Written and Answered by 2 Public Health Academy (PHA) Interns

The cancelation of sports and not being able to date or be in groups is taking a major toll on people’s personal lives. This may be one of the few ways in which people socially interact with others or set aside time to exercise, so finding alternatives can be a bit difficult during this time of the pandemic. Personally, we have been communicating with our friends via group chat or Facetime to check up on each other or keep track of the progress we are making with any school work. As a result of this pandemic, many people have had a lot of downtime to self-reflect and many have noticed that they take things for granted. For example, some people would complain about having to get up every day to go to work or school and now miss it because that is the place where they would engage with their friends, coworkers, etc. Some people have also come to the conclusion that they like working from home and completing their tasks virtually by using various applications like Zoom.

Staying in contact with your friends or any school groups is important, even though you cannot be with them physically. To stay in contact with them, you can make a group chat, a video chat, or keep in contact with them through social media. We personally do all those things in order to stay in contact with my friends. We know there are a lot of students who play sports so it is difficult for them to practice without their team and coaches. However, you can practice, work out, or do drills at home so you stay motivated. Aside from sports, one can create their own workout routine and do any exercises that do not require equipment from gyms. We tune in to live workouts on Instagram that personal trainers and coaches give. I know it can be quite challenging for those who are dating because they can’t be with their partner physically but the same thing goes for them, you could text them or make a video chat with them so you won’t lose any connection or communication. Throughout these rough times, it would be helpful if you shared your tips with your friends or with any classmates so they won’t go through this alone. Some people are having a hard time staying motivated, so it is important to check-up on your friends, family, and love ones to spread positivity and find ways to work through this together.

It is important to continue being socially and physically active because before the pandemic, we were all living life at a fast pace and engaging in these activities every day. If we stop this suddenly from one day to another, it can have a detrimental effect on our physical and mental health. Many people have begun to pursue new hobbies that can be done at home to keep themselves distracted from not being able to do the things they wish they could or to relieve stress, anxiety etc. Overall, it is most beneficial if you keep yourself busy and entertained, and do the things you love without breaking the stay at home order!