By: Alita Wanaslip
March 13th, 2020.
That was my last day of high school. It was a very abrupt ending. All the teachers and students, including myself, were expecting to come back to school the following Monday. But we never did. Schools across the country closed down and students all over were left in the dark. I personally didn’t even go into remote learning until the second week of April. As a senior, I questioned how my last year would turn out and felt that all the “fun stuff” was ripped away from me. To this day, my prom dress remains tucked away in the back corner of my closet.
My life was basically put on pause, but I finally got the break that I needed. See, my life before March 13th was hectic. I was overwhelmed with schoolwork, college applications, and exams. It took every amount of effort for me to maintain my 4.0 GPA. On top of all of this, I had family issues that drained the energy out of me, which made going to school difficult.
I was stuck in my bedroom for most of the quarantine months with nothing to accomplish. At one point, my days and nights were completely flipped, and I would fall asleep as the sun would rise. I had several thoughts that were running through my mind that made me restless, but also made me question things in life.
It’s been almost a year since the Covid-19 Pandemic affected my life. Here’s what I’ve learned:
1. It’s okay to be unproductive:
Initially, I felt guilty for not having any to do. Like literally, nothing was due. I had zero responsibilities and thought I needed to be productive at all times. Eventually, I overcame this feeling and was able to enjoy the quarantine months. I picked up some new hobbies and just took things easy. This made a difference in my mental health
2. Don’t be your worst enemy:
You deserve love, happiness, and success. When you stop criticizing yourself and start dedicating your energy to loving yourself, you can overcome it all. It took me some time, but I have grown to treat myself better.
3. Stop being a Debbie Downer (or Negative Nancy):
Of course, it’s normal to feel sad once in a while. Life is not rainbows and sunshine, but dwelling over everything and sulking all the time is no way to live. I realized this the hard way when my friend pointed out my dejected behavior. I came to understand that if I wanted to live a better life, I needed a better attitude and outlook.
4. Overworking yourself does no good:
As I mentioned, I juggled school and family matters that left me feeling drained. I really was not myself. My mind and my body were exhausted and overworked because I couldn’t cope. I think my struggles at the time left a dent in my senior year of high school. I wish I could have enjoyed my last memories of high school. And this brings me to my final point.
5. Be in the present and treasure the precious moments:
I really regret how my senior year was, pre-covid. I worried about so many little things, and in the long-run, I don’t remember much from my day-to-day life at school. And so if I could change one thing from the past, it would have been to live in it more.