Francisca Cruz

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CHILL Hacks

COVID-19

Youth

Post-pandemic life

Lifestyle

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused big changes to society and after a good two years, seems like everything is slowly going back to &lsquo;normal&rsquo;, but the question is: what exactly is the new normal?
It took me some time to fully process and grasp the whole situation, and the same goes for every single other person on earth, as our initial reactions towards the pandemic was just pure confusion and a huge amount of overwhelmingness. Why&rsquo;s that? Because the coronavirus had essentially taken control over everything, including our relationships with people, how we work, and how we learn and educate ourselves.
Good news is that we know this pandemic won&rsquo;t last forever, but when exactly will it be completely gone?
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn1.myc.com.my/image/upload/v1659406936/unsigned/gvbdan15atpgdigefpme.jpg" alt="" width="664" height="586" />
On the brighter side of things, as more and more people get their double vaccinations and their booster shots, we can now clearly see that there have been some positive changes happening around the world with the numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths finally dying down.
Countries worldwide are also finally reopening their borders, schools and universities are going on hybrid mode, and events are now resuming in full force, allowing us to finally have one-to-one interactions with others after dealing with such heavy health protocols that were imposed on us for far too long.
But what happens next? Do we just pick up where we left off in March 2020? Or have things completely changed?
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn1.myc.com.my/image/upload/v1659407694/unsigned/uvkitkjtxjgk0at6unbr.png" alt="" width="722" height="510" />
The truth of the matter is nobody knows exactly what is coming next in our lives, and there is still a big amount of uncertainty of how our current and future situations will turn out.
What does employment look like after COVID? What about learning? Friendships? Faith? Has people&rsquo;s views and understandings on public health forever changed?
I asked 5 young adults to dive into their personal experiences and share an aspect of their lives which they think was the most heavily affected by the pandemic.
&nbsp;
<h1 style="text-align: center;">1. Health<img style="float: left;" src="https://cdn1.myc.com.my/image/upload/v1659407814/unsigned/rkhcez74ck1h9mpya30n.png" alt="" width="223" height="223" /></h1>
&ldquo;Some of my housemates were so scared, they even requested to stay somewhere else to avoid me,"
- Leann, 21,&nbsp; Malaysia
Hygiene has always been a part of our daily routines, however with the pandemic, everyone has definitely stepped up their game when it comes to keeping themselves sanitized, and that was certainly the case with Leann.
As someone with OCD, Leann describes her past and current hygiene practices to be almost similar, however now she has become even more &lsquo;obsessed with cleanliness.&rsquo;
Why's that? Despite getting fully vaccinated, washing her hands regularly and always using alcohol-based hand sanitizers, Leann still got tested positive for COVID-19 after the MCO.
&ldquo;I would say there is not much of a difference when it comes to my hygiene practices then and now because back then, like even before COVID happened, I was already someone who had OCD. I fear germs and contamination, so I&rsquo;ll always have to sanitize my hands after I touched something,&rdquo; says Leann.
She also adds on how her positive COVID results came as a huge surprise, especially when she takes almost all of the necessary measures to avoid and prevent the COVID-19 virus. &ldquo;When I got Covid, I was so surprised. I couldn&rsquo;t remember when was the last time I didn&rsquo;t sanitize my hands or change my clothes. I felt lost at that time as I was away from my family, and I had no one to take care of me.&rdquo; &nbsp;
To make things even more difficult, Leann admits that she felt &ldquo;bad and discriminated&rdquo; because of her positive Covid results, which had caused much fear within her unit, to the point where &ldquo;they {housemates} even requested to stay somewhere else to avoid me.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
<h1 style="text-align: center;">2. Education<img style="float: right;" src="https://cdn1.myc.com.my/image/upload/v1659408072/unsigned/omnzq8chh3jb5y0tn4mk.png" alt="" width="239" height="243" /></h1>
&ldquo;The biggest difficulty for me would be how easily I got distracted in my online classes.&rdquo;
- Dina, 24,&nbsp; Maldives
COVID-19 brought big changes to our current education systems, forcing us to shift away from traditional methods, and adjusting ourselves to all things digital. For some, that was not much of a transition, but for many others the digital adaptation was a big obstacle to tackle due to the lack of educational resources, internet stability, and technological proficiency.
