In all honesty, I never would have imagined myself writing something like this. Due to the COVID-19, myself along with countless Americans have been in a quarantine, or “lock-down” for what is going to be four weeks soon. The solidarity of it is shocking to people, especially those my age who haven’t gone through a global event of this scale before. And yet, in these crazy days of being stuck at home, I have started to realize many things that are important in my life, and have helped get me through the darker days. 

First, I have realized the importance of staying busy and on a schedule. When it has felt like I have nothing to do, I have noticed that finding little activities such as cleaning or doing school work has kept my mind from running wild. I have tried to take this one day at a time, and focusing on daily tasks has helped me stay on track with that. 

Another thing that has been useful for me has been doing simple things that I enjoy. One benefit of being quarantined is that I have a lot more time for doing the creative things I love to do. I have listened to a lot of music, I have played a lot of music, and I have a lot of time to just go out to my backyard and enjoy nature. These things have been very soothing to all the crazy that is happening around them, and I am very grateful to have passions. 

Finally, and the most important thing that has kept me feeling sane has been connecting to others through texting and phone calls. Being able to talk to some of the most important people in my life, even if I can’t see them, has been healing. Knowing that I have people outside of my family that I can count on during crazy times has definitely helped me feel closer to normal, when everything around me feels abnormal.

I know these are crazy and new times for everyone, but everything passes. This will not last forever, and together we will get through it. Although everything may feel strange, I encourage you to reach out and connect with the people you love, whether it is through a text or a phone call, it has definitely helped to settle all the crazy inconsistencies I am surrounded with.