Essay Example on How the COVID-19 Lockdown Changed My Life

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot has changed, including the closure of schools, cancellation of sporting leagues, and many people working from home. As a student, the pandemic's public announcement translated to significant changes in how I interact with other people. Before the president announced lockdown directives, I never imagined myself locked at home, with nothing else to do other than doing assignments and binge-watching. The first few weeks of lockdown were an experience I will never forget.

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It started with my friend's birthday in early December, Christmas, and end-of-year celebrations. Then came several countdowns, birthday parties during the early months of 2020, and various neighborhood sessions. But thanks to COVID-19, the shutters came down as fast and hard on life as I knew it. First, my parents' work encouraged them to work from home, after which it became a nationwide directive. Next to follow suit were school heads encouraging students to stay off campus and proceed with online classes.

When my institution announced that students would start taking online classes, my friends and I started sharing responses, to which all of us agreed that the announcement was no surprise. In the initial weeks of quarantine, I found myself in a pessimistic state regarding life during a pandemic. The new state of things had blurred my life into aimless Netflix searches, existential contemplation, hobby seeking, and Google classroom assignments.

Initially, going to school meant end-of-day mental and physical exhaustion, and as a result, I would fall asleep pretty easily. I used to wake up at 6 am and be ready for school by 8 am; after the day's activities, I attended football practice and then head back home. At home, I would work on my assignments, and if I had time left, I hung out with friends. I used to sleep at around 11 pm or midnight, but with the advent of novel social distancing regulations, everything changed entirely. I started waking up later than 9 am, playing video games, and watching shows on Netflix all day; bedtimes also changed to 1 or 2 am, and at times, I found myself staying up late till 3 am.

Even though I had the chance to be free from school, disconcerted feelings of powerlessness and loneliness plagued my time at home alone. As the only child living with parents who continued working, I tried my best to keep my sanity by calling my friends to pass the time working on assignments. Other times I listened to music or watched TV shows. Even then, all this appeared to be gradually pointless. While I am naturally driven, intellectually curious, and passionate about my education, the chaos stemming from this pandemic prompted a perception that all my class assignments were mere busy work. In turn, I preferred watching rather than working on my assignments.

As the days passed, finding new ways to socialize became essential. My friends and I started visiting large parking lots, parking our cars several feet apart, sitting in the trunks, and catching up while we enjoyed each other's company for hours before going back home. We would talk about the novel adjustments each of us made regarding how to cope with the pandemic-prompted changes. Socializing was essential if I were to remain sane. I missed being around other people other than my parents.

In the weeks following the lockdown announcement, the chaos arising from this pandemic significantly impacted me physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially. For example, being constantly locked inside my house severely reduced my daily physical activities to the point where walking around the house became the most exercise I got. The crisis also resulted in considerable emotional strain. As an accountant at a local store, my mother lost her job, resulting in significant strain on the family's finances (as we resorted to depending on my dad alone). Also, being far from my friends induced feelings of loneliness.

To say that the pandemic changed my everyday living would be an understatement, considering the transition from being busy the whole day to doing absolutely nothing. I was booked for the whole of April, with activities such as the Master's Swim that I had volunteered for and a local marathon that I had planned to participate in. I also had plans to participate in a swimming competition, but the event got canceled for safety reasons. Everything I had planned for either got canceled or postponed as individuals and organizations tried to observe social distancing regulations.

Comclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown prompted significant changes. While I have not seen my friends for a while, I feel that we are closer to each other than ever before. Although, the initial weeks of lockdown were full of horror and all kinds of uncertainty, the period allowed me to spend more time with my family. The knowledge that everyone is doing their best inspired me to try my best and stay afloat. Notwithstanding no supposed end in sight, the lockdown brought out the best in me.