One thing that is helping me cope during this unsure time is checking up with my friends and family and making sure they are staying safe. Many things have changed for me and my family. I am the only person in the house that works regularly, because I work at Wal-Mart. Every day that I go to work at least one person thanks me for the hard work I do, and I really appreciate it. It makes me feel like I am doing something to help people, even if all I’m doing is putting products on a shelf. I started working there just before everything got really hectic and dangerous.

I make sure to text with my friends every day, sending them something funny I found or just telling them I am here for them if they need someone to talk to. I work with a few of my friends, including my best friend, so I haven’t been missing my friends as much as some people must be. I never thought I would miss going to school every day, I never realized that I liked the structure of going to school every day and being able to talk to new people whenever I want.

To help keep my family and community safe, I make sure to stay home whenever possible and when I do go out, to stay at least 6 feet away. At my job, every employee is required to wear a mask. It gets really hot and annoying, especially after a seven hour shift, but knowing that it protects at least one person makes it worth it.

—Chloe

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 Chloe did above—and share your story about successfully dealing with or overcoming a challenge.