Many of us are starting to feel the depression of dark coronavirus days and are showing signs of pandemic fatigue. Let’s face it, feeling like a prisoner in our own homes these past 9 months is taking a toll, but it appears that brighter days are just ahead.
By | Sewit Haile
It’s been about nine months since the pandemic changed the course of history. I, along with many others, have found myself feeling unmotivated and unproductive lately. It’s hard to stay positive when this year has been so difficult and different than what we all expected. It seems like every day there’s more bad news about Covid. After almost a year, it’s getting tiring.
I know many other people feel this way, so if you have been feeling apathy lately: don’t worry! Many people, especially students, share this feeling, you’re not alone. For many, the best part about school is socializing and being with friends – now, with the quarter system, and many safety measures in place, that’s changed.
Here’s how I like to look at it – we can’t stop this from happening. This is life indefinitely, so there’s no point in wasting time and waiting for your day-to-day to get back to normal when there are many things that can be done safely at home.
Let’s try to look at this from a positive side. For example, in the past 4 months of in-person learning, Notre Dame has only had a handful of students, and one staff member, be infected with COVID, and they’ve all thankfully, fully recovered. Also, the first trials of the COVID-19 vaccine have been developed and are being shipped to different countries; Canada’s first shipment was received this past weekend, and the first Canadian was given the inoculation Tuesday! Everything we’re doing that has changed all of our lives this past year is to keep us and our communities safe and healthy and limit the spread of coronavirus.
It’s essential to try to do our part, which entails wearing a mask, washing and sanitizing your hands, and avoiding going places that aren’t essential – I know this message has been repeated to us over and over for the past year, but it’s true and important to remember. The more we all stay responsible and accountable, the stronger we’ll be once this is all over. It’s okay to feel unmotivated and discouraged with this past year’s events; but remember, it’s not what happens to us, it’s how we decide to act in this time of turbulence.
Stay the course, Jugglers! And Merry Christmas to all of our Notre Dame community.
Elf, always Elf…