It is undoubtedly a very difficult time right now in the midst of COVID-19, for all those who are physically suffering from the disease, for providers caring for them, for their loved ones, for everyone else worldwide whose life has been put on hold for the valuable sake of self-isolation. For medical students nationwide, our clinical rotations have been on hiatus as we are encouraged to stay at home and reduce exposure as much as possible. I found self-quarantine to initially be very challenging, as I am so accustomed to having an exam to study for, rotations to prepare for, notes to write. Now that workload has been lessened significantly, I have been trying to accomplish more things outside of school. Although I am still studying for Step 2, I am grateful that I have this newfound time to read, go running, clean, nap without feeling guilty, and look up recipes to hopefully cook and bake more. I told myself I would experiment more in the kitchen if I ever had time, and now seems like the perfect opportunity to do so. For those who are seeking more ideas for activities at home, connecting with old friends via webcam, picking up a new skill (there are plenty of online courses that can teach anything from languages to computer programming!), organizing your life (cleaning the house, going through old belongings and donating to charity), spending time with family/pets if they are close by, and volunteering are all great ways to stay productive. Although we must vigilantly self-isolate, there still is an abundance of things we can do, and ways to interact with others!
