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A picture I took 2 months after quarantine started: April 4th, 2020. None of us realized how drastic this change would be, but we found out quickly.

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It's felt like so much time has passed by, right? Some of us have gotten used to the changes since quarantine started and COVID-19 became a problem, but many are still going through complicated obstacles. Even though it's been a while since the pandemic began, many are still unwilling or struggling to fully accommodate the situation. Planning is essential to move forward, and doing so will help you feel better.

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My experience can be one example, even though I am actually luckier than many others due to my circumstances. My family was going through a lot of tension right before the pandemic started to get serious.

I was also having an identity crisis because I felt confused over my future and capabilities. I drowned myself in toxic relationships at school and constantly mentally compared myself with others to impress my unrealistic expectations, which came from family. I was also acting immaturely towards actual good people to the point where if things didn't go the way they did, I would have definitely lost contact with them.

There was no escape for me, but quarantine turned out to be an unexpected solution. Schools created a virtual platform where they would continue teaching, all from your home. This did keep me stuck with family, where a lot of the tension was, but my relationships/life at school quickly became less of a priority.

Due to this, I slowly bettered myself over time with methods like learning skills and getting into hobbies, addressing my mental health, and connecting online with others! This is why I disagree with the mindset that quarantine limits your opportunities, sure it does block some from happening, but it actually opens doors to others you haven't noticed before by freeing up time.

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Below is my very first Full Photoshop Edit, it's pretty bad but I did it for fun while watching tutorials online! I wanted to learn more about the program and just started to prioritize the hobby!

It was a "Fanart" for (PewDiePie) Felix and Marzia Kjellberg's clothing brand, Tsuki Market! (April 15th, 2020)

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One huge reason quarantine was hated on so much, and continues to be, is due to the absolute boredom. Everyone gets stressed when working or attending classes, especially with all the new COVID-19 mandates added.

You'd think that after all this extra stress, we should get awarded, but no!

Yes, we get to relax after the workday, but that can quickly get really unfulfilling, especially considering that many facilities outside where you could spend free time were closed down. Due to all this, daily life for many quickly became a repeating schedule. It becomes tedious and really affects your mental health.

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One way to combat this is to get into a new hobby or trying a new skill! You never know what could turn out from it. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), having one or multiple hobbies is linked to lower levels of depression. "Losing interest and joy in things you normally like doing is one symptom of poor mental health. Known as anhedonia." Combatting anhedonia by using the free time available through quarantining is a perfect way towards feeling happier.

For me, I was always curious about editing photos and videos. I would watch YouTube videos and like Instagram posts while wondering how these creators could produce these awesome edits! As a result, I learnt about Photoshop and began to spend time figuring out how to use it, which was a lot of fun! This small decision made a lasting positive impact on my mental health. Now, over a year later, I'm uncertain about how I'd live without my current knowledge of Photoshop!

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Below is my most recent edit, plus the original photo! My friend, Mayoora, is holding Theo's dog, Roo, while Bee's petting them! Photo was taken by Radiyath Zarin (July 10th, 2021). The logo was inspired from the musician, Tyler, The Creator's latest album, "CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST."

You can see the improvement from my very first Photoshop edit with Felix to my most recent one! This justifies how good the results can be, if you decide to put more time from quarantine into a hobby you find interesting. Not only could you feel happier, but participating can increase your skillset.

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Below, you can see two dishes I have almost entirely made myself! The first is of kottu roti, and the second is pizza! Last year, I never understood cooking and how intricate the process is. Now that I have spent time learning a bit about this, I have a larger skillset.

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Mental Health: Serious, But Not Thought About.

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Mental Health: Serious, But Not Thought About.

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According to SickKids, "Mental health did not improve as the school year resumed, building on their previous findings that a majority of children and youth reported worsening mental health during the initial COVID-19 lockdowns." This shows how every day has remained tedious for most, but it also shows that we're having a tough time dealing with our identities and feelings. We have fears about families, friends, and the future. I will use myself as an example.

With all the weight of my circumstances, my mental health was deteriorating fast. During quarantine, I decided to take a breather and completely stop everything I was doing. I barely talked to anyone over the next 2 months and just focused on my hobbies/schoolwork while mentally facing questions about my identity. I also aimed to leave the past behind instead of regretting almost everything I did back then. During this period, I started to realize many things and slowly became more comfortable with my body. It was slow progress, but still worth it. I noticed red flags within my current friendships and decided to slowly drift apart from them, which turned out successful. I did feel bad since I initially thought I would be all alone from that point, but I thought it was good for me in the end. I tried to go out on walks behind my house, in the neighborhood as often I could.

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Below, this photo was taken during one of my walks, I stayed out a bit after dark and decided to take this picture as I was leaving. (June 16, 2020).

