By Lana Hy

   Since school campus closed down on March 13 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I have been focusing on improving my mental health. 

   As a junior, I am enrolled in three AP courses while volunteering at a hospital, being an officer for two clubs, and taking care of my two younger siblings. Juggling my extracurriculars took a huge toll on me this year as I was constantly stressed and tired.

   Every school night, I would only get about four to five hours of sleep. Getting ready for school was a hassle at times when I struggled to get out of bed. In addition, I frequently skipped meals if I had multiple tests to study for in one day. On top of that, I was ten pounds underweight. Throughout this school year, I always wished for a miracle that my stress would end soon and suddenly, it was granted but not in the way I expected nor wanted.

   Since being quarantined, I have slept for at least eight hours every single night. I keep a journal to log in the amount of hours I slept and also use it as a place to write about my days. I draw pictures inside of my journal and color them in as well to destress. I always had a journal in my backpack but I cannot recall the last time I had time to actually decorate and write a whole page entry in my journal.

   In addition, during distance learning, I am given more time to finish assignments which gives me free time on my hands. When I am not doing anything academic related, I would try to make new recipes like baking a cake and making milk tea. Since I have been spending a lot of time baking, I have also spent a chunk of my time eating. Over a span of nearly two months, I gained ten pounds and I have a healthier BMI. 

   I also spend my leisure time with my friends. While I am sad that I cannot see my friends in person, I found more time to video chat with them. During junior year, my friends and I took on more challenging courses and engaged in more extracurriculars which limited the time we had to talk at school and hang out. 

   With a slower paced life at home, I am able to talk to them for hours. Obviously, video chatting is not the same as seeing friends in person but I am grateful that we are able to talk more. 

   While staying home may be a challenge for many, I find being at home oddly comforting and something I have been needing for a long time to enhance my well-being.