Being stuck at home this long is driving me slightly crazy. Like I can’t seem to stay on a single train of thought for very long–which makes doing homework very hard. I think my mental fog is coming from a growing attachment to my phone and tv because those are the two things that I find myself doing in my free time right now. And I justify it with what every positive instagramer has been saying which is something like “These are unprecedented times, there’s no right way to do it. If you want to work out everyday you can, or you can chill and relax.” I am using those messages as an excuse to do nothing in my free time (which is a lot of time now).
While I agree with people who say that everyone responds differently, I don’t think these circumstances are an excuse to sit around and do nothing. I think everyone knows this, but it’s easier said than done. I’m going to make an effort from now on to cut down on tv and phone time and exchange them with time outside, reading, or doing something productive around the house. I should still be prioritizing my time because when else will I ever have a completely open schedule, free to accomplish whatever I want?
Something else I’m having trouble with is finding anything to look forward to because of the uncertainty of our timeline. I could look forward to vacation in June and hope that I will still be able to go, but I don’t want to hope for an event to happen that might not even happen. And then the thought of us being in quarantine for another three months annoys me beyond belief. It’s just been really hard to figure out how to mentally navigate these upcoming months because we have no idea what’s going to happen.
Maddy Mengel
ENGL110 Spring 2020 11:15-12:05 
The last paragraph you wrote stood out to me. I also feel like I have nothing to look forward to. Looking forward to things in the summer I feel will give me false hope. All of the events I had planned to do in June have already been canceled. It’s very upsetting and makes things hard. I get exactly where you’re coming from in that paragraph.
– Vienna Iacona
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I liked your first paragraph a lot. Specifically the use of the term “mental fog”. I understand exactly what you felt, and I definitely feel the same way. I applaud your ability to get yourself out of the fog, and it’s great that you found a way to be productive while we are all stuck at home.
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I appreciate how self-aware you are during these times. It’s very admirable to recognize these times as a chance to be more productive than you’ve ever been able to. Your last paragraph resonated most with me, and I thought it summed up everyone’s state of mind perfectly. I always keep telling myself, “Just hold out for a few more weeks”, but that would be lying to myself (lol) because there is simply no timeline set with this virus. I hope you accomplish some great things before the quarantine is over.
-Michael Muscato
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I really related to your writing the whole way through. In the beginning of all this I used it as an excuse to sit and watch tv, then I finally decided to try and keep busy and occupied. I really enjoyed your last paragraph because I have felt the same way in my head. Not knowing what we are going to be doing in the next couple of months is scary and I think we need to all stay positive.
-Katie Fallon
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Completely understand how you feel about struggling to focus on school. I’m currently taking five classes online now and it just doesn’t feel like an ideal situation right now. Being at home makes it hard to focus and I try to use schoolwork to distract myself from what’s going on, but a the same time it’s so hard to focus on that work sometimes when my phone, tv, and Xbox are all in the same building
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