March 28, 2020 // After the number of cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts doubled overnight on March 10th, the number of cases in Boston went from zero to 19, I grew increasingly concerned about what this meant for myself and my family. I paid close attention to the news and to articles covering the coronavirus to make sure I was up to date with everything going on. Boston schools were still open, and I was still going to work at this time.
Then the number of cases doubled again. I began watching the news more closely as cases in other states soared and it quickly became clear that we were not safe from this disease.
I stopped going to school days before the official announcement of closure was announced, with concern for my mother at the forefront of my mind. After learning that the disease targeted those with pre-existing health conditions and compromised immune systems and that young people can be carriers of the disease themselves, I spoke to her about staying home for her own safety.
My quarantine time has been longer than others, and in this time I have not only been left with figuring out how to best manage my time and my days, but I have been able to see just how this time home is affecting my mental health.
Though personally, this doesn’t come as a surprise, my anxiety has decreased tremendously as I’m no longer running on 10+ hour days from school to work and then home again, on less than five hours of sleep. However, I have found that with my lack of a proper sleep schedule, I haven’t been feeling as great as I could.
I have also decided that I am using this time to do things and accomplish goals I hadn’t had the time to do while in school, and I am practicing new ways to manage my time. Our five weeks of time in quarantine has now become six weeks, and that’s a long time. Two goals I have had for a long time now are to learn how to play the ukulele and to begin writing a short story from an idea I’ve had. On my fourth day or so of being home, I decided on a whim to pick up my instrument and finally learn how to play it, and as of last Friday, I’ve started my short story.
With all this time, especially for those who are not leaving their homes unless they absolutely have to, I think it’s really important to make use of this newfound time outside of online learning and school work.
I’m not going into work at Hyde Square anymore so I have been slacking on dancing and stretching every day, but I have made myself two schedules to follow to the best of my ability for this time we have a home.
I have had to figure out ways to not fall into a pit of sadness because my mind and body are so used to having multiple things to do a day, so I find when I’m not doing much one day, I beat myself up for it and become really sad. And it doesn’t help that right now there is a lot to be sad about. This quarantine time has exposed to me important lessons as well, about time, health and family and friends.
WriteBoston joined GrubStreet, as well as other nonprofit and advocacy groups, in solidarity to support the voices of immigrants and refugees at Boston’s first “Write-In”. Organized by local creating writing center GrubStreet, the event featured an open mic, podcast recording booth, and typewriters for immigrants, both youth and adults, to share their stories in their preferred medium. WriteBoston partner-school Boston International High School attended with a small, but brave, group of students. They spoke and wrote their stories on the steps of Copley Square Public Library.
