“It’s going to be okay. We can go to the bookstore, right?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Hmm. Then the ice cream shop, at least?”

“I’m pretty sure that all shops will be closed for now, Sia.”

“Not even---?”

“It won’t be safe. We’ll be okay at home.”

As I bounded through the house in elation, free from school and swim and all those extracurricular activities, my ideas of going out were shot down for our own and others’ safety. I had actually left school early for a science fair presentation I was going to broadcast from home when we got the email that there would be no school tomorrow. That meant I left my shoes, my favorite shoes, in my locker at school, and I wouldn’t be able to get them back for who knows how long. My friend had graciously gathered my things from my locker, but since quarantine was in effect, I couldn’t go over and get them. How was I ever going to get by without them?

Ridiculously, that was one of my concerns on the day the shelter in place went into effect. Shoes. Now, five months later, shoes are the least of my concern (although my shoes and I have been since reunited). Stress is something I face quite often, with school starting and with the stress of uncertainty floating around, lurking in the headlines, sitting in the back of teachers’ and students’ minds alike. 

So, how does one deal with all that stress? Here are the ways that I’ve found helpful so far:

1. Talking about it 

   1. Everyone is going through this pandemic. Many of my friends can relate to the struggles in our classes, problems with homework, and more. Yet others, like my dance friends, can relate when we miss dancing on a stage. Talking with people about shared experiences can help strengthen relationships, help understand the deep and new emotions we are experiencing, and relieve stress. But I’ve also learned how to recognize the boundary between sharing your feelings and recognizing my friends’ and family’s mental health capacity as well. 

2. Doing things I enjoy

   1. In school I haven’t been able to write as much. In quarantine, I was able to destress by doing the thing I love most, which is writing. And in April, I finished the first draft of my novel!

3. Connecting with friends when I can 

   1. I’ve found new ways to connect with friends - biking with masks on, ZOOM homework sessions, and plenty of FaceTime. Seeing my friends even if it’s online or far away, it has been one of the best ways to destress. 

These seem pretty common sense, but at the beginning of quarantine, even these were a stretch for my energy. Take things one day at a time, and try these things out when you can. One thing you can try is my new website, Decompress! It’s a mental wellbeing platform with daily well being content/resources for all students. To sign up, all you need is an email. Scouring the Internet for new meditations or new hobbies to pick up can be exhausting. Decompress puts them all in one place for you, categorized into daily topics which range from self compassion to coping with academic pressure to climate change’s impact on mental wellbeing. I think it’s really cool how users have picked it up and interacted on the site. 

Now, instead of asking fruitless questions about bookstore trips, I can turn to the many books and things I can do at home. I can choose to do things that help me decompress.