Since the beginning of the pandemic, nothing has been the same.

Everywhere you go, wear a mask, wash your hands, sanitize before entering your home, don’t hug or shake anyone’s hand, stay home. The closing of schools has made everything a little weird, people are losing friends, relationships, and bonds they once had due to lack of in person communication. The shutdown began early March of 2020, and I’m sure we can all agree it’s felt like an eternity. A lot of young people as well as adults have been experiencing a lot of emotional instability. 

For the past couple of months, we have been cooped up in our homes with our families with zero escape. Some people have difficult situations at home, some live a very stressful homelife, not everyone has the glamour of having a silent and peaceful family. Have you ever stopped to think about how everyone is doing mentally and emotionally? Many teenagers have been experiencing depression, annoyance, anger, stress, and impatience. How are they dealing with this on their own?

Many teenagers don’t really have anyone to go to, or they don’t trust anyone to open up to so they just bottle it up and hope for the best. Without any kind of interaction outside of their families, things can get a little lonely, not everyone has the best bond with their parents/legal guardians. An article from washingtonpost.com states, “Data shows depression and anxiety already roiling the nation.” The text also includes, “Last month, roughly 20,000 people texted the hotline.” Many people are struggling and have no way to cope, some are even beginning to turn to substances as a way to cope with their boredom that is beginning to cause their depression.

For the people that have been feeling angry because they can’t get away from their families, it’s okay and understandable, we understand how you feel, you’re overwhelmed and that’s totally appropriate for the current situation we are going through, you’re not alone. Having to see the same faces and hear the same voices day in and day out can be and is very exhausting. A lot of us miss our friends and it’s frustrating not to be able to see them in person because our parents are trying to keep us safe and inside. The only freedom we experience is when we go grocery shopping with our families, just a split second of fresh air can go a long way. Hang in there, it’ll be over soon.

Children and teenagers are very susceptible to being stressed, especially now with classes being back in session. Online learning isn’t really for everyone but we don’t have a choice. When young students begin to feel stressed they begin to feel intense amounts of confusion that either leads to a breaking point or just continues to build up. Many parents have noticed their sons and daughters on edge and almost difficult to approach, from a parents perspective, it might be rude or disrespectful, but keep in mind that they have been stuck under the same roof for the past 6 months, it gets tiring. 

As difficult as time may seem, there’s always alternatives to making things slightly okay. Spend some more time outside, pick up a new hobby, write how you’re feeling on a piece of paper and burn it outside, learn how to manifest, teach a pet some new tricks, discover new music, listen to some podcasts about conspiracy theories, learn how to cook a new dish, work out, do some yoga. Don’t focus on what you miss doing and get to know yourself better, you have so many opportunities to do new things!