How has the pandemic affected us individually?

 I’m sure that we can all agree that the pandemic will be a monumental event that forever stays in our memory. As we start to ease back into normal living, some of us can begin to reflect on the impact the pandemic and quarantine has had on us.  Whether it be mentally, physically, or socially, COVID-19 made all of our lives very different- positively, negatively, and a little bit in between.

For a lot of us, the first feelings that come to mind when we think of COVID-19 are negative.  We missed so many events, opportunities, and people, and it impacted all of our lives greatly. However, the people that it especially impacted were the extroverts and sociable people. 

“I’m a pretty active, social person and not being able to socialize, you know, I kind of did stuff to try to counteract it but it bummed me out sometimes,” says Mrs. Upp, a well known PE teacher here at Heritage. 

Most of us can agree that this is the case for the majority.  The pandemic took away our opportunity to hang out with friends, family, and loved ones and it really took a toll on our mental health. COVID not only affected our social health, but our physical and mental health as well. 

Mrs. Davis, an English teacher here at Heritage, says “It definitely was hard mentally and physically. I had days where I just felt kind of hopeless about all the stink of the world and it felt unending sometimes, it was wearing just to have to deal with it all the time every day,” said Mrs. Davis, an English teacher here at Heritage. 

The pandemic made us learn how to cope with the unknown and confusion of life.

On the other hand, some of the responses I received after interviewing multiple people displayed the more positive and productive side of the quarantining.  I was shown how the pandemic made us more productive, thankful, and perceiving in ways that none of us would have become without it. 

“I definitely got more organized, since i couldn’t go and do stuff, like i went through clothes and organized things i wouldn’t have organized before, I scheduled an important surgery that I would have kept putting off otherwise,” said Ms. Upp. 

Productivity is among one of the most difficult traits to have, and the pandemic aided us in getting things done and getting organized.  We had time to achieve goals that we wouldn’t normally accomplish, such as being more active, finishing an important project, or just focusing on ourselves. 

Quarantine not only helped us work on ourselves, but helped us view the world in a different, more understanding perspective. 

“I kind of realized that because of the pandemic, it was a really great way for us to learn how to, you know, appreciate the small things.” Said Trent Chemezov, a freshman here at Heritage. 

This demonstrates how difficult times can lead to a more grateful outlook on life. We now look at the world in a better way because we realized what we were taking for granted after it got taken away from us.

Furthermore, we also had the amazing opportunity to grow closer to loved ones. With the pandemic, we learned to rely on each other to stay happy and entertained. 

“I miss some of the freedom that I had before, being able to go different places and do different things, but i’ve gotten a lot closer to my family, and i’ve really gotten to spend more time with my husband and son that I wouldn’t have gotten to if we hadn’t been home constantly,” said Mrs. Davis.