The past 13 weeks have been challenging, to say the least. There have been MANY negative things as a result of COVID-19 and the quarantine, and unfortunately that list will likely grow. However, I wanted to take a moment and talk about some of the positive things that people experienced during this time as well.
I spoke with several people who told me how their life was positively affected and I wanted to share two of their quarantine’s “Silver Linings”.
Emily 20 yr. old college student:
BBH: Where did you shelter in place for the quarantine? Who else was there? How was it?
Emily: During quarantine I stayed at home with my parents and my sister. Prior to quarantine, I worked full-time and also attended school full-time. When both of these couldn’t continue because of the quarantine, I spent way more time at home than I was used to and had to adjust a little.
Being in the house for many months straight drove us all a little crazy towards each other! I also felt like I couldn’t accomplish anything at first and was super unfulfilled with myself. My sister and I help to keep each other occupied, but after so many months there was only so much to do and also not a lot of patience left.
BBH: What was the hardest thing(s) about the quarantine?
Emily: Personally I think the hardest thing about quarantine was keeping myself motivated. It was hard to stay focused on getting classes done all online, sticking to a schedule, avoiding distractions like family members talking or just looking around the house for something to do.
BBH: Was there a “silver lining” to the time you spent during quarantine? What was it?
Emily: Yes, I definitely found a silver lining through all of this! Over quarantine I was able to learn more about myself and pick up new hobbies that I hadn’t had the time before to focus on. Since I couldn’t go to the gym I adjusted to getting into yoga and I also learned how to sew. Yoga has made me so thankful for everything I have been given and grounded me mentally a lot more than I had expected considering when I started I just saw it as an exercise. With sewing I feel like I found a new passion that I am sorry I didn’t open my eyes to years ago. I have also been able to research and learn so much about fashion, which I find really interesting. I feel like quarantine really helped me improve myself in ways that I didn’t anticipate. Whenever I would feel unmotivated I would find something new to do and it allowed me to grow in different ways and find positivity. Quarantine also gave me a break and allowed me to slow everything down in my life, to “take a breather” which I am thankful for because I didn’t realize how much I needed a break.
Alex, 18 yr. old, High School Graduate 2020
BBH: Where did you shelter in place for the quarantine? Who else was there? How was it?
Alex: I was at my house with my family of 4 and also my grandfather who travels down for the winter. It was nice in some ways, but definitely got aggravating after a while. Being inside for most of the day gets hard.
BBH: What was the hardest thing(s) about the quarantine?
Alex: The hardest part of quarantine was adjusting to a new lifestyle. I am always “on the go” and I was used to never really getting a break. But I actually enjoy that, so not having a lot of activities, or things to do and places to go was a big change and really hard.
BBH: Was there a “silver lining” to the time you spent during quarantine? What was it?
Alex: My silver lining was being able to finally complete things that I always told myself I would do but never had the time for. In particular I was able to complete my first full album. I’ve always loved creating music and finally had the time to create enough original music to make an album. I learned what I had to do, to have it produced and available on all streaming platforms, like Apple Music and SoundCloud. This had been something I have wanted to do for so long but never had the time before.
As you can see from these young people’s stories, there can be positive outcomes as a result of the quarantine. Ask yourself, what was your silver lining, throughout this time? If you need help discovering what your “silver lining” is, call us at Boca Behavioral Health, and we can help you create more positivity in your life.
*Disclaimer: None of the people interviewed are or have ever been clients, and all have given me permission to discuss or quote them for this blog.