With the outbreak of COVID-19, society is forced to stay inside their homes and quarantine indefinitely. It’s a scary feeling, not knowing when you get to see your loved ones again, or when life will go back to normal. Until then, knowing how to spend your time is key to staying healthy and happy; everyone knows it can be hard to get out of bed when you don’t necessarily have to.

One thing to do over quarantine is staying connected to the friends you cannot see due to social distancing. I decided to catch up with my friends via facetime to see what they were doing to keep busy. 

Emily Dowd, 11, said, “[Over quarantine] I’ve been going to the track and running while no one else is there. I really don’t want to fall out of shape so quick, when I worked hard to get where I am right now.” 

Exercising can be a great way to keep not only your physical health up, but your mental health as well. Although working out may not be fun in the moment, you will get a feeling of accomplishment afterwards – and all the small victories are important right now.

“I’ve been taking my dogs on so many walks, which they are probably tired of by now, but I also got a new job because I got bored at home.” Layla Smith, 11, said. 

Finding a new job can be a major benefit to save up for college, when there is so much free time.

“I usually work a seasonal summer job, but my boss knew school got cancelled so he asked if I wanted to come work for him now,” Connor Zorn, 12, said. “I agreed, and started the next day.”

Jobs can’t workout for everyone right now, but there is plenty of time to find a new hobby, or pursue an old one. I would encourage everyone to find something that makes you happy; whether that be cooking, painting, or even watching a movie with your family.