Meet Dina, the 24-year-old who decided to come all the way to Malaysia, from the small islands in the Maldives. Why? In her case, the biggest issue was the time difference, and her inability to concentrate in online classes due to internet problems. Totally can relate!&nbsp;
&ldquo;Learning from home was difficult as it made me lose concentration in class very easily. There were also issues with the internet, which meant I was often late to join class or oftentimes get logged out in the middle of the lesson.&rdquo; says Dina.
For many international students, keeping up with online classes does not only mean being able to attend classes or understand the content that is being taught, but also having to deal with different time zones. The time differences can be a hassle, especially when your country is a few hours behind Malaysian time, which is the case for Dina who's from the Maldives, an island where it is three hours behind Malaysia. That means if a class was at 9AM MYT, for Dina that would be an early class starting at 6AM dawn.
&nbsp;
<h1 style="text-align: center;">3. Relationships &amp; Family <img style="float: left;" src="https://cdn1.myc.com.my/image/upload/v1659408453/unsigned/nzelipmdffs7clb6int8.png" alt="" width="248" height="248" /></h1>
&ldquo;It was really hard for me to make new friends because I&rsquo;m not much of a &lsquo;starting the convos&rsquo; type of person.&rdquo;
- Alexandra, 21,&nbsp; Philippines
Zoom. Physical distancing.&nbsp;How did the pandemic change our relationships?Everyone has different types of relationships with their friends and family, and certainly after the 2 years of confinement, one wonders how differently relationships have shifted over time.
For Alexandra, family had always been an important priority, however that tight bond that she has with her family had also made it extra difficult to be separated from her relatives, who were mostly living in their own houses and this included her grandfather, whom she regrets not being able to spend much time together in his last few days before his unfortunate passing during the pandemic.
Another difficult obstacle for Alexandra was socializing.
For someone who has been an introvert throughout her entire life, things got even harder for Alexandra when trying to make new friends without physically meeting them in person.
&nbsp;&ldquo;At the beginning, everything was online and even then, it was really hard for me to make new friends because I&rsquo;m not much of a &lsquo;starting the convos&rsquo; type of person. Now, even though I am physically here in the Philippines right, it is still as awkward because I have not gotten the chance yet to meet any of my classmates face-to-face because here the physical classes have not yet started until August,&rdquo; explains Alexandra.
Despite her struggles with social anxiety, Alexandra is looking forward to seeing herself grow in her present post-pandemic life, as she has felt positive changes in her personality after the pandemic. She adds: &ldquo;When comparing me in the now (after the pandemic) and me in the past (before or during the pandemic), I can say that I feel different, and I think I kind of like it. I&rsquo;ve learned to deal with social anxiety by keeping my circle small, becoming more private and avoid any unnecessary drama from others.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
<h1 style="text-align: center;">4. Faith &amp; Religion<img style="float: right;" src="https://cdn1.myc.com.my/image/upload/v1659408849/unsigned/jn3mmhdxhssbuzzk16dd.png" alt="" width="231" height="332" /></h1>
&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t say it was an easy journey, but I am really grateful that I feel closer to Allah.&rdquo;
- Lama, 18,&nbsp; Egypt
Speaking of anxieties which were running high during COVID, many people have searched for different ways to ease their minds from all the overwhelmingness faced throughout the pandemic. For some, the solution to that never-ending tension was simple: Faith.
I asked 18-year-old Lama from Egypt, about her religious beliefs and if her faith had helped her deal with her hardest times during and after COVID, to which she answered &ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;
&ldquo;As a Muslim, I&rsquo;d say my faith had really helped me during the pandemic and the years of lockdown in many ways. For instance, it made me stronger during such hard times by believing that nothing will be hard forever, and that everything is going to pass soon; so I think my faith has helped me become a better version of myself.&rdquo; &nbsp;
She highlights how there is no such thing as a perfect religious person. We as humans, sometimes question and have our doubts, and ultimately our faith can be shaken by the difficult situations that we are facing in our lives.
