As a growing number of people have begun dedicating additional time to their mental health and creative pursuits, writing has become a more common hobby than it was pre-COVID-19.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as of June 2020, 13 percent of Americans have reported starting or increasing substance usage as a way to cope with mental struggles related to the pandemic.

Everywhere, quarantine is helping creative individuals learn more and providing an environment for reflection and development. I now have plenty of free time on my hands and have frequently found myself picking up a pencil to sketch.

When feeling overwhelmed by all that is happening in the world, my first instinct is to curl up under the sheets and ignore all my problems. And, when that doesn’t work, to slip on my tennis shoes, put on a mask, leash my dog, and go for a jog.

As everyone has taken to remaining indoors for the majority of their time, pet adoptions have skyrocketed. During my family’s time fostering, hundreds of applications were sent to the Humane Society of the North Bay daily.

COVID-19 has had a severe impact on the world these past months, causing widespread hospitalization, death, job loss, and disrupting the education of millions of students across the planet.