I can only imagine what is going through everyone’s head right now. I bet there are many “I miss my friends!” and “Am I the only one who is going insane?!” We all have many questions, and no answers. The only thing that we can do is listen to the government and stay safe. There are many ways to cope with this outbreak: music, exercise, Netflix, and ice cream, but none of those are actually giving us social interaction. The most important way to cope with this virus to me is to stay in touch.

There are many things changing throughout our world right now. Some people are unemployed, some are doing online school, and some haven’t seen even a slight change in their daily schedule. For my family, not much has changed besides having school online and only being able to wave to my friends through the car window. Did I mention I have to talk to my grandparents through their front door because if any of them caught even a cold they wouldn’t be able to recover? Both of my parents are still working and so is my brother. My friends, family, and I stay in touch by FaceTime and text. There is a lot of Snapchatting as well, and the occasional phone call. I try to help support others in our community by checking up on people. I know how hard it is to stay away from people and especially those you love. I try to make sure that my friends are doing okay, and offer to listen if they aren’t.

—Lucy

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