Dealing with Isolation
Most people are ok with being cooped up at home for a week or two. Being the hardcore introvert that I am, I’d be fine with even a few months of not going outside. Just focusing on my hobbies and using social media would be enough for me, entertainment-wise.
But alas, an entire year has passed.
Even for me—the one who spent 3 full days barely speaking to a soul for the sake of completing a piece of digital art, and the one who enjoyed every minute of it—it’s getting lonely. ಠ_ಠ
However! With the beauty of modern technology, we can prevail! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
I love multiplayer videogames, and as we all know, similarities bring people together, so most if not all of my close friends are gamers. Much of my social life nowadays involves hopping into a Discord group call and playing League of Legends, Minecraft, Genshin Impact, and pretty much anything else my buddies and I feel like doing.
Of course, gaming might not be your thing, especially since it can be quite time-consuming, and I’m in computer engineering, so believe me when I say I know how busy school can get! Either way, with all the meeting platforms out there, a great way to squash that loneliness is to jump into a call with people you enjoy hanging out with. You can watch a movie together, play games, or just have a chat.
If you’re on an academic term, do some group study sessions too! Being social and productive? Now that’s efficient. (I realize that talking about academic content isn’t the greatest way to socialize, but it’s better than nothing if you’re tight on time XD.)
Another way I deal with isolation is simply by taking my mind off it.
Hobbies.
I love making music, I love drawing, and I absolutely love anime. Find something you love and spend your free time on it. Who knows? The miscellaneous skills you develop could become useful in the future!
While browsing the list of clubs at the University of Waterloo, I encountered something that resonated with me so hard I almost shed a tear. Animusic Ensembles. A club dedicated to performing covers of music from anime and video games, and to top it off, they needed more artists. How perfect is that? Discovering the existence of this club was nothing short of a miracle for me.
Clubs are one of the best, if not the best places to get involved with something you like to do, and to interact with people that share your passion. With the hundreds of choices offered by Waterloo, there’s a good chance you might find something you like.
Check out the club listing!
On behalf of the ENGWellness Team, thanks for checking out this post! Please connect with us if you have anything that you would like to see in the future: ENGWellness@uwaterloo.ca.