As I write, there are currently 164,474 cases in the Philippines and the last time I went out was last July to buy a new sketchbook. Upon entering the mall, a plethora of anxiety started crippling to my brain. The place seemed too dangerous for a girl with a weak immune system. I could hardly breathe on a double mask and no amount of alcohol can ease my anxieties — then I whispered to myself, “this is the last time I’m going to a public place until it’s safe.”
Staying at home will always be the safest choice, but it’s a different story when the moods start to kick in. In this article, I listed a few things that helped me manage my episodes during the lockdown.
- Reuniting with old hobbies
I’ve developed my love for art since I was a child, I endlessly doodled and even created my own scrapbook (which literally had scrap). This quarantine, I rummaged through my old big boxes and retrieved all of my old work, from paintings, old drawings and scrapbooks I created as a child. I focused on painting as I grew older because it’s something I wasn’t able to do much as a child (you know, all the mess and all! My mom gets angry). My boyfriend bought drawing materials for me and said that reuniting with my old hobbies might help me as much as painting does — and lightbulb! It helped me get through a depressive episode. I just scribbled endlessly while bawling my eyes out and praying for everything to be over. Then it became a thing, when I’m not in the mood to paint, I draw. Most of my drawings consists of words that randomly pop out of my head, songs I’ve heard and conversations that resonates in my head while I work.
2. Writing
Writing is also an old hobby of mine that I kept until I grew old and it’s something I’m also passionate about! I always feel better after writing my feelings down. I write on whatever’s of hand reach — in my case it’s on a small notebook for my psychiatrist to read or on a diary which my parents gave me for my 19th birthday. For me, writing down my moods and feelings at a certain time helps me track which activity helps me the most.
3. Trying new things
If there’s something everyone knows I’m afraid to do, that would be making food. As a clumsy person, I’ve always had a fear of burning or cutting myself so I never gave it a shot. But this quarantine, I toughened up and tried to bake cookies. I tweaked the recipe we found and it was surprisingly good! Crunchy and so gooey! We sent some to friends and they suggested that we should sell the cookies. It was a good idea since I have one more month before I leave for my first job! We started selling the cookies and baking kept me busy since then. I don’t regret trying something new this time!
4. Bonding with pets
I mean who ever got stressed bonding with pets? They are just the best! We own a two year old American Pitbull and a nine year old Chihuahua, they’re both girls and both so sweet! And just this July, a relative gave us a Lion head rabbit! Having a new bunny kept me busy too, it’s like caring for an actual child. The reward is worth it because seeing her grow into a confident little bunny makes us so proud!
5. Catching up with friends
This quarantine gave me more time to talk and catch up with old friends. I was so happy to hear about the new and exciting things with their careers! At the same time, venting to them pulls some weight off my chest. It’s nice to let those feelings out to a trusted friend, may it be through phone calls, video calls or long text messages! Talking to friends is also good way to manage stress.
6. Photoshoot
Taking photos eats up time but the results are worth it! I mostly use my disposable camera and instax camera when taking photos, but this quarantine, my boyfriend took photos of me and our pets using his camera. I never thought that shooting with my boyfriend could actually be so fun! It also ended up as a hobby since he loves taking photos of us. Seeing the photos turn out nice is really exciting! You should give it a shot!
I hope that this list comes in handy for everyone! Let’s just make the most out of everything, but remember to take it easy on ourselves during the hard days. Here’s to hoping that things will be over soon, sending love and light!
