Praise then darkness, and creation unfinished

You are not somehow failing if there are days you can't cope. You aren't a terrible employee, or a terrible parent, or a terrible artist if you're not getting as much done as you normally would.
*
Because these aren't normal times. We're made of meat*. Being worried or scared is draining. Grief is draining. Anger, justified or otherwise, is draining. Please let yourself be imperfect. Even if you're a genuinely essential worker, and need to hold it together while you're working, when the day (however long) is over, it's okay to cry over your dinner, just like it's okay to have milk and cereal for dinner because it's easier than making something else, or figuring out what else you could make.

It's also okay to not cry, to shove those emotions into a dark corner of your mind for later. It's okay to cook something ordinary, like you would have on a random Tuesday last year--any sense of normalcy and continuity can be valuable. It's okay if cooking something complicated is a solace because for a little while your largest worry is exactly how long to cook those onions.

And it's okay to resent people who have time and brain space to write pieces like this or talk about this being a good time to learn Italian instead of staring at the wall, or trying to decide whether it's worth giving up ten minutes of sleep in order to make time for a shower.

*Even if you aren't made of meat, if you're reading this you're probably worried about friends or neighbors who are.