How long will this last? - Tips on how to keep going

By: T. Kotler

​Maybe the Russians, the Chinese, Oxford University, Pfizer or even USP will deliver a vaccine tomorrow on our doorstep, or maybe they'll never be able to produce a COVID-19 vaccine at all. The thing is: we don’t know yet. We can of course make predictions or even bet with our friends about how long it will take for us to be able to return to school (mask-free!), or believe that we will have to wear masks for the rest of our lives. Nevertheless, there isn’t a single person who knows for sure. It doesn’t matter if you read the newspaper every day or haven't a clue of whats been going on these past months, unless you are gifted with foresight, you don’t know when our lives will return to ‘normal’ either. Meanwhile, all we can do is hope that this pandemic ends soon and that we all remain healthy and safe. Therefore, I have created a list with tips on how to keep going:

1. Go outside (unless your doctors/parents advise you not to because of a condition)
I don’t mean go to restaurants or to a 500 people party where someone is for sure infected! I mean go to a park nearby and jog with your mask on, or go to a friend’s house and watch a movie together (while maintaing 2 metres rule and other guidelines). This is for your own good! If you lock yourself in your room for 7 (or possible more) months, you will end up damaging your mental health which can be just as bad as COVID-19. 

2. Get a new offline hobby 
I definitely have a lot of free time on my hands now that I don’t spend 2+ hours in a traffic jam, or now that my gym is closed so I have already watched most of the content there is on Netflix. If I have, then you probably have too. So, instead of logging off your computer at 15:15 and turning on your TV at 15:16 try doing something without Wi-Fi. You can play soccer, read a book, write a play, train your dog or even attempt one of my recipes available on The Lion. Just try to do something that will make you forget online learning or your phone for a couple of minutes.

3. Watch less news channels and read less news in general
You should always be up to date on the what's happening and know some important current affairs. However, watching the news 24/7 can drive you crazy, especially now, as most things we see on the news are tragedies about the increasing deaths of COVID-19. It's okay to switch off for a bit and focus on those close to you. You can also take this as an opportunity to watch something interesting and enlightening such as the new Netflix documentary: The Social Dilemma.

4.Don’t get your hopes up, but also, don’t lose hope!
This sentence is just a reminder that the pandemic will eventually end as someone will either find a cure or we will become immune but, this won’t happen just yet. We probably won’t be returning to school in November or maybe not even until 2021 but, keep in mind that we will return. Remember that patience is key to surviving these unprecedented times.