Staying Positive & Productive During Quarantine
It is 11 AM. You are a stressed out high schooler lying in bed, aimlessly scrolling through TikTok to avert your thoughts from the scary situation we are currently facing, and to avoid finishing the loads of homework that you have left even though AP exams are coming up. Sound familiar?
Stress has always been a huge problem, but nowadays it is becoming worse due to the pandemic we are facing. COVID-19 not only affects patients, but it also affects their loved ones and everyone around them. Everyday the number of cases grow exponentially, and it is so scary to think of you or your loved ones catching the virus. This then leads to an increase in feelings of angst, anxiety and stress.
As a high schooler who is quarantined, I know how scary life is right now. Schools, offices, and stores are all closing. We are not allowed to meet our friends or non-immediate family. Day by day, lockdown is getting longer and stricter. Life going back to normal seems impossible due to the amount of cases going up. With all this free time on our hands, it is so easy to get trapped in a spiral of negativity and hopelessness. Instead of constantly getting stressed out by the news, we can use this time off to learn new things, spend time on our hobbies and stay productive. Some new activities you can try at home are:
Learn a new language
- Apps like Duolingo and Quizlet are excellent resources to use while learning a new language. Many online videos / courses would also suffice!
Take online courses to learn new subjects
- You can take Ivy League courses, learn how to code and etc. (A lot of courses online, are free due to our current situation)
Read books
- Even though going to the library is not an option these days, you could always resort to downloading books from your library’s website, iBooks, Wattpad, and etc.
Focus on school work
- All the time we have off can be used to study for AP exams, finishing incomplete/missing work, and bringing our grades up!
Learn something new
- For example, you can learn how to paint, dance, etc.
Although our current situation is less than ideal, we can make being quarantined fun, productive and relaxing. As stressed out students, most of us probably do not get a good night’s sleep most days, and now we can catch up on sleep and continue working hard. As bizarre as this may sound right now, step by step, we can actually start to enjoy being quarantined and make the most out of this crazy situation.
Image Sources:
- https://www.dignited.com/35310/10-best-apps-for-learning-a-new-language/
- https://www.mnn.com/green-tech/computers/stories/fun-skills-you-can-learn-online-afternoon
- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/526358275194959487/
- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/379709812325739691/
- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/722898177670284859/
