Coping with COVID-19 — A Teen Writes

Written by Ruhaan Jain, student.

The thought of COVID-19 is very scary for some people. It has infected a lot of people, and it is very easy to catch. The symptoms are similar to the flu, so some people may shrug it off. There are warnings everywhere, and it is basically the main topic of the news — and of normal, everyday conversation. I have three ways to cope with the virus.

My first way is to ignore certain information about the virus. I don't try to track which people have it or how many have it. I note how to protect myself — and after that, I don't dig for more. I keep my distance from people and wash my hands after touching things. I don't go outside for long periods like I used to, but otherwise everything else is normal.

My second way is to take in positive information — things that don't relate to COVID-19 or health. Watching something positive or funny helps me forget about the virus. After even ten minutes of that, I can forget about the worldwide pandemic. Sometimes I get weird questions in my head (I am a middle-schooler, after all), and then I start searching up random things and forget about everything going on around me, including COVID-19. Something else that helps: I read books for hours.

My third and final way is to tell myself that I am healthy and to eat healthy foods. Many people tell me I will be fine even if I get the virus because I am young. After people tell me this, I start to relax. I tell myself that I will brag to future generations: I survived a global pandemic.

These are the three ways I keep calm in the midst of this global pandemic. I use them almost every single day, and they help a lot. Maybe they'd help you too.

Originally published March 2020.