THE PANDEMIC has forced us all to spend more time at home, and with academics put into the equation, we might find ourselves overwhelmed by the work and the restrictive health measures. On the bright side, having time alone can motivate self-care and self-love. The Yonsei Annals interviewed Yonsei students about how quarantine has helped them explore new ways to spend their time and change for the better.

Cho EunBin (Fresh., UIC, Underwood Division)

   “Before coming to Korea, I was worried about Yonsei University’s academically competitive community. My two-week quarantine helped me out physically and mentally as it prepared me to start a new chapter of my life. Back in high school, I always kept myself busy and sleep-deprived because I thought taking a rest meant I was being lazy. But during quarantine, I stopped being hard on myself and started to take things more slowly; I began to read the Bible and write a journal every morning, which became one of my morning routines."

   “Due to COVID-19, I also became more conscious of my hygiene and physical well-being. Drinking hot tea every morning has helped me improve my immune system and maximize that fresh morning energy to fight off the COVID blues. A few weeks ago, I was stressed about the upcoming online semester, so I ordered a peach teabag I saw in a YouTube video. I’m pretty excited to try the tea out, and I really look forward to receiving the parcel!”

An Seram (Fresh., Dept. of Biochem.)

   “I started playing more video games during quarantine. Video games are often seen as a negative way of spending time; in fact, I completely avoided them when I was preparing for college admissions back in high school even if I always wanted to play. But spending more time by myself during quarantine ironically helped me recognize my freedom as a college student, and that has helped me be more in control of what I do for myself and my future. To me, video games now represent how I can balance work while always keeping my well-being and satisfaction in mind.”

Lee Sehee (Soph., Dept. of English Language & Lit.)

   “I created a new diet plan to improve my daily routine and detox my body. When I started living in the Yonsei dormitories, eating healthily and having a good daily routine was difficult to achieve. My daily habits consisted of replacing meals with sweets and going to bed after 3 a.m., and with these bad habits, my body started to weaken pretty rapidly. For a while, I had digestive problems, itchy skin, and I got tired very easily to the point where it affected my studies and daily life. The COVID-19 pandemic then became a sign that told me, ‘if not now, then when?’ so I decided to make a change by going on a diet. I have started to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and have been trying to go to bed before 1 a.m.”

Jang Hyonseo (Soph., Dept. of Chinese Language & Lit.)

   “I started my own YouTube channel! I always had a passion for making content, films, and editing videos, but I was too embarrassed to put myself out on the internet. ‘What if people hate my content?’ ‘What if they do not like my videos?’ ‘What if people think I’m an attention-seeker?’ I care a lot about what others think of me, so these were some thoughts that overwhelmed and discouraged me from posting my videos. But during quarantine, I had more time alone and felt that I should start appreciating myself and my work, so I decided to step out of my comfort zone and post a video, and it won’t matter if no one likes them because I will.”

Jang Soohee (Soph., Dept. of Systems Biology)

   “The last thing I did for myself when I was stressed during quarantine was cooking. I am a huge foodie; I love to eat and cook for myself, but living alone makes it difficult to have meals on time. Since good dishes require long preparation time, I usually make simple ones, but they do not taste as nice. When the pandemic broke out, I had more time for myself, so I dealt with stress by preparing meals that I could invest more time and effort in. Making more delicate dishes now makes me feel proud of myself because I earn a sense of achievement amid all the stress. During quarantine, I also started to look for more recipes and tried to work with healthier ingredients. For example, I now try to make a healthier version of a noodle dish using tofu noodles instead of flour noodles. I even bought a machine to make my own Greek yogurt and treated myself by purchasing a pretty frying pan!”

Cho Marcela (Sr., Dept. of Human Environ. & Design)

   “The COVID-19 quarantine has allowed me to develop my self-care habits. With more free time, I started to exercise—home training and running along the Han River—as well as read books, which were hobbies and tasks that I always pushed back due to my busy life before COVID-19. Quarantine has also given me the chance to look back at myself and appreciate what I have right now, so I have learned to live in the moment and not take time for granted. Even though my new habits have been beneficial, I still need to work harder on my exercises because I haven’t seen a big difference in my body yet! It has been a productive time overall, but I still hope COVID-19 ends soon!”

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   The COVID-19 pandemic has become another burden by canceling plans and disrupting routines, but Yonsei students have found a silver lining amidst the isolation during social distancing. By spending time alone, students have learned to acknowledge the importance of self-care and self-love. The pandemic has brought about all kinds of changes, but taking a moment to mute the chaos and take care of ourselves might be all it takes to nurture our short-term resilience and long-term well-being.