about helping people find their voices and pursue their dreams. It is never too late to start and never too early to change.