A lot has been going on these last few months. Like so many of you, I have had a lack of motivation, then sometimes a huge burst of energy. Many times I have just felt like doing nothing. Being in the house can be challenging. It has been tough dwelling in my thoughts all day long. Even so, I have found plenty of strategies to stay positive with this long and never ending quarantine.

I have purposefully put myself into hobbies and activities that I don’t do often to keep me interested throughout the weeks.

When I lose motivation, I remember why I started to help me keep pushing. To pass my days along, I have committed to working out each day, eating and drinking more healthily. For me it is a huge boost for the rest of the day. I feel 10 times more accomplished just by doing this. It helps relieve a lot of built up energy from the day prior. It is not the workout or healthy eating the fulfills me, it is truly the internal satisfaction that I have accomplished something. Accomplishing something has become more important in quarantine.

Dive into a new passion that you may not have known you were interested in; it can become your hobby. Try creative activities and projects. They can take your mind off being stuck in the house, distract you from feeling so many emotions at once. For me, I was able to jump back into my childhood hobby, creating  lego sets. It may sound simple but the motivation to complete a project can be therapeutic. Taking a set time out of your day to focus on you and only you, can release built up energy. So find your new hobby and run with it, you just never know what things can lead to. If you don’t have a hobby, try something new every few days, take each day one at a time, and I promise you might discover something in yourself you didn’t know you had.

Spending time with family has been a huge part in my mental success. Stay appreciative for the people around you, because they are going through the same struggles as you. It takes a lot to be around the same people all day, but instead of diminishing your time with them, embrace it; try and open up to them. Play games and do family activities you guys all enjoy; it can become a special time for everyone. I understand everyone is not close with their family, but humans need to bond to stay healthy. Find a special person in your life to bond with. There is always someone or something to look forward to. Through quarantine, my family has been very helpful with everything from school work to watching movies at night. Find someone your passionate for and battle this time out with them.

I am happy to bring some of the ways I have coped with quarantine, it has been a mental struggle to continue to stay motivated; but I found these key changes to keep me persistent.

Continue to stay strong within yourself, Wakefield.