Christina Kingan ’23
EE Staff Writer
As we all know, this devastating virus, better known as COVID-19, has put a pause on all our usual daily activities. Many of us have realized how we have not appreciated our normal lives enough. Greeting a friend in the hallway and even traveling without the fear of getting a dangerous virus is all in the past. We have adapted to this new way of living. Wearing masks, having to carry hand sanitizer everywhere we go, frequently washing our hands, and having to quarantine.
This new way of living has come as a shock to all of us. It felt surreal the first couple of months, being sent home with the mindset that we will be returning in a short two weeks. When weeks turned into months it seemed as though things would never look up. Many people became anxious, stressed, and depressed. Being alone is not in our nature and having to be isolated for months had a toll on everyone’s mental health. We had to stay away from friends, classmates, and extended family.
With the limitations enforced by this virus we had to come up with other ways to keep ourselves busy. Articles started being published, giving people ideas on what to do trapped indoors. For example, when you look up “what to do during quarantine”, a list of articles and videos immediately pop up. USA Today published a piece listing 100 things for people to do during lockdown.
Influencers have also made an initiative to help brainstorm activities for people to do indoors. They assured us that everyone is going through the same obstacles and difficulties, and showed that they are also struggling. Keeping yourself busy allows for you to feel like you are getting back to normal or nonetheless allows you to see the opportunities that alone time can bring, like accomplishing something you’ve always wanted to do.
Many people found happiness in exercising. As studies have shown in the past, exercising is an easy way to increase serotonin levels. It releases endorphins, which triggers happy feelings, along with making you feel better and healthier. While conversing with some classmates, they were telling me about their experience throughout quarantine and how they utilized exercise to relieve their stress and negative feelings. Corinne Howell stated “I ran during quarantine to help cope with stress.” Exercising is a very useful outlet to get rid of negativity or bad feelings and clears the head. It is a great tool to use to get rid of anger or sad feelings in a healthy way. From my own experience, I too found stability in working out. I attended virtual rowing everyday and not only did it help me feel better but it also added structure to my day. Exercising helps motivate people mentally and give them a reason to get out of bed.
With being forced inside, we were surrounded by our family and had more time to connect with them. In the first few months, I personally felt scared but also thankful that I could spend more time with my family. We grew closer and enjoyed recreations like putting together puzzles and playing football outside. THS sophomore, Grace Cutney, shared that she too enjoyed the extra free time she was able to spend with her family and found little pleasures like “cooking dinners with [her] dad” and family Zooms. One of the best things we can do with this time together is to further bond with our families and use this opportunity to grow closer, even when far away.
Just because we had to physically distance ourselves from one another, that does not mean we can’t socialize via social media and messages. Our generation is fortunate enough to have technology that allows us to communicate through texting and facetiming. Facetiming proved very useful during this time, as it gave us the ability to talk to one another face-to-face without having to risk getting the virus. Friends talked through SnapChat, Zoom, Instagram, Messages, and more.
The social media platform TikTok became increasingly popular over this time and gained users until it reached around 800 million. TikTok, initially originating in China, spread to all parts of the world. It has created a space where people from all around can meet and communicate. People who were feeling lonely during quarantine took comfort in knowing they were not the only ones. Having such an accessible way to communicate made the app very popular. Many like to learn dances or make funny content and to spread it to others. This app cured boredom, allowed people to see other realistic lifestyles around the world, learn a new skill, and have a good laugh.
Another unique thing that we have access to are apps that let us watch television with our friends without having to hang out. One app called Rave lets the user watch a movie with multiple people, and even though you are not physically next to them nor can you see them, there is a chat box where you can make comments throughout the duration of the film.
Another form of technology that has become a large part of a typical quarantine day is video games. They became even more popular as people were trying to burn time in a fun way. Junior, Adrish Das, said that “the lack of social interaction definitely took a toll on me during quarantine, and playing Xbox with my friends was my biggest way of getting that interaction I need.” Video games serve as a fun way to play with your friends and interact in a safe, distanced way.
Technology was and still is essential in our quarantine life, giving us the illusion that we are with loved ones even when we are nowhere near them. It has boosted and supported our mental health during these hard times.
Art has also been an outlet for getting rid of doubts and finding peace. Music, one form of art, has played a significant role in providing pleasure. From performing it, and maybe even learning a new instrument, to listening to it, music has become a hobby to many. People have had time to discover new music that makes them the happiest and find their style. People have also learned new instruments that they always aspired to play and maybe have even found how good they are at it, bringing the person even more positivity and confidence.
Painting has also been an outlet for stress and is very calming. Sophomore, Scott Gell, said that “art is a great way to relieve stress and gives you the chance to put all of your creative thinking into a piece of your own liking. Mistakes will come along the way but you must use them to learn how to improve and develop your artistic ability.” Art has the ability to help us learn lessons and to accept mistakes and grow from them. This can be applicable in many real life situations and teaches us to cope with criticism which is something that is hard to take. Art makes you feel calm, accomplished, and more mature.
These are just a few examples of how people coped with quarantine and kept their mental health in as good shape as they could manage.