Three Tips for Staying Focused, Happy, and Somewhat Sane in Quarantine

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been stuck at home for at least six weeks. And it’s getting difficult to stay positive in the midst of everything going on. We all know it’s important, but that doesn’t make it easy. Humans are made to interact with each other, so how are we supposed to live without each other?

I’m lucky in the sense that I live with my parents still so I’m not totally alone or anything, but in some ways, that also makes me feel like I’m twelve years old again. And that’s also not a good feeling at all (for reference, I’m actually 23, LOL).

As everything carries on and the days slip by like maple syrup, I’ve found a few things that have made this a bit easier. In my case, as a writer, there are some particular outlets that I have especially enjoyed lately:

1. Producing Audiobooks / Bringing Your Story to Life

The audiobook for my latest story, Forgetting What I Couldn’t Remember is going to be available hopefully within the next couple months. This is the first book I’ve published that feels truly significant to my mindset here and now. My prior-published books like Just Like a Pill and The Upperworld Series are just stories I came up with, more or less. I mean, aside from the fact that JLAP is largely based on a real guy I was crushing on for years, there isn’t really anything in there that I still relate to today.

This book, is much more real to me still, because it highlights struggles that are very real for me even today. It’s raw, honest, and uncensored (no, not like smut – I mean more like uncensored angst). I’m still very deep in working through social trauma I experienced from being bullied for years, so this is my battle cry: https://www.amazon.com/Forgetting-Couldnt-Remember-Rewind-Duology-ebook/dp/B084QK6DFW/ref=pd_ybh_a_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M9PC24Z5PFYR4NNVMEJK

Even if you’re not an author like me, you can still find unique ways to tell your story while stuck in quarantine. Play some music, write a song, start a blog, start a YouTube channel. You can do this, and there are some great resources out there to help you.

2. Chatting With Cool People

As you might know, I’m a concert correspondent for The Boston Sports Desk, which means I get to review music and interview artists whenever I want! So last week, I got to review a new track by alternative rocker Mandi Crimmins, and then chatted with her over Skype for an interview. I noticed that it really helped me to be able to do something productive while being social(ly distant). You can read my review of her newest song here, as well as her interview:

Review of “Making Me Hate You”: http://www.bostonsportsdesk.com/alternative-rocker-mandi-crimmins-drops-new-emotional-ballad-making-me-hate-you/

Interview with Mandi: http://www.bostonsportsdesk.com/interview-with-mandi-crimmins/

Of course, I Skype and call my friends whenever I can too. It certainly falls flat to IRL hangouts, but it’s for sure the next best thing!

3. Being Present

My creative writing professor in college used to say this all the time in class, and at the time I’ll be honest and say I found it irritating. I didn’t fully get how to bring that sentiment into my life. It was this random idea that seemed far too foggy to flesh out. Like “I’m physically here, so what?” But it’s NOT just “so what”. Being a human being, with a life and home and a place to sleep every night, is in itself, a miracle. Remembering that God put me here, and now for a reason, really brought me back to reality. And then I remembered, that even though re-opening dates keep getting pushed back, it really will end eventually. All we gotta do now, is find ways to pass the time and keep our heads above water until then.

Thanks so much for being here (at least virtually). Stay well, and stay present. We’ll get through this, promise ❤

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