&nbsp;&ldquo;There is no such thing as a perfect Muslim, we all make mistakes that we regret and maybe my faith got shaken a bit but thankfully not for a long time. I didn&rsquo;t feel like myself, so I tried my best not to give up on myself and get back to who I was,&rdquo; explains Lama, who was personally facing extremely hard times, particularly with her mental health.
It is in our most difficult times where our faith gets stronger and is restored, and that is the case with Lama. She adds on how her &lsquo;limitless alone time&rsquo; actually &lsquo;really helped in strengthening my faith by reading and listening to more Quran and become a better Muslim. I wouldn&rsquo;t say it was an easy journey, but I am really grateful that I feel closer to Allah.&rsquo;
&nbsp;
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><img style="float: left;" src="https://cdn1.myc.com.my/image/upload/v1659409105/unsigned/vpuwqgjsclrhg1smadfr.png" alt="" width="216" height="216" />5. Work</h1>
&ldquo;It was always a matter of self-doubt and lack of confidence for me before I even applied for the job, especially with my lack of work experience.&rdquo;
- Diana, 23,&nbsp; Timor-Leste
In many parts of the world, COVID-19 had triggered major job losses causing high rates of unemployment that have not been seen since the Great Depression. Despite many jobs returning, the employment rates are still down in comparison to pre-pandemic levels, where many young people are greatly affected, including Diana from Timor-Leste.
23-year-old Diana from Timor-Leste had a tough transition from graduating university online to finding a job right after the pandemic. The past two years haven&rsquo;t been easy for the young graduate, who was greatly affected during her final semester at university. &ldquo;It was difficult to switch from face-to-face classes to online classes. I didn&rsquo;t even have the chance to attend my graduation ceremony and have a farewell with my friends,&rdquo; says Diana.
After completing her degree and flying back home to the island of East Timor, that's when she was hit with uncertainty and self-doubts about herself. Why? Well during the pandemic, there wasn't much to do on her side. All that she could do was read a book, improve her CV, and stay alert for any job vacancies and interviews.
&ldquo;In May 2021, I went for an interview, and when I entered the room, I was the youngest candidate among the others, and I can guarantee that all of them were experienced individuals. At that time, I lost all my confidence because I could feel that the competition was very high,&rdquo; explains Diana, who then realizes that competition could actually push her to do better and would encourage her to put more effort into achieving her goals.
Despite the fierce competition and the lack of work opportunities faced by young and fresh Timorese graduates, Diana still managed to get a job position as a HR Assistant at a gas and oil production company, after completing 3 months of internship at the Youth Internship Program by UNDP. Great things do take time.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn1.myc.com.my/image/upload/v1659409341/unsigned/st6kunrhsivrvp20wtsd.jpg" alt="" width="699" height="737" />
Conclusion
The COVID-19 virus will most likely take years to fully disappear from the face of this planet, hence why the only thing that we can actually do right now is to live with what we got, and re-adjust ourselves once again to our now 'new normal.'
So, what is the new &lsquo;normal&rsquo;? In my opinion, I believe this is a rather subjective question for each of us to personally answer individually. Why? Well, our lives have forever and completely changed, and now we all have the chance to rediscover ourselves, and perhaps create a new line of direction that we would like to take in life.&nbsp;&nbsp;
One thing is for certain though, and that is life will never go back to the way that it was two years ago.
Am I OK with that? Well, it actually doesn't matter. After interviewing these five young ladies, I have come to a realization that worrying too much about our previous lifestyles can affect the way we deal with our present moment, and make us worry too much about our unknown future, so the best thing that we can all do now is to focus on what we have going on in our lives, on what we are good at and keep pushing through this neverending pandemic.
To put it in simpler words: life goes on, and so should we!
Looking forward to seeing the youth thrive in the post-pandemic world! Do share your thoughts and let us know in the comments.
*Sources: Visual and Reference Credits to Social Media &amp; various cross references for context.
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A look into how our adolescent lives will never go back to how they were two years ago.

Youth & The Post-Pandemic Life

A look into how our adolescent lives will never go back to how they were two years ago.

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