VENTURE STORY: STAYING SANE DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC

During this time of confusion and chaos, many steps have been taken to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Though they have been necessary, these actions have left the economy, and its people, royally screwed over. We often think that we will be excluded from things that have nothing to do with us, but in this case we, the students, young adults, workers, and the now unemployed, have been the ones who have been affected in multiple ways. Jobs aren’t the only things that have been affected. From kindergartens to college campuses, all schools and their associated classes have been put on hold or shut down entirely for the remainder of the school year, leaving students unable to go back to their normal routine, or see their friends.

In an effort to get a better understanding of how this situation has affected the broader spectrum of the public, I sat down with a mother and her young daughter to ask them how their lives have been changed by the spread of the coronavirus.

Interview
Ava Pollard – Hall Elementary student, Gresham. Age: 11 Grade: 5th
Q) How has this whole thing affected you personally?
A)This whole Corona thing has affected me weirdly because you won’t see people you usually see on a daily basis.
Q) Do you think this will affect your schooling in the future? (Examples: Forgetting what you have already learned and struggling with what you will learn.)
A) Yes I think this will affect schooling in the future because some kids forget stuff during long-term breaks. Such as this break, for example.
Q) Is it hard not being able to see your friends daily due to schools being closed for the rest of the school year?
A) Yes it’s hard not seeing my friends because I’m used to going to school and seeing them waiting for me, but now I can’t because we don’t have school.
Q) How do you feel about this whole thing? Does it frustrate you or are you happy to be out of school for so long?
A) It irritates me because I may dislike school but I get to learn new stuff, I get to see my friends, and I get to interact with other kids. But I can’t now, because I can’t leave the house due to this.

High school seniors have been affected by this by losing what’s left of their year and their graduation; all other students, including middle school students and elementary school students, have been affected by this — losing the rest of their school year and not being able to see their friends.

Even though it’s all online now, it’s still not the same. I also have been affected, seeing as my campus (MHCC) has been shut down and all my classes will be online. While it isn’t exactly a horrendous situation to be in, it does mean I will be unable to interact face-to-face with my peers, my friends, or my teachers, which makes things particularly difficult for me because I’m more of a hands-on learner.

Though it has affected the students of Oregon, the pandemic has also impacted its workers just as much, if not more. Oregonians, as well as men and women all over the world, have been suffering from reduced hours, layoffs, or in the best-case scenario, being forced to work from home, which tremendously complicates their work lives. With all of this uncertainty, it’s little wonder why people have been going stir crazy.

To get a better idea of how workers’ lives have changed, I sat down to interview Ava’s mother, an employee of a local multi-service organization, SEI (Self Enhancement Inc.), which strives to help under-represented communities and those struggling with poverty.

Interview
Alia Pollard – Mother of Ava, SEI employee (Scheduling coordinator for energy assistance)
Q) How do you think the closure of stores and other business establishments will affect the economy?
A) I think it will be devastating to the economy. Many will lose their jobs.
Q) How long do you think the shutdowns will last?
A) It’s hard to say right now; the information we receive changes daily.
Q) Will this affect you, in any way? If so how?
A) This will and has affected me in many ways. I am now working from home and schools are closed,so trying to work while my kids are home is very difficult.
Q) What do you think will happen after this has been handled?
A) Honestly, I don’t know. I am optimistic that the change in weather will help combat the virus and hopefully testing will be available for ALL and vaccines will be available in the next few months.
Q) Has this affected anyone close to you or anyone you may know?
A) Everyone is affected. Some are having to deal with great loss right now while for others, this is just an inconvenience in their daily routines.

TIPS

As a once-super-busy college student, I had to pick up some tips and even a few how-to’s in order to relax after a long, hard day of classes. After using a few tips I’ve found online I have been able to put together a small list of things that can be used now during the quarantine.

