Image by Jérôme J (Flickr) In 2020 and early 2021 we collaborated with students across the UK on virtual work experience placements. These week long projects were a new way for us to support more teenagers during the pandemic and meant that we could engage with more people in more places.
This April, we asked our latest group to share their thoughts on coming out of lockdown and have curated their words below.
Lockdown itself was very hard for me, not seeing people was such an impact on me because I love being around people. And so I thought coming out of lockdown would be easy for me. But instead, my anxiety took a completely different turn; I was even more anxious whilst I was out and I overthought so many more things like “What if the person standing next to me has the corona virus and doesn’t know?”. In reality, yes there is a chance they could have it but we were socially distancing ourselves and wearing masks so hopefully these factors could prove to me that I am just being paranoid. I hoped the theory behind wearing masks to “protect others around you from yourself” was true and that the other people in the shop and myself wearing masks would be protecting others from ourselves. You can only hope.
I also found that I was more insecure about myself. Lockdown or no lockdown, I have my insecurities but these were highlighted to me even more after realising that I would be seeing people again after months of only seeing my parents and sister who have seen me in the state I was in during lockdown: no makeup, tracksuit bottoms and a jumper, which for me as someone who always does their hair and makeup, I would wish no one could ever see me like that. Because of this, my anxiety seemed to be getting a lot worse and I started wearing baggier clothes everywhere so no one would see my body, and wearing tons more makeup under my mask, to the point I wore so much it came off on my mask.
Music was my escape from my reality and my anxiety. I would focus so much on the music that the small things that I was getting anxiety about didn’t faze me anymore.
I found that listening to music and watching more Netflix, YouTube or Disney+ helped me a lot. I would listen to music in my bedroom more, when walking to and from college or even walking to the shop. I was constantly listening to music or watching a video or a movie. I was so focused on the music or video or film that I didn’t think about the way I looked in front of people. I was still cautious around people as everyone should be but my insecurities didn’t seem to bother me anymore. They just seemed like little problems that forgetting about would solve.
Music was my escape from my reality and my anxiety. I would focus so much on the music that the small things that I was getting anxiety about didn’t faze me anymore. I wasn’t wearing lounge wear anymore, I was wearing jeans and proper outfits that are acceptable to wear in public. I wore less makeup which overall improved my skin and I spent less time in my beloved bed. It was so easy for me to get caught up in my anxieties and insecurities, but if coming out of lockdown has taught me anything, it’s that it is okay to struggle and it is okay to have bad days, but it’s about making the good days count.
(Erin C.)
Image by Joe McCarthy (Flickr)
This is so true I don’t know about you but I agree with this. We all are different it all comes down to genes and background but I won’t go into that. When you get to know someone they are different from what you think. I speak from experience with a friend who has gender dysphoria and is trance gender. I won’t say their gender for reasons. I didn’t know them really well at first but I got to know them and they help me with problems that I face everyday and talk about the ones in the past to see what I can do to improve myself.
Anyway coming out of lockdown isn’t new. We did it before just more quickly. This time last year in April we were in lockdown and now we are coming out of lockdown it is crazy because nothing will be the same. Coming out of lockdown will be hard getting back into routine and getting back to work. This might tire you out for the few weeks or days depending on what you do. I am a high school student so it won’t affect so much. I am excited to get back to clubs and see everyone in person instead of on Zoom or Microsoft Teams or whatever. I have friends that I want to see face to face instead of online. Coming out of lockdown will be beneficial for me because my mental health is low and I need to get back to socialising. We need to get back to socialising and soon.
(Ethan P.)
I am grateful for social isolation. I need distance from other people sometimes, and being alone has let me realise that I don’t want it to be all the time
Spending my formative years in and out of waves of restrictions has been a confusing experience, inseparable from my own growth at the end of my teenage years. I have exited each lockdown as a different person in some way- I’m proud of it. I have been extremely privileged to have had an easy time in a global pandemic, and my generally positive experience is probably a little unusual.
In fact, I am grateful for social isolation. I need distance from other people sometimes, and being alone has let me realise that I don’t want it to be all the time- even if taking the first step was hard. Thanks to the need to reach out online, I have discovered the joys of video calling and late night messaging that always felt unattainable. I also came out (in the traditional sense) in lockdown. It was nothing special, climactic or even exciting really. I sat on the sofa with my laptop and scrolled through a few slides in front of my parents and tried to explain what ‘asexual’ means. Now, the next puzzle is romantic feelings. I’m not a different person because I explained how I felt to my family, but I am a little more sure of myself.
(Heidi W.)