Each week we will be bringing you the voice of one of the young people we are working with at the Jack Petchey Foundation to share their thoughts, ideas and tips about how to make the most of social distancing and staying home. This week’s is from Suhaana, who won her Achievement Award in 2019.

DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND STAY IN TOUCH

My name is Suhaana Soraiya. In November 2019, I won a Jack Petchey Achievement Award for being an outstanding achiever. My blog post to you, is about how you can stay positive and productive during lockdown. Today I will be sharing my lockdown story with you and I hope this will inspire you to go on an adventure and create your own inspirational lockdown story to share!

When I first heard about covid-19, I didn’t exactly know what it was at first. Then, when I found that it was a virus which you could get by having the simplest of symptoms and that it’s causing a pandemic, I immediately started to panic and stress and let my anxiety and paranoia get the better of me. As a result, I was panicking in fear but eventually I calmed down by listening to music, talking to others and doing my favourite activities. At first, these feelings will get the better of you and they will make you feel all kinds of emotions. Once you learn how to calm yourself down and controls these emotions everything will be calm and peaceful again, I promise you.

I remember the day when lockdown was announced, and college closed. So many questions were racing through my mind: What will I do now?, How will I  rehearse for my  final college performance? How will I get my coursework done? I was panicking again, then I reminded myself to stay calm because panicking won’t get me anywhere, it will only make things worse. I also remembered that, I was not alone in this situation and my other classmates will be thinking the same thing. That is a key point to remember during this time: You are never alone. Eventually I found an answer to all the questions my mind was asking and now I am studying safely at home with all my teachers to support me online.

When I started isolating at home, the first question I asked myself was: how am I going to stay occupied and busy during lockdown?  I’m not too much of a going out person as I am a staying home person, but I must say I do love my daily trips to the bank, seeing my friends, going to college, and going to Waterstones to read and discover new romance stories! But now I can’t do any of those activities and at first I was struggling with lockdown because of this situation.

Then it came to me:  I can focus on my creative writing and develop my stories, I could also practise my piano and learn new songs, read some more books, watch more films and I could do some baking!  So now during lockdown, I am doing all these activities alongside taking little walks for fresh air to keep myself busy and occupied during lockdown. So my advice to you will be to think to yourself: What is it I love to do? What makes me happy and keeps a smile on my face?  Whether it’d be spending time with your loved ones, taking a little walk, facetiming your friends, jamming out to music, or even trying new things, if it puts a smile on your face then do it!

Spending time with your family and friends is the best way to get through these tough times and it definitely has helped me. I know with all the social distancing, it can be hard to meet up with your friends and family in person, but there is always a way you can stay connected with them so that you are never alone, whether that would be facetiming, talking on the phone, and even texting them.

I believe keeping in touch with your family and friends is also a fantastic way of staying positive because whenever you need someone to have a laugh with, your family and friends are always there to make you smile and laugh. Feelings such as: fear, anxiety, anxiousness can get the better of anyone and can mess with your mental health, so if you are ever feeling any of these emotions, I encourage you to talk to your friends and family about them because I have learned that keeping your feelings to yourself never helps. It is always best to talk to people who you are close to, so that you can let your feelings fly free and keep the positivity flowing!

Remember emotions will always get the best of you in the beginning but once you learn how to control them you will be fine, it’s like how Elsa learned how to control her powers! And also remember you are never alone! Finally, take small walks for some fresh air in order to stay healthy and most importantly stay  safe at home. Thank you.

Are you interested in featuring on our website? Do you want to discuss your lockdown experience and any advice you have for others? Email pr@petchey.co.uk today with the subject Blog Post and a little bit about yourself. We always want more young people’s voices on our website!

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