This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Valdosta chapter.
The topic for today’s discussion ironically enough is how you stay sane when you barely leave your room or better yet when you barely leave your home. I’m an expert in the topic, self-proclaimed shut-in since the age of 9, and recent third wheel in my roommate arrangement. I think I know what I’m doing and, surely if I can get through this you can too.
The only way to honestly stay sane is having a good coping mechanism or in other words making a hobby for yourself. The hobby that took me hostage, you could say, at the age of 9 was anime. And I could go on and on on how much I love anime, and how it changed my life, and how it would change yours but that’s for another day another article. But isn’t your forte streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max are always available. And in the quarantined world that we are now unwillingly apart of you’re bound to find something good to watch on the interwebs. That’s sure to take your attention away from your ever-present loneliness.
Next, I would find a hobby that’s less destructive like cooking or baking. This is a great alternative because cooking has a funny way of rewarding the process (in the form of the end result anyway ) and can also be quite fun experimenting with different foods and techniques.
The last hobby then I would specifically recommend to you is some form of physical activity. And that can go from trying to get some fresh air every day to having a workout routine as everyone is at a different stage in their health journey. Above all else, I just want to stress the importance of getting some sunlight (vitamin D) any time that you can. As exposure to light has been proven to increase the moods of others.
The last step and really the unofficial step is staying positive and as I’ve stressed through this article staying preoccupied. You don’t need a partner to have fun and spending your time doing the things that you love like painting, drawing, gaming, reading, writing, etc… should always be your first priority. Take care of yourself and try to stay in a good mental state I know it’s hard trying to stay positive when you feel as if you’re the only one in the entire world. But you can get through and just realize if it ever feels like the wall or closing in and you’re reverting to a bad place in your life you can always call someone, take a step outside, or do something to take your mind off of things.
Hello, my names Yetunde Oluwadare (pronounced Yeah-tune-day) I am 18 years old and a freshman at VSU. I love to paint, draw, and cook in my free time and I'm also a psychology major.
