Surviving COVID-19 quarantine

After two weeks off of school and a lot of confusion and uncertainty, the semester is about to begin once again. Many of us live in an area where Stay at Home orders have been enacted, keeping us in a very stationary physical state that contrasts how many of us spent our time only a few weeks ago. Staying inside, while is very important for the health and safety of ourselves and others, can be very taxing on mental health. While productivity is important, it is also important to practice self care during this time, especially if you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed. A lot of what is going on around us is out of our control, therefore taking advantage of what we can control will help us get through social distancing and quarantine (and hopefully help reduce stir-craziness). Keeping a set, daily schedule as you would if you were attending classes on campus. Setting an alarm to get up at a consistent time, showering and dressing, and setting aside a timeframe for school work can help boost morale and limit procrastination. You may find it helpful to write out your schedule and hang it in your room or put reminders on your phone. CNBC suggests a few tips for individuals to do over quarantine to maintain mental health: - Break up your day (in regard to both activities and environment) - Take care of your body - Help others (however you are able) - Stay connected with friends and family - Limit media intake - Avoid burning out - Focus on the positives - Take one day at a time While keeping up with classwork (and in our team’s case, editorial work) is important as we continue the semester remotely, making time for hobbies or other activities that reduce stress is equally important for surviving quarantine. Here’s what the editorial team has been up to when we’re off the clock:

Matt

I’ve been building terrain for Dungeons and Dragons while I’ve been quarantined. I had just recently built this modular cave terrain (it’s made from toilet paper...I’m a monster!) and wanted to have some stalagmites and mushroom growth to go with it, so that’s been my quarantine project. Everything here is handcrafted from scratch except for the figures - they’re just hand-painted (I made the bases).

Jack

During this stay at home advisory, I’ve been continuing to practice my yo-yo tricks. I’ve been yo-yoing for a few years but recently picked it back up as my quarantine hobby. This little trick here is “double or nothing”, my favorite trick to build into what are called “speed combos”. I recommend yo-yoing to anyone who wants to see clear progress in a skill that will come with practice. It is a very rewarding hobby I use to build self-confidence. I remember not even being able to get a yo-yo to return to my hand when I first started. If anyone is interested in picking up this hobby, there are tons of resources and helpful videos on youtube and yotricks.com!

Phoebe

During quarantine, I have of course been editing papers for the Made in Millersville Journal. When that is not on my To-Do list, I spend my time with my dogs! I have four (soon to be five), of all different breeds. I’ve attached pictures of all of them cuddling up with me in quarantine!

Abi

I’ve been longboarding since August, but now that I have a little more time I’ve been working on practicing different board tricks (this also forces me to get dressed and go outside). Just before the semester restarted I bought a Shrike from Bustin Boards and Blood Orange Pro Wheels. This week I acquired a used Yoface board (also from Bustin) and am waiting on the trucks, bearings, hardware, and wheels to come in the mail. This board is a little shorter than my Shrike so Ollies will be easier to learn. Just a few days ago my girlfriend repainted the board for me (pictured above). My goal is to be more comfortable taking hills, learn to slide, and master some tricks by the time quarantine ends.

Rachel

I’ve been trying to keep busy by reading some new books with my cat (I would recommend this Lori Gottlieb book to anyone looking to do some self-reflection during quarantine) and working on a quilt! My cat is not a great coworker because she often sleeps on the clock and throws up on my stuff, but it’s still nice to hang out after some time apart. I started working on this quilt over winter break and after many, many, many hours of ironing, I’m almost done! This is the second quilt I’ve worked on since I took up sewing again last summer.