Meditation
I’ve personally found that meditation works as a great way to start my day off right. For me in particular, I feel it’s the best way to start off my morning, primarily because I get extremely painful headaches. More often than not, performing a meditation routine helps alleviate a majority of the pain. So on a personal level, 10/10, I would definitely recommend this.
To begin, the first thing you will want to do is find a spot that you know you will be comfortable in for a hot minute.
Find a meditation app that suits your fancy, whether it’s a simple video on YouTube, a soundtrack on Spotify, or an actual app!
Enjoy the sound of the voice, the music, whatever it is. Examine what it offers you and slowly relax.

Movies
Watch movies you haven’t seen before, or see the ones you want to watch again. I know we’re all probably doing this one already (I’ve already watched a few personal favorites more times than I want to admit), but with stay-at-home mandates still in effect, Netflix, Hulu, or whatever you use is bound to become a new best friend during this time. Hey, who ever said watching a movie was bad for you?

Get Organized
In my opinion, this is the perfect time to finally start getting things in order, and get started on that to-do list. With everything closed or closing down, I’ve been left with nothing more to do than scroll through social media. So, I figured why not take this time to start doing all of those little tasks that I’ve been putting off? Whether it’s laundry, cleaning, or throwing out old clothes and things I can no longer use, this is the perfect time to get organized.

Staying Active Indoors The Fun Way
Now for this one, I’ve read and seen a lot of things that can be done to keep active, even while indoors. So here are just a few examples of the many things you can do to ensure you stay active during this pandemic:
Child rearing: If you have a small child in the house, you are already well aware of how hyper they can become. With my little sister, I try to keep her entertained by making up games, or playing “catch me if you can,” or even hide-and-seek. Not only does this keep her entertained and helps her burn off some of that energy, it also keeps me on my toes and helps me stay active.
Dance contest: My sisters and I made this one into a little game, though it started off as an accidental challenge. We try to out-dance one another by bringing our goofiest dance moves to the table, to any form of music. Not only does this leave the whole family in tears from all the laughing but it’s also extremely fun, as well as a great workout!
House cleaning/Yard-work: This can be seen as more of a family task than an individual one, but family cleaning and yard maintenance for me is pretty damned fun, because you each have to take on a certain chore or part of the house and make sure you have it cleaned up. By the time everyone is done, the house or yard is clean or beautiful, and everyone feels accomplished. Not only does this task have multiple benefits, it also knocks spring cleaning out of the park!
I know this is a time of stress, uncertainty and fear, but all we can do right now is stay calm, keep clean (wash our hands, sanitize, etc.), and try to relax. And here are a few ways to do just that:

Relaxation techniques
Music: Listening to music, in my opinion, is one of the greatest ways to relax because music is naturally soothing and will improve your mental health! Music often helps me unwind; something about it just soothes me. I’ll go to my playlist and just let the music wash over me, leaving me not only refreshed, but relaxed!
Reading: Finding the perfect book in your spare time can make you feel like your stress has left the building, as you immerse yourself into another world. Why not take this time to pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read but never seem to have the time for?
Bubble bath/Shower: This one will kill two birds with one stone. Not only will you be able to stay clean, but a nice hot shower or soothing bubble bath can help take your mind off of life’s drama and help you relax in one of the simplest ways possible!
Napping: This is one that I love doing the absolute most. Taking a quick nap can leave the body feeling refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the day (also, naps just rock!).
During the chaos and stress of this pandemic it can start to feel like everything has changed for the worst. Hell, even I’m worried things will never be the same. Despite it all, we should try and find a silver lining. What had started off as something small has now escalated into a full-blown pandemic with businesses closing worldwide, and some grocery stores are barely able to keep up with demands. But what we have to remember is that it’s not the end of the world, and things will return to “normal” as soon as possible, given the situation.
It’s also best to be realistic and remember that there are still some things that will not be fixed right away. In time, though, we should be able to put this past us and move on toward what I hope will be a brighter future.