Everyone’s lives suddenly came to a stop across America due to the coronavirus also known as Covid-19. In early March of 2020, all schools and any non essential businesses were closed to help keep everyone at home. The term “social distancing” has since emerged and is being practiced by people daily and is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19.  

       In the state of Connecticut, governor Ned Lamot issued the executive ordering to  “Stay Home and Stay Safe” on March 23 and is forcing people to take social distancing seriously. Society now has an abundance of free time which has both benefits and some negative effects to it.

       Only being around a very limited number of people can cause a strain in people’s mental health and affect their mood during the day. Junior Joey Wydan says, “I’m not used to staying home every minute of the day so that’s probably the biggest way that social distancing has impacted me. It feels so unusual to stay inside my house all day.” 

       Staying cooped up in the house is new for most people but is essential  in a time like this. The CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated “Social distancing helps limit contact with infected people and contaminated surfaces.” 

       On the bright side social distancing has created a new outlet for people to get back into old hobbies or pick up new ones. Freshman Lauren Roth says, “I picked up painting and drawing because it’s something I didn’t have time for before quarantine. ” Now more than ever is a great time to get your creative juices flowing and get passionate about something. 

       Staying at home has created a disconnect between seeing other family members which is devastating. However, people have found new ways to stay connected with friends and family members.  

       Junior, Shayna Turner says, “I’m staying in contact with friends through facetime and with my family by seeing them in my house.  I don’t visit anybody.”  Facetiming has allowed for her to stay busy during this quarantine.  Turner feels like she has lost some connections with important people in her life.  This is an issue that many people can relate to since so many people are social distancing.

       Social distancing has been a huge adjustment for most people but isn’t going away soon. Its important to keep everyone around us safe by staying home. This is not an ideal way of living but in unprecedented times we must continue to be positive and do our best to stay healthy.