This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at McGill chapter.

I’ve gotten at least 47 emails in the past week from different companies, schools, and news sources telling me what a scary time this is and how careful we have to be. The emphasis should be on preventing contagion and the loss of lives, and not on my struggles. Regardless, the situation remains overwhelming on a personal level.

A vital element in dealing with this pandemic is communication. Not only about statistics – how many people have died, been infected, could be infected, etc.- but also about how we, as individuals, are reacting to the chaos.

COVID-19 can be debilitating. It took away my student exchange to Japan. It took away my internship. It limited my ability to visit my long-distance boyfriend. Worst of all – the news never lets me forget it. I am, like all of us, are bombarded by headlines that incessantly remind me of all that I’ve lost. However, one thing to remember here, is that I am not alone. Despite the physical isolation this virus has imposed upon us, we aren’t the only ones affected and struggling.

It was with this in mind that I decided to ask some friends some questions about how they’re experiencing the quarantine. With these questions, perhaps, if you’re feeling alone, not only physically, but in your isolation, you won’t as much.

How has quarantine affected your daily life?

BE: My first reaction is to say that it has limited my daily life. It is obvious that social distancing measures limit me from attending classes, or seeing my friends and family, or going to work. But at the same time, I’m still getting my classes completed, I just started a summer internship, and I have been in online contact probably more frequently with many friends than I otherwise would have been.

BV: In every possible way. Like most people, my entire daily routine has stopped essentially. The university has been closed for almost a month and classes have been moved online, which can be difficult to maneuver. I stopped working at my part-time job three weeks ago, which takes up most of my time. I haven’t seen my family in over a month and outside of my roommates, I haven’t seen my friends in person. It is a difficult time for everyone to say the least, but we all just have to do our part.

Have you found it easy to be productive with the free time you have?

BE: Absolutely not haha—it is a struggle to motivate oneself when you know that all you have really is time. But I’ve found I’m able to cope better when I am productive so I’ve been trying to stick with it.

BV: Absolutely not, no. Not only did my deadlines get pushed or even cancelled so I don’t have that much work to begin with, I also don’t have a job so now I have so much free time! I am a world-class procrastinator though, so I’ll probably end up cramming for some deadline tomorrow.

How are you finding quarantine? What are your main concerns regarding its effects on your health?

BE: My main health concern with quarantine is my mental health. To be honest, it has been pretty rough. Each day comes with challenges, and I’m trying out new strategies whenever I can to help myself be happier.

BV: I can’t say I love quarantine life. My real concerns are with my mental health, I have good days and bad ones. The other day I was feeling particularly discouraged because the things that normally bring me joy weren’t making me feel better and I didn’t know how to be happy. It’s ironic because I think now more than ever, we need to lean on people; so having Zoom meetings with family or even just calling friends to catch up really helps.

what’s the worst thing about quarantine?

BE: Being distanced from those that I love. I’m fortunate to have my roommates, but there are so many other people in my life who I miss dearly. Facetime is not the same. :’(

BV: Feeling trapped and having nothing to do. Watching shows makes me upset because it’s one of the only things I can do, and it just reminds me of this crazy time we’re living. I would normally go for a walk to clear my head, but we can’t even do that right now. It just feels like we’re all being punished for something completely out of our control, like we’ve all been sent to time-out by the government. It’s so important to remember why we are doing this, who we are trying to protect and how we’re helping our amazing health care providers in the long run.

Do you think having roommates is helping you get through quarantine?

BE: Absolutely! I would be lost without them. Having someone to talk to is really key, but beyond that just having a laugh with them or a mario kart tournament while crammed onto our little couch or sitting on the balcony with a drink just brightens my day.

BV: Absolutely! I cannot imagine going through this alone, my roommates have been such an important support system for me. It is a lot of pressure because we can only rely on each other right now, but we all respect each other’s space and we can all relate to how we’re feeling. We have all had bad days on different days, so we’ve been able to help each other through it. We were all close before quarantine, but this will definitely solidify our friendship. I am so grateful for them and their support (love you, Soph!)

What’s the number one thing helping you get through quarantine?

BE: My roommates. Keeping busy helps as I said, and talking to people I miss, but human interaction IRL can’t be replaced.

BV: Mario Kart! No, I think it really is my friends and family who I call or text as much as I can. This can feel like such a lonely time, not being able to see them for an indefinite amount of time. But we’re all going through the same thing—we’re not alone so it’s nice to have people to reach out to. A silver lining of the quarantine is getting to spend so much quality time with my roommates because they are really awesome people. And being reminded every day that I have such amazing friends and family. It sucks that I won’t be able to see them in person for a while, so I miss them a lot but getting to talk to them allows for a bit of normalcy. I think the best advice I could provide right now is to reach out to people when you are feeling down, it can help make you and them feel better.

Will you change anything about your lifestyle after quarantine?

BE: Honestly, probably not. But I hope to think that I will be more appreciative of what I might have considered just the norm before.

BV: I’m going to spend a lot more time outside! I miss going for walks on the mountain or around the city in general. I also can’t wait to go to my cottage and get a change of scenery. Definitely going to take advantage of sunny days and spend a lot more time outside this summer, or whenever we’re allowed out.

I hope that this might help you, and if you want someone to talk to, don’t hesitate to send me a message on my instagram or contact a helpline.

Sophia

COVID 19’s Unspoken Symptom: Mental Health