In a short period of just two weeks, everyone in the United States found themselves putting life as they knew it on hold for an indefinite amount of time. Practicing social distancing became something that was crucial in order to stop the spread. Senior college students had no time to say goodbye to their favorite places and people on campus, high school seniors had their end of the year activities cancelled, and college freshmen were not able to experience a full year at college. 1 in 5 people in the United States have filed for unemployment, unable to go to the jobs that keep them and their families sustained. Concerts and social gatherings have been cancelled or postponed until further notice, and people are unable to see their loved ones in nursing homes and hospitals. With all of these challenges that the pandemic has given us, I have been trying to find the positive side of being home. On the news and on social media, I feel like I have been seeing only the negative side of quarantine, but no one is talking about the positive sides. Of course it seems that the negatives are outweighing the positives, but there are some things that are happening in the world that can be considered good news.
This morning, I received a notification on my phone that one lab is entering phase 2 of their vaccine testing. Though multiple labs are working on finding a vaccine, they are working night and day to find a cure. Also, people are recovering and surviving the coronavirus. I personally knew 5 people who had the coronavirus (friends’ parents who worked in hospitals) and they have either fully recovered or are almost recovered. They also are not the only ones who have recovered either. Worldwide, 1.26 million people have recovered from COVID-19. Another piece of good news is that the environment is getting a break from the effects of human life for a little while. China has had a 25% CO2 emissions decrease compared to this time last year. Satellite images have shown the reduction in air pollution in countries where traffic has been reduced. Animals are starting to return back to state parks and beaches. With all of these worldwide positives, I started to wonder, in my daily life where can I start to find the positives? From completing my sophomore year completely online and being quickly torn away from all of my friends, how was I supposed to find something positive in my personal life in all of this chaos around me? After thinking about these questions, I decided to think about the little things that I never considered when I was extremely busy.
First, I have been able to spend a lot more time with my parents. Though we may drive each other a little crazy sometimes, they have become the first people I have talked to when I have a problem. I also have become much closer with my cat, who when I would come home for a weekend would completely ignore me, is now curled up next to me while I write this. I also have become more in touch with people that I didn’t really talk to much before quarantine. Whether it has been a large zoom call or a facetime, I’ve become closer with a few people I was never very close with. I have even become closer with my coworkers, where in our work group chat people are always talking about their everyday lives. I have seen a significant difference in my skin since I have been home too. Since I haven’t worn makeup since I moved out of college, my skin has finally had a chance to breathe while home. I’ve painted more, cooked more, and definitely worked out more. With any type of transit out of my day, I’ve freed up probably another two hours to do things I’ve always wanted to do. I have even fallen victim to the Chole Ting’s 2 week shred workout plan. Though I am away from my friends, I have been able to find the time to do things I would not have originally had time for, like diy clothing or clean every single pair of my shoes, which was definitely much needed. Living very close to the Charles River, as a child, my dad and I would always ride our bikes along the river. I have not done that in a very long time, and in the recent weeks I have been taking long walks on the path that runs against it. It has made me wonder why I had never done that before, because it is really pretty on a sunny day, and very relaxing to be out in the fresh air.
Don’t get me wrong, quarantine is hard. It is emotionally challenging to socially distance yourself from everyone but the people you live with, especially when it seems that there is no end in sight. I hope that you will be able to find the positives as well. I know for me it wasn’t easy. With all of the negativity in the news, it is important to not find yourself buried in the bad news that is constantly being broadcasted. Find something that makes you happy. Even if it is small, it can have a positive impact on your mental health, even if you don’t realize it at the time. Put on a face mask, blowdry your hair after a shower, put on leggings instead of sweatpants or even call a friend. These little things will make it easier on you, by giving you some light to your day. We all deserve that.