Being confined to my personal space has given me the opportunity for self reflection which I think is important during these times. Often I have been caught up in the rushed school routine, and often commit to numerous hours of studying or time socialising, that I forget to take a pause and think for myself.

I think that although lacking physical contact with my friends has provoked both benefits and disadvantages for me. I obviously do miss my friends and being surrounded by people who care for me (aside from family) and I think their presence in school reassured me in the sense that I can tell them anything on my mind, whenever. I do think I took this for granted, especially all the outings we would plan last minute together which now would appear a luxury to have for any of us.

Nonetheless, I have always had an independent and solitary nature when studying. I do think this has also been reflected regarding my relationship with friends. I feel as if it can be a burden to keep up with whatever the topic of discussion is, and I do often resent the need to be disconnected from this continuous cycle of discussion, especially when I have nothing to contribute. I have been able to do so by restricting myself of phone use from the time I go to sleep, until 3pm in the afternoon. This applies for both school days and weekends. In school days it doesn’t make much difference as I often focus on the school work. On the weekends I feel it is nice to disconnect and enjoy the weekend as a time I have for myself and relaxing with my family. This has been a successful way to distance me from my friends, not in any defensive way but just for my personal necessity. Obviously, I still maintain contact with them through video calls in the afternoon and regular messaging at night.

I think the restriction of seeing friends for such a prolonged period of time has surprisingly benefitted me more than I thought. I have enjoyed spending time alone and I have realised the importance of having a small period of time for myself every day, to essentially ‘oxygenate’ myself. This time alone can also provoke deep thoughts of reflection which I think is essential for everyone. The way I do this is by often going on 15-30min walks daily, during break, lunch and after school. I also run quite regularly. Whilst running is a more intense form of exercise, I feel I can reflect better when I walk alone. I often listen to music which is very soothing and relaxing for me.

Therefore, when I do get back to the normal habitual way of life, I think I will most definitely continue to dedicate time for myself and balancing this with the other time I spend to socialise with either my friends or my family.