When presented with the question, “How are you doing?” there is a range of emotion that can flood your mind and a variety of responses that can be said. For me, given the circumstances resulting from the nationwide pandemic, I, along with many other working adults and college students were placed under involuntary circumstances, so I guess you could say I’m doing my best, and that I am alright. I am not jumping for joy at the fact that I am home, re-adapting to the already challenging enough tasks presented by college, those of which I was learning to progress on this semester in terms of studying and in general, but rather I am trying to give my attention to the positive sides of this confusing time while trying to focus on the tasks at hand. 

It is nice to have some dependability and a bit of a break from schoolwork to be with my family allowing myself some time to relax and put my mind at ease in an alarming time of question, confusion, and unknown answers. As you know from things I have previously read and spoken on, I am an individual with a high stress level and oftentimes surges of anxiety. So, with everything going on these factors are constantly taunting me, and regardless of how hard I try, they are always at the back of my mind and at some point affecting my daily life. Because of these couple not so convenient qualities of mine, I am more often than not, unable to completely give myself the much needed rest and mental relaxation; constantly I have my parents and boyfriend telling me “everyone is dealing with this, you’re on spring break just relax while you can.” While this is hard for me to hear as my thought process is mostly directed towards what I have to complete in the next week or two, what I should be doing, or what I am doing wrong and could be doing better, among the other random thoughts on my overbearing mind, they’re right. Like many others I turned to exercising and binging new Netflix shows in the beginning of spring break, and there is no doubt it placed my mind at more ease.
I know I need to step back and take a breath when the opportunity is presented. In the scheme of everything negative, there are positives that should not be overlooked—lands, water, and the air are cleaner than ever before, we are taking time for ourselves along with our family, we are using the creativity we never thought we had. In the midst of all this, I am okay. Could I be better? Yes. Am I drowning? No. I am doing my best and enjoying the moments I can while I can. It is time to learn how to do this whole online college thing, and while it is frustrating to re-adapt and learn how to remain motivated and consistent at home, as I am sure it is to everyone, I can do it. Almost everything and everyone, like my boyfriend and best friends, that would be my escape from all this stress has been taken away, and while this is beyond disappointing, it is what it is and I will be okay, we will all be okay.

By: Toni Abdy