Life has changed drastically for everyone since the COVID-19 pandemic first began. This pandemic has even caused some people to rethink what they prioritize in life. When I first learned that the United States would go under lockdown, I spent that night looking at my ceiling stuck on the question of what will I do from here since I usually find myself doing the same thing when I am brooding over how I will perform on an assessment the next day or what household chores that I will perform when coming home from school the next day. Out of all of the seven point eight billion people who dwell on the Earth, I know that I was not the only person who felt as though life had stopped when COVID-19 began to spread around the world. Finding the perfect balance of experiencing the bliss of life and taking precautions that will prevent the spread of COVID-19 is something that everyone is pondering about today.
From my experience with my life being altered from COVID-19, I feel like the way that I have found this balance is through the mindset that I have had throughout this pandemic.
“People can use this time for self-reflection and work on one area of their life where they feel needs improvement (spending time with family, prioritizing or developing a school or work/life balance, getting more physically active, etc.),” said McIntosh counselor and department chair Lee Ann Belknap. “By setting a goal to improve something that is valuable to you will help you battle the doldrums of this pandemic.”
I have not been in denial about the challenges that have come my way during this pandemic since I have decided to only view them as stepping stones that have forced me to work even harder, but everyone has not been able to have the same type of mindset that I have decided to adopt at this time. Occupying myself with my favorite pastimes during my spare time such as reading and drawing have contributed to the mindset.
“Gratitude journals, walks in the park, FaceTime with friends and relatives you cannot visit, uplifting music, prayer, cooking – whatever is important to each person – these are things that can bring joy and help to ease stress during this time,” said McIntosh counselor Benita Cochran.
If you are a McIntosh student who feels as though they need reassurance in the direction that they are in the midst of these unprecedented times as a high school student, please arrange a virtual session with your counselor at McIntosh by clicking the website link below.
The essential workers at this time who have both learned how to manage their own lives as well as taking care of us deserve a huge round of applause at this time which includes McIntosh’s school nurse Jane Herrera RN.
“Focusing on the things that are the most important to me, such as my relationship with Jesus, my family and friends, and things that I hold dear, helps me to keep my perspective where I feel it needs to be,” said Herrera.
A person’s perspective is extremely important at this time in order to endure through these unprecedented times. You have to keep your mind set on what you are living for. There are so many things that we are faced with that are pulling us into doubt, but we just have to keep our minds set on what we want to accomplish. We have to keep looking forward.
Finding the balance of living life to the fullest while taking the precautions that are necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19 could be especially difficult if you are a teenager who plans on pursuing a career in the medical field at this time.
“I keep my circle of friends that I am around without a mask small, and I remind them about protecting themselves in public places,” said sophomore HOSA member Andrew Bleuez.
“These precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are important because even though the people we are friends with may not be in extreme danger, their parents and relatives could be.”
All teenagers have had to learn how to comply with the precautions of COVID-19, but following these precautions are extremely true to teenagers who do plan on pursuing a career in the medical field. There is enough confusion that comes along with being a teenager, so teenagers have learned how to cope with the changes in their lives that have resulted from this pandemic along with figuring out who they will become.