It might be overwhelming to be bombarded with upcoming, keep-coming news every passing minute, and despite the input of our phones, we might still feel overwhelmed and at times lonely. Today I will share with you what proved to be the best companion for me on a personal level these days, especially at night, just before sleep.
Everybody experiences this period differently with a range of mixed emotions. Some of us spend their time with their family and loved ones, some with significant others, and some international students like myself go through this time in their dorm, on their own. Without doubt, there are bigger problems than this, and it might even be a problem of luxury for some, but I believe it also addresses the problem of many fellow students like me.
One of the frequently faced problems of this process is loneliness as we have to self-isolate. With today’s advanced technology, there are countless things to do and to spend your time according to your liking; among our go-to choices is video-calling friends, family and loved ones. However, we can’t reach them whenever we want, and we might want to and need to reach them at most unusual times: at night, when most people drift off. This might also be the time when we feel most lonely as we can be busy during the day and might not feel the loneliness that much, but when the bedtime hits and the night doesn’t utter a sound, we know that we’re on our own again and it can be unbearable at times. But fear not! I have found a great remedy for situations like this: radio plays!
I’ve found that besides listening to audiobooks, radio plays are a great way to doze off! It feels as if there’s someone talking to you, next to you, like your parents would read you to sleep when you were a kid. It’s different than simply listening to an audiobook as radio plays are designed to be more dramatic by their nature; with the special sound effects during and between the scenes of the play as they create suspense. And it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread especially if the play is performed by the talented voice actors/actresses!
You can choose from a wide range of plays voiced by famous voice actors and actresses. When I listen to murder and mystery plays by Agatha Christie, I personally become more alert as the story becomes tense, but when I listen to Anton Chekhov’s short stories, I find myself asleep halfway through the story because of its nature! Surely, the voice of the actor or actress is also important, so choose a good one! You can even listen to them in your mother tongue which makes you feel at home. This almost became a new daily essential of my right-before-sleep times and it significantly lessened the intense feeling of loneliness which sometimes appears at night, while it gives me the chance to engage in great works of literature as well! I hope you try this and benefit from it as well in these taxing times!
Dear reader, thanks for reading. Stay strong and healthy, we will get through this! Let us know in the comments if you embraced my recommendation and what are your own personal favorites!