The joy of finding the good in every situation

While in quarantine, many of us have found ourselves to be trapped in a cycle of terrible sleep schedules and laziness. Social media has become a black hole that sucks you in and spits you out, leaving you unmotivated and  just as bored as before.

For the first few months of this extended Spring Break, I fell into this cycle. I had no motivation to do anything and only wanted to lay in bed aimlessly scrolling through Instagram or Tik Tok. I was always bored, but I never felt like doing anything to change it. To cure my boredom, I would sleep because ‘Why not? It’s not like I’m doing anything else.’ My family would ask me if I wanted to go on a walk and I would always say no, even though I was doing absolutely nothing. The lazy and negative mindset seemed to taint and consume everything.

After a few weeks of being like this, I decided I needed to change. I knew I needed to start going outside, see people (from a distance of course) and find a hobby. Before COVID-19, I was always busy with school. Now with this free time, I began drawing and painting more, just as I had years before. I don’t know why I stopped, but I’m glad I found my way back to it. I had bought a bullet journal sometime this year but never had time to do anything with it; until now.

I began recording what I did each day as well as draw random things. One night around 2am, I painted my bucket hat and I realized I needed to appreciate the small things in life as I did before quarantine. Although this little orange on my hat seemed insignificant, it reminded me to do what made me happy. During isolation I always thought ‘There’s nothing to do’ but, once I changed my mindset I realized there is in fact, lots to do.

To keep track, I made a list of books to read and shows/movies to watch as well as random extra activities. I read “They Both Die at the End” for an English project, and although this wasn’t the best book, it had a really great message which is to live life as if it’s your last day and YOLO.

I also re-watched one of my favorite shows from when I was little: “Avatar: the Last Airbender.” One of the characters, Uncle Iroh, who is a tea enthusiast and defamed war general, reminds his young nephew to stay mindful of his actions and to find peace within himself. His calming presence and philosophical speech is actually quite helpful for people looking to introspect and think about life as a whole; which is a great thing to do during this quarantine. Learn about yourself while you have the time!

While in isolation, it is very easy to become lazy and unhappy, especially with everything happening in the news. Creating a schedule and rekindling old/finding new hobbies, being outside or even changing your hair can help a lot! Make sure you are still keeping in contact/seeing with friends as well, being deprived of interaction outside of your family can be very draining. Try playing Cards Against Humanity or any other online games or go trunking! Focus on finding the good in everything you do, even if it is difficult at first. Stay healthy and stay safe.