A worldwide pandemic is an uncommon thing, and living through one isn’t something that many people can come through unaffected. We’ve all had to adapt to the difficult changes that have come about due to Covid-19, whether on a societal, governmental, or personal level. For many of us, one of the most jarring changes has been our inability to socialize with others like we at one time could, and we’ve all had to find activities to fill up free time we didn’t have before. Everyone has found their own ways to cope, but it’s always great to hear how others deal with the stress of staying at home so we can add some new options to our own schedules. This article is to inform you about how your classmates are dealing with being stuck at home.
This is a scary time, and the constant stream of information about the coronavirus can really be overwhelming. It’s easy to feel lonely, scared and like the world has shrunk. COVID 19 has affected everyone in some way, but they’re all different.
Sophomore Amelie Fawson says, “Personally, I haven’t struggled immensely.”
Sophomore Sophia Bateman, however, states, “It’s definitely affected my personality a lot”.
There is no one Coronavirus experience, but many people can relate to the experiences of others. Everybody wants to spend time with their friends and family, but a global pandemic isn’t conducive to big get-togethers. Many people can talk over the phone, through text messages, or even emails.
The bad thing about those methods, however, is that we can’t always see their faces. Sometimes it can feel like we can’t see our friends anymore, and people who are especially social can struggle with this.
The good news is, now that we have our Chromebooks we can easily connect with anyone who goes to Watauga. Chromebooks are an excellent tool for communication
School Counsellor Ms. Leigh Lyall has a few tips to stay in touch with anyone who goes to a school in Watauga. Ms. Lyall recommends using your computer to video call when just texting or emailing doesn’t cut it, saying, “Texting and social media can be great tools for connecting, but the personal touch of hearing a voice by phone or seeing a face through video chats will help increase that feeling of connection”. A video call can be used to do a lot of things, from a virtual game night to a simple conversation. Anything that will help connect you to your friends in this time of separation is worth looking into. When asked about how she’s been keeping up during her time at home, Fawson said, “I have sent emails to family members, zoom meetings with family members, texting with family members and friends”. Bateman had this to say when asked the same question, “I call my best friend like every night, and I facetime and text people through social media”.
Lockdown has given some people a lot of free time, and not everyone knows what to do with it. This can be tough because if someone doesn’t know what to do with their time they end up just doing nothing. This is a great time to pick up a new hobby or improve your skills at a hobby you already enjoy.
When asked about hobbies during quarantine, Fawson stated, “To keep busy during the pandemic, I've picked up new hobbies like using a sewing machine and I've expanded on some of my other hobbies like painting, reading, and playing video games with friends”. Activities like these are great ways to have fun with one’s free time. Bateman gave these activities when asked about how she was having fun during quarantine, “Painting and drawing, but also skateboarding and lots of swimming holes and hikes”.
We all have to make an effort to stay happy and healthy during the lockdown, and these are some great ways our classmates have done it.
With lots of time at home being a guarantee until October, it's important to look at the way we’ve spent our time at home and make sure that we have healthy ways to cope with everything going on. Two final pieces of advice for lockdown come from Ms. Lyall, who recommends that we use some of our free time meditating or simply looking back on what’s happened.
Ms. Lyall says, “Consider trying meditation or mindfulness to help calm and center yourself”, and reminds us that our teachers and counselors are always available to help when you need them, Lyall states, “Reach out for help as often as you need it. Your teachers, counselors, and administrators are all here to help you have the best experience possible this 9 weeks”.
Written by Jackson Anderson
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