The COVID-19 pandemic has affected my life since 2020. COVID-19 is a monster which we are all afraid of. Due to the pandemic, I have been confined in my home like a bird in a cage unable to fly. To be honest, global pandemic has brought me both good and bad results. Bad, the motivation to do anything has been lost drastically. Also, I am a bit depressed. On the other hand, I have started to concentrate on my physical and mental health. What’s more, I have learnt that there is always hope even if we are desperate.

 

To start with, I am not as efficient as before. Because of the situation of the global pandemic, I am restricted from going to school. I can only attend online lessons. I do not have the motivation to concentrate on the lessons because there are numerous distractions on my desk. Honestly, I do not have the feeling that I am having my lessons online because I am wearing my pajamas. Even if I am doing my homework, I always procrastinate everything because I do not have to hand in homework tomorrow morning. Instead, I just have to submit my homework before 23:59 tomorrow. That means I can deal with it later at night. My procrastination has become more severe since the outbreak of COVID-19. In my heart, there is always a devil who tries to convince me to stop doing anything just playing. Eventually, I do not have the motivation to deal with my study.

 

Additionally, I am depressed due to the pandemic. I am told that it is risky to go outside because there is always a chance to get COVID-19. After all, COVID-19 is a contagious disease. If I join some social gatherings, I will be one of the close contacts if someone in the gathering has been infected with COVID-19. I end up realizing what a caged bird’s life is like. I understand why the bird always wants freedom. Although it is materially wealthy in the cage, it is not satisfied mentally because it cannot socialize with peers. It cannot explore the world in its spare time. Likewise, I cannot meet my friends and classmates regularly. I cannot communicate with them and see those familiar faces every day. In another word, I cannot reduce stress by talking to them directly.

 

After talking about the negative impacts of the pandemic to me, I will point out the positive impacts brought by a pandemic.

 

First and foremost, the pandemic makes me concentrate on my health. When I realised that the COVID-19 situation was getting serious, I started to concern myself. I always notice whether my body is functioning well since I am afraid of suffering from COVID-19. I started to exercise more to improve my health. In addition to exercise, I changed my eating habit. Previously, I loved eating junk food as well as snacks which were unhealthy. Amid the pandemic, I did not want to become ill. Otherwise, I may have a risk of suffering COVID-19 because my body is less resistant due to illnesses. Eating healthily can make sure that I can have a healthy lifestyle which can reduce the risk of being sick.

 

Moreover, I care more about the things around me. I stay at my home all the time to minimize the risk of getting COVID-19 disease. When I am bored, I cannot go out and play with my friends. Alternatively, I listen to a news podcast every day. I have realized that I am more fortunate than others. I can talk to my friends via social media. When they are sick, I will phone them and ask them about their health conditions. Friends motivate me to be optimistic about the situation. They are like candle lights in the dark.

 

The pandemic has taught me that we cannot be hopeless. Initially, when the government noticed the outbreak of the pandemic, it had no idea what to do. Most countries chose to have lockdown. In countries around the world, a majority of citizens felt hopeless. Different scientists and pharmacologists invented vaccines to combat the disease. Recently, there have been vaccines developed by different countries. Normality will return soon. With COVID-19, it seems like we are confined in a very dark cave. Even if we are in the dark cave, we should be optimistic. There is always a glimmer of hope and light somewhere if we can attempt to find out instead of focusing on the darkness.

 

In conclusion, I become less effective and more depressed in the pandemic. However, I have more focused on my health and surroundings. Besides, I have learnt that we cannot be hopeless. In the foreseeable future, I hope everything will return to normal.