A Welcome Change

Over the last two semesters, I have had to sacrifice a lot of things due to COVID and it was really hard. I spent a lot of time feeling bitter and sorry for myself. I backslid into old habits of sleeping all day and staying up all night, of snapping at people when they spoke to me, and worst of all, not feeling much of anything.

This semester started last week and I am determined to change these habits and adopt new ones. There is nothing I can do to change the fact that I am living through a pandemic during my college years. There is nothing I can do to change the fact that I, and so many others had to put our lives and plans on hold. It’s no wonder I lost my excitement for life and the future, but that does not mean I have to continue this way. 

In order to regain my footing, I have made a list of things to do and to look forward to:

Cook more meals

Cooking has always made me feel peaceful with the bonus of getting to eat afterwards. I want to try new recipes and experience food from cultures other than the ones I am already comfortable cooking in. 

Discover new music

Music has always been a passion of mine. I would spend so many hours scrolling through Spotify and Youtube trying to find new artists and perfecting playlists. I lost a bit of that when lockdown began in March, but I am going to make time for music again.

Read more!

I used to read everything that came my way. I would speed through books in days, sometimes no more than a couple of hours. Ever once in a while I will read a new book for pleasure, but I mostly find myself rereading books from my childhood or not reading at all. I am going to make an effort to read a new book. Maybe I will replace the time I endlessly scroll through TikTok into a time to read.

Apply for internships

I need something to look forward to. I used to always have at least one concert on my horizon (usually a tiny hole in the wall show, but a show all the same). Now that live music is a no-go, I need something new to look forward to, so why not kill two birds with one stone and get an internship? This will give me something to do when applying, something to look towards for the summer, and a way to make money, sounds like a win-win-win situation to me. 

These all seem like really simple things when writing them down, but sometimes the simple things are the ones I struggle with the most. I am going to actively attempt to do all of these things, even if it is just once a week. I think in doing this, I will start to break away at the shell I built around myself since last March. I am excited to see who is underneath again.

What are some things that are making you excited? What are you looking forward to? Have you noticed yourself slipping into old habits because of COVID?