Boost of self-love in quarantine

By: Mariana Henriquez
10 B

It is not a lie that these few months have been difficult for all of us. Being used to going out every weekend and almost every day to go to school, or to work and then not being able to go out for any reason was shocking for everyone. And it is even more shocking for people like me, who like to give physical love, like hugs or just to caress the other person. Also, not having anywhere to go to or anything to do has made it difficult to entertain or not to get depressed. Nevertheless, I have learned in these six months that the opportunities to turn this difficult situation into something amazing, and personal growth are thousands.

First of all, I think one of the biggest advantages that we have had  while being at home during this difficult time, is the extra time we have. Not having to move from one place to another, and to put up with the annoying traffic jams, releases a lot of time we weren't used to having before. In that order, we are having one or two more hours per day to take advantage of and to use for personal projects and personal growth. In my particular case, I have always considered myself a lazy person, so these hours made me realize that I had to take more advantage of my time and use it wisely, in order to invest more time in me and my goals.

With this amount of free time, I've been starting to try different things that take me out of my comfort zone, such as cooking vegan and vegetarian recipes, painting walls and drawings, and writing poems and songs. I have also started to play more with my brother, to talk more to my mom, and to take online courses. I have connected more with God, and I have met some online friends, which have made my quarantine more pleasant. Also, I have been more focused on my music classes, I released my first song, and I have made some gifts for my friends to remember them how much I love them.  As for my soul and my body, I have started to eat better, take more baths, and to have a better skin routine. I am exercising regularly, and I am meditating and praying. 

I want this also to be a guide for you to know what to do these days, so I want to give you some ideas different from the ones I said before. If you are an artistic person, you could start reading more, writing your book or your diary, writing your songs, just letting your imagination flow, and playing whatever you want on your instruments. You could also learn to play a new instrument, learn a new way of painting, such as watercolors or oil paintings. If you like to travel, you could learn other languages, or you could travel the whole world with google earth. You could find fun facts about the places you love or start planning your next trips. If none of this is of your interest, you could begin searching for tips to have better grades in your Toefl or SAT exams. You could learn how to do your makeup, or you could start playing really fun games on Wii or Xbox, such as just dance, Fortnite, guitar hero, and more. 

The point of this is for you to know that there's always something to do; to not get bored, and if you keep your mind busy with projects and dreams, you are not going to have time to be sad or depressed. You will go out of quarantine being a completely different person. More intelligent, more talented, and maybe a better dancer, a better singer, a better soccer player, or a better student. Remember: you can always find some good in bad situations, and it's your choice to learn from it or to become bored and unmotivated. I hope this has helped you in some way, and I know you are capable of achieving whatever you want! Keep your head up. You go, girl!