Student to student: Top 5 things we’re doing to distract ourselves

Going to school during a global pandemic can cause a lot of stress and anxiety for students.

We have to deal with the pressures of making sure we are on top of our school work, making sure that we are following safety protocols, experiencing a chaotic election season, and still manage to have some sanity left at the end of the day.

I asked students the top things they are doing to keep themselves distracted with everything going on around them. Here they are:

1. Chefing it up in the kitchen

For me personally, this is one of my favorite ways to distract myself from all the madness in the world. I love going on Pinterest and looking up cool new recipes to try. They don’t all turn out the best, but at least I got the opportunity to try them and better my cooking skills. One of the ones that I tried was Curry Chicken with Potatoes and Rice.

2. Changing sceneries

Being locked up inside all day can be very draining. Many of us are caught sitting in front of our screens for hours on end. Junior Jacqueline Nah helps distract herself by going to places she wouldn’t usually go to. She finds pleasure in going grocery shopping with her roommate and grabbing food from the Union.

“I find it really draining being in the house all day every day, especially since I’m an extrovert. Changing scenery is something that distracts me. I have one in-person class that I attend twice a week so that also allows me to switch my environment,” she said.

3. Getting active

Junior Cynthia Villatoro says that she keeps herself distracted by working out.

“Ever since everything got shut down I wasn’t able to go to the gym anymore so I picked up on doing home workouts and it was so fun. I did some dance ones at first and slowly got myself to do more muscle-building ones. Working out has always been a stress reliever for me,” she said.

Whether it’s working out in your room or going on a long walk, being active can not only help us mentally but also keep us physically healthy.

4. Binge-watching new TV shows and movies

This is also one of my favorite things to do during this time. I have discovered so many interesting shows and movies that I would’ve never found if I didn’t give them a chance.

Some of my personal favorites have been “The Queen’s Gambit” on Netflix and “The Weekly” by The New York Times on Hulu.

5. Picking up a new hobby

With more downtime, it is the perfect time to pick up a new skill set and hone in on it. For junior Christian Alvarado, his new hobby has been skateboarding. It allows him to get outside and get active while trying something new.

“So what I’ve been doing to distract myself was picking up skateboarding. It not only keeps me in shape but also helps me practice growth mindset while trying to learn a new trick,” he said.