Redwood Students Experience Quarantine Blues

By Lily Mendes

Cabin fever by definition is irritability, listlessness, and similar symptoms resulting from long confinement or isolation indoors during the winter. These exact symptoms have been expressed by Redwood Students and staff when being quarantined to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

With isolation comes many depressive states, and mood changes due to being limited to everyday life activities. There are an abundance of ways people cope with these states. However, it is still difficult for many to have a positive outlook during this pandemic.

With events being canceled and goals being farther to reach, Redwood students have been on a rollercoaster ride with their emotions. Kellie Montemayor, ’20, expressed that “When quarantine started and we experienced our “last” day of school, I was really sad since I lost all of the different senior memories.”

Montemayor had been looking forward to her Senior Prom and Gradnite since her freshman year. She explained that one of the hardest things to deal with was not being “able to say goodbye” to all of her friends prior to the school closure. The lack of knowing what was going to happen in the future is what affected Montemayor’s mental state.

She communicated that she “wanted answers to questions,” regarding her graduation ceremony, that she had worked hard for. From a senior perspective it has been extremely difficult, knowing that they are missing out on the last few months of high school, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

During these strenuous times, it is important to look on the bright side and have a positive outlook on the situation. Montemayor tries to think about “others” and how this is a serious issue that is affecting everyone in some way. While being isolated Montemayor checks in with all her friends and family and “helps them and supports them,” through this tough time.

She explains that she tries to appreciate the “little things in life,” and ultimately learn lessons from this time. In order to pass the time Kellie has been “binge watching netiflix shows, painting, drawing, and doing many other activities. The biggest take away that Montemayor says she has learned is “ to never take anything for granted.”

Neftaly Gonzalez, ’21, being a junior has also experienced cabin fever but in a different light. Gonzalez communicated that she has been respecting the stay at home order, however it has been messing with her mental health.

She continues to say that she has “lost all motivation to work on anything.” The work from home has been difficult to accomplish with lack of focus in a different environment than usual. The feeling of getting nothing accomplished can make individuals more susceptible to depression. Along with being denied of social interaction for months at  a time, makes it harder to do everyday tasks.

Gonzalez personally has been denied the opportunities of “summer programs opened exclusively for incoming seniors.”After receiving the opportunities for both Yale and UCLA summer programs Gonzalez was disappointed to hear that all events were canceled due to the corona virus.

Gonzalez does however communicate with her family and friends via technology in order to stay positive, but she expresses that “talking to someone over a screen isn’t the same as seeing them in person.”

Similar to Neftaly Gonzalez, Annemarie Lawrence, ’21, has experienced lack of motivation to do school work from home. Lawrence explains that she inspires herself by “remembering that she has to study for her AP classes to pass the upcoming exams.”

With all the free time, Lawrence feels that her sleep schedule and positive out look have both changed. She continues to say “that a daily routine is important, however it is hard to stick to during quarantine.” Annemarie now appreciates routines in everyday life, and sees more benefits of a school environment that she ever has before.

In the future Annemarie is “excited to return to a normal routine where I am in a comfortable environment.”

Everyone has had the quarantine blues recently, but there is always a positive side to everything and the safety of others and yourself is the top priority.

Tags: #Covid-19, redwood high school