The world is changing so quickly in our present time. Evolving and moving at every minute. But what does this look like for an nz teen trying to stay a float?
During quarantine I started noticing and observing things I didn’t before. How many hours I can spend watching YouTube, how many times I say the word ‘umm’ in a sentence, and how being stuck in my house can cause an unusual feeling of loneliness.
Some days I woke up feeling on top of the world. Filled with the motivation and drive to accomplish anything. Went throughout the day with a spring in my step, and no worries on my mind. Other days, I felt the opposite. Feeling like a constant slouch, with so much to think about, it took up all my energy. Stuck on the couch, pen and book in hand, but no inspiration to use it.
At the start of lock down I was feeling pretty good and excited about getting to do school from home. I could imagine myself all curled up in bed, working, watching Netflix, eating and having the time of my life. Dismissing the isolation of it all.
Throughout those first few weeks I created music, drew, read, kept up to date with my homework, and enjoyed spending time with my family, watching movies and jamming to music. My assumption was that quarantine in nz would only last a few weeks.
A few weeks passed, we were still in lockdown and it didn’t seem to be coming to an end as soon as I imagined. I became quite anxious about keeping up with school work, and constantly had an uneasy feeling inside, not really feeling motivated to do my assignments and online school. This caused me to drag out my work, leaving me with no time to relieve my stress and anxiety.
It felt like the whole atmosphere in my head changed. All my motivation was gone, and spent most of that week procrastinating about all the things I had to do.
Some days It felt quite disheartening seeing all the amazing things people had done and accomplished over their time in quarantine. Creating wonderful pieces of art, working out everyday, uploading heaps of really well put together YouTube videos. It made me feel like I wasted a month of my life, as I hadn’t done all the cool things other people had.
But I realised that we shouldn't let the successes of others discredit our own self worth. We should use them to inspire, empower and encourage us to be the best version of ourselves. To take motivation from others around us and use it to push us to become the person we aspire to be.
From the start of May my mum suggested that I post a positive thing on my insta story everyday. I started out not knowing what to post, not knowing what I had to be positive about but slowly my mood and motivation completely lifted. I felt inspired to look for positive things in my day, to look after myself and my wellbeing, and to engage with friends and family.
Wherever you are in the world right now, take a moment to breathe. Relax. Live in the present moment. Use this time to do something you never had the time to do before. Pick up a new hobby or perfect one, but never feel pressured to pick up these big projects. If relaxing is what you need during this time, then you do you! Reach out to your friends and family for support, or to support them. Jump on Zoom and have a coffee with your bestie or read that book your parents brought you three Christmases ago. Though we may be meters apart, we can still be the positive thing in some else's day. Stay connected and live your life to the fullest, because we only have one, so lets make it the best.
Now that quarantine is finished for me here in nz, I am so lucky to have been able to visit friends and family, and socialise with my peers at school, but I never forget about those little things, those small moments that made each day special.
