The world and many communities and people are struggling with not only the Coronavirus, but also being jobless and not being able to do the things we took for granted, like going out for a simple walk or meeting and hanging out with friends. Which can really have an effect on you mentally. But there are ways to cope with this and stay sane and not feel like you’re looking in your house and feel like a prisoner. With me, personally, things like waking up early and coming home pretty tired are some of the few changes, but I take it as somewhat of a blessing. It does sound weird but I have so much free time now and I’m pretty thankful for that. I have more time with my family and more time to do things I like, so here are ways you can cope with this pandemic and have a more positive outlook on it.

For me, the first and most important way to cope with this pandemic is having faith, whether that’s religion, meditating, or anything that will calm you down and give you hope and have more positivity in your life in some way. I believe that having faith will keep you going even in the darkest times and will always guide you. It’s also comforting in a way which is hard to explain, but you just have a feeling everything’s going to be all right. There’s not much to it and I believe it helps you mentally, too, and is a good distraction to have.

Another way I have been coping with this pandemic is just doing things around the house. Like cleaning, cooking/baking, and doing some of my hobbies. It just keeps me away from thinking too much. It basically keeps me away from overthinking and just having a breakdown. Cleaning is a really good thing because once you are done, you get to admire what you have accomplished and it just makes the house more spacious, which is needed at times like these. Cooking and baking is another more fun thing to do. Not only do you get to do something and not sit around, but when you’re done just throw on a movie or a TV series and enjoy your food. Finally, hobbies. I have a lot of hobbies that have kept me busy, which is great because they’re helping me improve my brain like my favorite hobby, chess, which improves thinking and memory, I believe.

Finally, the last thing that has kept me going and peaceful at mind is going outside, even just standing outside my house getting some fresh air and just admiring the beauty of nature. But things like going for a walk, a drive, or exercising keeps you happy and distracted. I’ve been playing soccer and going on long drives, practicing driving myself, and probably the most enjoyable one, playing soccer. It might be just myself playing, but I am improving which is an advantage for me for next season so I can make varsity, and it’s just a great way to keep happy and I have fun. I can see what I need to improve on and what I have improved on, and it does its job to keep me distracted and just brings me into my own little world where I’m on varsity and scoring bangers.

In conclusion, yes these are hard times for everyone, but us young adults have so much time and I believe less to worry about and can truly improve in the things we like, grow, and prepare for the things we want to do in the future. Or even learning something new. Time is valuable and we have a ton of it, so let’s make it useful.

—Abdi

Share your own story here. Sharing stories is a powerful way to connect with other people. Be part of the Teen Health & Wellness Personal Story Project—like Abdi did above—and share your story about successfully dealing with or overcoming a challenge.