The coronavirus outbreak has been raging like fire throughout our world for over a year now, and so many aspects of our lives have changed since then. My introverted self was honestly slightly excited at the idea of extra time to work on myself and develop my hobbies at first. But we are WELL past the banana bread baking, Savage by Megan Thee Stallion Tiktok dancing, Chloe Ting workout video early lockdown phase. It started to get isolating and lonely, BUT I learned a LOT. There is so much I wish I could’ve told myself, so I made a list of a few of them:
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Acknowledge your feelings, you have some super lonely and tough times ahead. Everything you are feeling is completely valid and okay. Being isolated from people, worrying about the safety of your loved ones, things you looked forward to being cancelled, the list goes on and none of it will be easy. Use the time you have to work on YOURSELF, and maybe find a new hobby! Do not invalidate your feelings, because they matter and you feel them for a reason.
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters from Unsplash -
Check up on yourself, and everyone you are close with. You have no idea what people are going through, but do not pressure yourself to reach out if you are not in the best mental state yourself. It’s gonna be a lot harder to stay in touch with people especially if you do not see them as often as you used to. The people who are meant to stay in your life will be there.
Photo by Kelli McClintock on Unsplash -
I would honestly have told myself to enjoy the little things you used to do. It’s difficult to find the motivation to do those little things as school starts back up. You will probably find yourself asleep with your camera off during your Zoom class a few times, be kind to yourself and do not beat yourself up. Go outside WHENEVER you can, you will miss all the fresh air you used to get when you walked to class everyday.
Original photo by Lily Borror -
Buy extra flour, you are going to do a LOT of baking. This ties a lot to finding new hobbies, but finding something that will keep you occupied when your schedules suddenly free up can be so beneficial for your mental health. Personally I could not even make box cakes before the pandemic but learning something new was a fun way to keep myself motivated.
Photo by Jose Luis from Unsplash -
Don’t rely on anyone but yourself to make you happy. Let’s face it, you are with yourself 24/7, 365 days of the year. No one knows you and cares for you more than you care for yourself. Prioritize your own success and well-being. Take the time to get in tune with your personality and emotions and you’ll realize how amazing it is to spend time with your amazing self!
Photo by nappy from Pexels
For those who wish to get vaccinated, you can get on a waiting list to be notified at dgcoks.org/vaccineinterestform. It’s been a difficult year, but you are never alone.