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Mental Health: Serious, But Not Thought About. (Continued)

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Mental Health: Serious, But Not Thought About. (Continued)

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As more months flew by, I opened up towards my family, little by little. I also went on trips that they planned. This picture was from our road-trip to Niagara Falls. At this point, I felt better about the situation and wanted to edit the pictures we all took, so I experimented and took some odd shots like this one!  (July 31, 2020)

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Mental Health: Serious, But Not Thought About. (Continued)

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Mental Health: Serious, But Not Thought About. (Continued)

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I also looked back at my regrets and made sure to learn from them and move forward. For example, going back to earlier when I said I was being immature with genuinely good people, I learned from that experience. I realized that I should not have crossed the line with the jokes I said and understood that in the future, I should make sure that everyone is comfortable and also change my sense of humor so that it happens as rarely as possible. I started to become more open to new perspectives and knew that it was pointless to continue ignoring my current mindset. This helped me confront internal doubts about how I expressed myself, especially since I always felt "too feminine to be a man," which now I know is a ridiculous opinion.

Understanding when there's a problem that you must address is also essential to maintaining happiness, especially during quarantine. It's a human right, and doing things that might feel weird or lonely to do to achieve that is perfectly acceptable! For example, I started to listen to more music genres and fewer mainstream songs. I opened up to jazz and older hip-hop/rap, which is how I discovered my most influential album (personally), To Pimp A Butterfly. I didn't mind if family called me weird for liking the music since it still helped me feel better.

In the end, none of my personal growth, from then to today, would have been possible if I didn't use the extra time I had from quarantine to move forward. Taking advantage of the situation is what helped me!

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To Pimp A Butterfly's Album Cover. This album really helped me get through tough times, which is why I hold it in such high regard!

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According to YourHealthMatters, “During crisis situations, it is important that we lean on each other for support as we are stronger as a collective than as a single individual,” says Dr. Matthew Boyle, psychiatrist. “Staying connected can also help family, friends, and those who are vulnerable, such as the elderly, feel less isolated.”
I highly agree with Dr. Matthew, as this can also help you build character. It is an excellent way to spend time during quarantine.

Using my experience, reconnecting with my non-toxic friends online through Discord really helped me feel better! They have made me feel valid, welcomed and appreciated, which I can't thank them enough for! It also aided in moving past my regrets, as I apologized for what I did back then, which they accepted. Talking about each other's perspectives on school and home life has made all of us grow stronger and closer as we realized the effects of our actions last year. As I said before, I always thought I would be alone ever since distancing from my old friends, but this happened instead. According to New York Times, "friendships have truly been tested during this pandemic." I cannot agree more! Again, it was due to the pandemic that I realized the red flags of my past friends. If I never understood those signs, I would have turned out a lot more different. Using different platforms to communicate, like texting and phone calls was also essential to our well-being. Meeting up while following social distancing standards would also be a great way to contact friends or loved ones! My friends have done so as well on the 10th of July, but I could not go as it was my mom's birthday. Despite it, I still felt very included due to how I grew over quarantine. Before, I would have definitely overthought the situation.

Therefore, looking for red flags within your friend-groups is always good. Communication matters, but doing so with bad friends would not help you.

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A selfie I took last week! To me, this photo shows the progress I have made with my self-growth. I have been feeling really glad that these reasons worked out for me.

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In conclusion, quarantine has helped me get through many struggles, and the extra time provided through it should be used towards your happiness, but carefully. This can be done through trying out new hobbies and skills, addressing your own mental health, and reconnecting/connecting with people online. Due to all these reasons, I feel a lot more confident in myself! Hopefully, they help you too.

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Palisoc, Jennifer, et al. “COVID-19: Ways to Stay Social despite the Distance.” Your Health Matters, 19 Apr. 2020, health.sunnybrook.ca/covid-19-coronavirus/ways-to-stay-social-despite-the-distance/.

“Mental Health During COVID-19: Signs Your Child May Need More Support.” HealthyChildren.org, American Academy of Pediatrics (Copyright © 2020), 2020, www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Signs-your-Teen-May-Need-More-Support.aspx.

“Staying at Home During COVID-19: How to Help Teens Cope.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/staying-home-during-covid19-help-teens-cope.

Ciara McCabe Associate Professor. “The Science behind Why Hobbies Can Improve Our Mental Health.” The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2021, theconversation.com/the-science-behind-why-hobbies-can-improve-our-mental-health-153828.

“SickKids Releases New Research on How COVID-19 Pandemic Has Impacted Child and Youth Mental, Physical Health.” SickKids, www.sickkids.ca/en/news/archive/2021/research-covid-19-pandemic-impact-child-youth-mental-physical-health/.