The lockdowns have put a lot of stress on teens right now, causing a lot of us to not feel motivated to do the things we want to do. Personally, I have been doing quite a few projects and started some new hobbies, just to keep me occupied. I had a talk with some of my friends, just to see what they have been doing lately. My friend, Zoe Thomas, spoke to me about what she has been doing. She said, “ She has picked up cooking and baking to help keep her mind occupied.” During the lockdown, she has found that it’s hard to keep up motivation, so baking and cooking have helped her a lot. It is very important to keep yourself occupied during this time because it will also help with your mental health. 

A study found in late June 2020, anxiety and depression has increased 31% in teens and adults since the beginning of quarantine. While it has been over a year since we have technically been locked down, it was also a great time to find family bonding time. I have a lot of friends tell me how they appreciate being able to connect with their family even more than before. Being in lockdown has put a lot of stress on everybody, no matter their age, but being able to try new things has been a good outcome of this pandemic. I myself have also picked up from hobbies like knitting and crocheting. I found that making things helps me stay happy and relaxed. I have some friends that have also picked up crocheting, being able to compare and share our stuff with each other has been very fun as well. 

For my cat, Jackson, I made him a frog hat and in the picture, you can tell she obviously really enjoys it. Overall I do really enjoy some of the things I was able to do during this time that I wouldn’t have even thought about if this pandemic never happened. I also know a lot of teens can agree with me on this since we have all gone through and experienced the same type of issues lately.