Self-Isolation

Being self-isolated can put a strain to some of our spirits. My boss called me the other day to check in on me. He said, "I know you like to run around and be social, so I'm worried all of this is killing your spirit." Honestly, I hadn't even thought of that because of how well I've been dealing with quarantine.

I think that it's very healthy and important to spend some time by yourself. We should all take advantage of this time and learn to enjoy our own company. It's so easy to get caught up with a busy lifestyle and have so many responsibilities, especially as a young adult. Trying to have our "shit together" 24/7 is just not realistic.

Coming from a big family, I'm always around at least 5 family members on a daily basis. This was before college at least, when I was never used to being alone. On top of that, being very outgoing and a workaholic, I'm constantly surrounded by and interacting with people. At a point in my life, I realized that I didn't have any time for myself, and that it was important! I was perfectly fine with my life, however spending time with myself would have been a nice refresher.

My first year at WSU, I finally got the experience to live on my own. Having it be my first year, I also had little to no friends to hangout with. I just had me and my phone, which of course is not healthy. I took advantage of my solidarity and spent that time enjoying just myself. It was a good change for me, however I realized I couldn't live like that forever. Being on my phone 24/7 and being so sucked into social media, I realized my mental state was declining. I built up anxiety and became depressed throughout this first year of college. But hey, who didn't have a hard first year of college?

My spirit is that of a butterfly, frankly, a social butterfly. I enjoy growing and bringing light into people's lives. Being by myself 24/7 definitely hindered my spirit. I kind of drove myself a little crazy.

2017 me, going crazy

My second year at WSU however, I decided to be more involved and meet more people. I was ready to make more changes. I joined organizations on campus that boosted my communication skills, such as KZUU Radio and Cable 8 TV Productions. I also started working as a bartender at the most popular bar in Pullman. These were very nerve-wrecking, but you have to step out of your comfort zone in order to grow! It ended up being worth it.

I had a good balance of me-time and people-time, since all of these people I met were fairly new to me. Because I was feeling like myself again, I already felt my mental state going back up. I also took the step to see a therapist, to face my problems rather than to sulk about it.

Now, it's my third year second semester, and we're all self-isolating. I've been spending my time building relationships, genuinely getting to know someone rather than in a superficial way. I realized that I was so caught up with having in-and-out "relationships," that I didn't care to have a real connection with someone. It is so different than what I'm used to -- avoiding emotions, which may have been a factor in my anxiety.

I do admit, at the beginning of quarantine, it was hard having to adjust having to online classes and staying at home 24/7.

I found myself making excuses to go outside, like taking out the trash or checking the mail. That whif of fresh air is much needed. I want to take advantage of this time of having a low amount of responsibility to read a book and work on myself. I need to have more of an excuse to go outside so that I can get more fresh air and not be so cooped up in my room, like working out or just sitting outside.

It's easy to get carried away and procrastinate with so much time in our hands. Getting up and actually doing things feels so good. It's weird that even homework or cleaning feels good because it makes me feel like I'm actually doing something.

I hope that although we're all going through difficult times right now due to COVID-19, that we also take advantage of this time to enjoy our own company. If you're with your family, build a closer connection with them and enjoy your living situation. Make the most of it and work on yourself, as by the time we get out of quarantine, we'll all basically have to start our life again.