There is no doubt that coronavirus is affecting more than just the infected. With the new policies of social distancing and “Stay at Home or Shelter in Place” policies, many people are experiencing boredom, anxiety and loneliness. With most business, jobs and schools shutting down, people are overwhelmed with emotions, and often do not know how to control or deal with them.

Originally, people reduced the amount of time and people they were seeing, but now with Governor Inslee’s new policy of staying at home, it is technically illegal to interact with others unless it is necessary. This means that people are spending drastically less time with others which makes this stressful time more difficult, because many are forced to cope with it by themselves.

Anna Roberts ’23 struggles with the fact that Spring sports are postponed and that she can no longer see her track teammates; she says “I hate that I can’t go to practice and be outside with my friends, because of social distancing.”

Similarly, Emily Colleran ’21 recognized that for many people “it can be scary to feel very vulnerable and hard to stay positive.” In order to help those feeling vulnerable and alone Colleran has been reaching out; “I have been checking in on my grandparents and older neighbors to make sure they are ok and know they are not alone. My mom and I have also helped get groceries for our neighbors, so they don’t have to leave their homes if they are scared.” Simply reaching out and helping others can drastically decrease the stress and fear people are feeling during this time.

The media plays a big role when it comes to the coronavirus. The media strikes fear in people, and cause spread misinformation. People are often told to turn off the TV, do not read the newspaper or not to listen to the radio, because it will just cause stress and fear. Roberts ’23 says “the media doesn’t affect me but I don’t like looking at it [the news] if it has to do with coronavirus.”

On the other hand, J.P. Beer ’20 finds that “fear stems from a lack of knowledge,” and that he controls his fears of the virus by staying on top of the current news and coverage. Beer however believes that “we’ve still got to be on the lookout for fake news – I learned that there aren’t actually any dolphins that returned to Venice.”

With all the media, new social distancing restrictions and family time, it can be hard to stay sane. Beer maintains his sanity by keeping himself busy with “escapism, artistic pursuits, and unapologetically ripping off Charles Dickens.” He also finds that “optimism and humor” reduces the stress around the virus and that “cracking jokes is a great way to cope” (See Tips from J.P. below).

Roberts copes with the virus by “exercising a lot, playing board games and doing puzzles. And, of course, watching lots of Netflix!” Colleran said she distracts herself from thinking about the virus by “focusing on the positives that can come from staying home, like more time to sleep and talk with friends even if it isn’t in person.”

Mental health is a very important thing to be mindful and aware of during this time and coping with this stress and anxiety can be extremely beneficial for one’s health. Seattle Prep Counselor Dr. Rosellini says that the virus “can create stress and anxiety in many ways. From fear for the health of ourselves or loved ones, to worrying if we have enough supplies, to being worried about when we will go to school or our job again.”

It is clear that the unknown and uncontrollable aspects of the virus are the roots of stress. Roselini says the best way to cope with these feelings “is to understand how the stress is affecting oneself and what triggers it”, along with “remembering what can be controlled, and not ruminating on what is out of control.”

He suggests creating a routine; this can “give a sense of control and mastery of the day.” Incorporating “coping strategies can also be helpful,” says Dr. Rosellini, “including practicing mindful breathing, journaling or meditation.”

Struggling to find something to do or find comedic relief during this time? Don’t fear J.P. Beer ’20 is here to help, below are a few of his suggestions:

• “Prefixing everything with “digital learning.” “Digital learning prom.” “Digital learning Olympic Week.” “Digital learning graduation.” “Digital learning Day of Service.
• Can’t find any face masks? Wear a medieval plague doctor mask around! Costume stores should have plenty of Il Medico della Peste masks lying around, since Mardi Gras basically got canceled. If you can find any small ones, make one for your dog! That sounds adorable!
• Make elaborate plans to steal someone else’s toilet paper. The more elaborate and contrived, the funnier.
• “Inside jokes.” Get it? Because we’re all supposed to stay inside? Yeah, I stole that last one from Twitter. Stole it like a roll of toilet paper from my ex’s!
• Sign all emails to your teachers with “Have a great summer!” They will not appreciate it at all.
• Mail your teachers a single square of toilet paper. They will greatly appreciate your generosity, and probably retire early with the combined profit from that square of toilet paper and their economic stimulus checks