Writer's statement: I chose to write about coping with the quarantine because I´ve been having a hard time with it lately. I thought that if I put my feelings out there, then maybe someone else who is feeling alone will know that they are not the only one feeling like that. It has been hard for me because I´m an only child. I don't have a brother or sister to hang out with. I just have my mom and grandma. This was also a way for me to start thinking more positive and reminding myself what I can do to feel better.

This Covid quarantine is pretty crazy! Not being able to see our friends and family, go to school, participate in sports, or even go outside. So how do we cope with feeling disconnected from our friends, family, and our lives? And what do we do with all of this extra time?

One thing that you can do to help fill some time is to learn how to cook or experiment with different recipes. It’s fun to watch different Youtube channels to get some ideas and try new things. I have been focusing on various blended drinks. I researched different recipes online and then made them exactly how the recipe said to. Then I changed a few things to see it is better or worse, and kept track of what I changed. It has been a fun and tasty way to fill some time.

A way to feel more connected to your friends and family is to set up Zoom meetings. This way you can see people’s faces and feel like you have some quality time and still be safe. To help feel connected to your friends, you can Facetime and play games together. I know that this sort of gets old. I fell out of doing this with my friends because nobody is doing anything so we didn't have a lot to talk about. I started feeling more and more lonely so I started scheduling weekly check ins. They are just quick 5 minutes to say hello and to let my friends know that I miss them. I found that even a quick call can really make me feel better.

But the most important thing to do is to take care of yourself. When it’s nice outside, it’s okay to go outside and take a walk and breathe in some fresh air. I know that for me, even a quick walk around the block or a drive in the car makes me feel so much better. I was starting to feel worse by going outside because I didn't wan to go back home. I think I was just worried that it would be awhile before I could go back outside. My mom and I talked about it and decided to have scheduled time. It´s not doable to just go for super long drives or walks every day because other stuff needs to get done (school work, chores, eating, etc), so we decided to go on a 30 minute walk 3 days a week after my mom is done with work, and we go on one drive drive every weekend. That way it tricks our brains into knowing that we won't have to stay home forever when we come back home. It feels a little more normal.

I´m ready to start getting back to a more normal life. I miss playing softball and seeing my friends and I want to be able to go to the water park this summer. But thinking about what we can´t do has been making me sad, so my advice would be to focus on what you can do. Play games with your family, force yourself to stay connected to your friends, even if you don't have anything new to talk about, try to stick to a routine even though everything is really different right now, and remember that when you feel lonely, you are not alone.