Isolation can be difficult for many PDS students, who are missing their friends, relatives, and, at this point, maybe even their classes. In this strange new time, many find themselves just trying to “ride this out.” While these past two months have been emotionally draining, it is also important to make use of self-isolation and take care of yourself. You can start by limiting how many hours you spend online, or trying new activities. 

One thing you should probably do to encourage a proactive mindset is limiting things like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. While it can be fun to mindlessly scroll through posts, soon enough you will find that you’ve spent the past seven hours watching mediocre TikToks which really are not as funny as you think they are when you are half asleep. Even though the “stop scrolling” TikTok feature is, admittedly, quite annoying (you can’t control me!), it does have a point. Especially with online classes, it is essential to take a break from all screens when you can. Consider putting your phone in a drawer, and allotting yourself a small and consistent amount of phone usage each day. Freshman Leigh Hillmanno stated, “I set screen time limits for the apps I use most often.”

If you miss interacting with people, talk to your pet instead. Don’t worry, no one is around to judge you (unless you have a sibling). Have a debate with your dog: “Were Ross and Rachel really on a break?” or chat about the iconic Champagne-Gate with your cat. Sure, they can’t technically talk back, but feel free to waste time trying to teach them English. In all seriousness, though, having a pet is great for emotional support, so cuddling with one is definitely encouraged!

This next idea may seem controversial, but hear it out: do boring things with your family. During self-isolation, many high schoolers spend a lot of time on Netflix, Hulu, TikTok, YouTube, and other streaming platforms. As a result, teenagers get sucked down an endless rabbit hole of videos. This instant gratification will make it difficult to interact with others once self-isolation is over. If you do activities with your family that are not your first choice, you can maintain an ability to concentrate in boring situations.

If you need a change of scenery that might improve your mood, consider building a pillow fort. This not only keeps your brain working as you try to figure out how to balance that last pillow, but it also provides a great excuse for mini naps. If a parent asks you, “Did you even move today?” you can now say yes. Good for you, you moved from one bed to another. That takes dedication.