Adaptability is one of the most important traits to have when one reaches adulthood. As young adults, we face the issue of developing adaptability on a more micro-level. But whether it’s moving to a new city or starting a new job, we never expected having to adapt to a pandemic. This once-in-a-century event has forced us to have a new outlook on life and find new ways to stay productive.
Living in a fast-paced, collegiate environment, one creates habits that bring comfort and motivate us to move forward. We all started with a schedule that worked for us, such as waking up early for a run or only making our favorite breakfast. The problem is, we associate these things with being on schedule and on-the-go, so we categorize them as a burden. So when it came to the transition of working remotely, many people decided to neglect these practices. However, then we all realized the efficiency of creating a set routine. Doing things we enjoy is extremely important to our mental health and motivation. Exploring new hobbies and learning new skills are forms of art and personal development.
We all have developed preferences we consider vital for efficiency. Whether it’s going to our favorite study spot on campus (fifth floor on Evans – best floor), working at our favorite coffee shop, or simply studying at home. Some of us don’t have the option to visit our favorite spots anymore, so we should try to pinpoint and recreate what we enjoy the most from them. Maybe try to find a quiet place in our house or attempt to recreate our favorite coffee order at home to find that similarity in the environment. For those who already worked from home before this pandemic – well, you’re lucky. These small behavioral changes reinforce the positive memories we correlate with efficiency and comfort, so adapting and recreating these little things at home can benefit us tremendously.
Also, we cannot ignore the change in our mobility. Our activity levels differ significantly, but we share one thing: setting time aside to commute to our destination. Catching the bus on time, walking to class or driving to work, we all use bursts of energy to do these small things. The virus paused those activities. With the volatility of the pandemic, uncertainty is something we face every day and it causes stress. Aerobic exercise can reduce anxiety by releasing dopamine and serotonin; these chemicals play an essential role in regulating our mood. We should take control of what we can and take care of our minds and bodies. It doesn’t matter if you were a gym rat or a couch potato before the pandemic. We all had a decrease in activity. Therefore, we should add a little extra movement to our daily routine to maintain our physical and mental health.
Apart from being efficient and using our time wisely for work-related activities. We cannot forget about boredom – our biggest self-proclaimed battle. Boredom works differently for us all. Some know what to do with spare time, and others feel stuck. Exploring new hobbies and skills is a form of personal development. Great ideas are brought to us when we least expect it. By exposing yourself to something new, we increase the chances of learning something. Because of our cultural attachment to our phones, we seek to solve our boredom by rapid and diverse stimuli from the Internet. We do not allow ourselves to wonder about the unknown and this affects our creativity. By being conscious of distracting and fruitless barriers, we should set them aside and focus on discovering something organically. We should see boredom as a weapon and use it to our advantage to learn and create new things.
To those struggling during these uncertain times, it is valid to feel overwhelmed. The best we can do is adapt to the rapid changes during this pandemic and be kind to ourselves. These external factors and isolation are changing us, and I’d like to think that everything happens for a reason. Despite the circumstances, we need to use this time to our advantage and do things we didn’t have time to do before. Things will get better. Focusing on our health, productivity and ourselves overall is what we can do right now.
Jorge Oliva is a communication senior and opinion writer for The Battalion.