How did the pandemic affect mental health?

On a cold day in January, something new was born. No one was expecting it, no one wanted it, but we had it anyway. The new thing we found would change worlds, lives, and the earth as we know it. 

Through time we’ve faced many challenges as humanity. We’ve been close to extinction, and yet we’re still alive. But what has been the aftermath of all those disasters? There’s been many answers but they all lead to one thing, nothing good.

“Covid-19 has affected my life in many ways. But the main way has been my will. I’ve become lazier due to staying at home. I feel like my work ethics have also lowered and for someone whose main goal depends on her grades, that’s bad,”says sophomore Huymayra 

Laziness has been the most popular answer amongst teens. Due to Covid-19, many things have changed. Even now we are still struggling with the death’s of people and slowing the spread of said disease.

But a new solution was given. A new vaccine that would help create antibodies in order to fight the virus. A new hope for humanity. 

But still, there were the non-believers. Those believed that the vaccine was a way for the government to manage them and for them to lose the only thing they had, privacy. There have been no studies that prove those theories. But everyone is allowed to believe what makes them feel free.

Approximately there has been an estimate of 219 million cases and over 4.5 million of those have died. Not to mention out of all those who have caught covid mostly no one has been safe from side effects. This includes and is not limited to; loss of taste or slight lung or other organ damage.

Effects of Covid

There have been some good side-effects though, especially for the earth. Due to a lack of people going out and dirtying the streets, the air we breathe has improved. 

According to Nasa. , “It was also the first to show reduced nitrogen dioxide emissions—60% lower than simulated values expected. A 60% decrease in Milan and a 45% decrease in New York followed shortly, as their local restrictions went into effect.”

 Another positive effect of Covid-19 is the dropping levels of pollution in oceans, rivers, and lakes. The NCBI ran some tests on the Sabarmati River which led to the discovery that the SPM (Suspended Particulate Matter) levels had gone down by 36.48%. Meanwhile pre-pandemic the most it had decreased was 16.49%.

Many have moved to different sides. In one, people try to wear masks in order to protect themselves and others. The other side decides that masks are a way for the government to show they are in control and some believe that Covid-19 is not real. 

“I fear that a civil war may come in the future. It’s honestly funny, I always thought that the next war would’ve been far away. But the ways things are going, we won’t make it far. Biden has now brought Covid-19 vaccination mandates. Currently Texas is fighting peacefully but who knows how long it will take for other states to disagree as well,”said Samuel, who was interviewed near the iSchool.

Who would think that a pandemic would cause a possibility for war? We should be united, yet we fight against each other. The after-effects of Covid-19 were bigger than just the obvious.

What can you do to move on from Covid?

There are many steps that we can take to prepare for a new life after Covid. We should first get our lives back together and normalize things that we did pre-pandemic or even new things that you learned during the pandemic. Of course this isn’t as easy as it sounds.

It’s best to try and plan out your schedule until you get to a point where your life has become better. But you may be asking yourself, how? 

There are many ways to plan a schedule, but the most important is to find out what matters to you the most. For example a person needs to think about what helps them feel happy and what makes them feel sad. Then they can channel those feelings to find their favored path in life.

 The next step is identifying the things that you do everyday and understanding how much free time you have for yourself. For example, if you like music in the iSchool but your required classes take up most of your time, you are free to look for either guitar or piano in order to fulfill that dream, or if your whole schedule is filled you can look for after school activities.

The last and most important step is to understand that it’s okay to miss some things from your schedule. For example, you have an after school activity but a family member got injured and you want to go help them, so you should even though that might interfere with your schedule. Life is not always predictable so it’s okay to miss a few things but try to stay amongst the lines of your already planned schedule. 

Keep on wearing a mask and be cautious of your surroundings when you decide not to. Aside from that all we can really do is wait for the cases of Covid to become close to nothing.

Mental health after Covid

“I feel burnt out. During Covid I had online classes and I had gotten used to that online life. Now it’s become a bit harder to understand other people. I’ve lost the will to try in class and find it boring to talk to other people,” said Frandie, a passerby I met at central park park.

I can confidently say that the mental health in people has become larger due to Covid. Many were unemployed and even though they had a stimulus check, sometimes that wasn’t enough. 

Having to provide for your family can be tough in a single parent household. Not to mention the fact that the son or daughter of said person would be forced to stay at home with nothing to do. No one to supervise them and barely anyone to talk to. 

How can someone stay happy when they’re alone? While there are those people who prefer to be alone, schools and the world have taught us to depend on someone. “I developed anxiety in outer spaces. I feel scared to talk to others and feel awkward when I do. Even if I make the attempt there is always something in my mind that blocks that idea. I guess Covid has just hit me in a way that made me realize how sad it feels to be alone”- Said Lucas, a passerby I met at central park.

Those have been aftermaths of Covid-19 and self-isolation but, are there any positive effects?

The pandemic has taught me more about myself and the things I enjoy. It’s helped me to stay more physically active as I was forced to do something to waste the time I didn’t spend with friends.

No one is truly safe from the aftermath of COVID. But all we can do is try to move forward and look at the good side of things.