The Covid-19 pandemic has been the biggest factor in increasing the rates of depression all around the world for the past two years. Being shut in and devoid of human contact has taken a toll on the world. With their mental health drastically draining during lockdowns, people are desperate to find a way to recover and heal.  The article mentions that the onset of another wave approaching has caused people to get anxious, nervous, and has spiked up stress levels.  According to the KFF health tracking poll data, about 56 percent of young adults reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorders. 

Recently, the New York Times published an article on parties that help people heal. However, these are not the stereotypical parties that we see in the movies; Nocturnal Medicine, a non-profit organisation, hosts parties to encourage spiritual healing.Contrary to the conventional loud and noisy parties, the ones hosted by the NGO provide a space to help people gather and communicate through gentle forms of touch. This is a comforting session for guests as they are given an opportunity to engage and socialise with people.

In India, where therapeutic parties are yet to happen, young adults struggling with their mental health are finding different ways - from baking to creating make-up looks - to heal during the pandemic.Riya Ann (name changed), a student from Sophia High School says that she started learning to play the guitar during the pandemic.

 “Having absolutely nothing to do, I felt myself falling into a rather dark space when the pandemic started. To prevent that, I started using my sister’s guitar to learn how to play it. Using YouTube, I was able to get the hang of it and found myself loving the new hobby I made”.  

 Sanchia Menon from Mount Carmel College says that make-up was a therapeutic way of dealing with the pandemic for her. “Playing with make-up helped me get through some really tough times. The moment the brush touched my face, I felt the most alive and creating those different looks really helped enhance my artistic skills”.

She posts these looks online on Instagram as well. “I was tired of being surrounded by negative feelings and being insecure about my face and body was the worst of them all. Showcasing my looks through a public account helped me embrace my flaws and persist through the hate and the pessimism.”

Our unwanted visitor brought panic and anxiety with it, but the world found ways to stay afloat. Music was a saviour during these tough times. In the pre pandemic era, music was already considered an escape for people to transport themselves to another reality. In this situation, Music managed to provide some people with the comfort  they were in dire need of. Many Artists  started releasing a great deal of music to help distract everyone from what seemed like a dark and depressing world. Musicians like Taylor Swift and BTS released albums and songs which were of great solace to the public and helped them heal during the lockdown. 

 During these trying times, another factor in helping some people was God. Most holy places of worship were closed down during the lockdown, as a result of which another source of comfort was lost. People however recovered and healed spiritually by keeping their faith strong and used online methods to participate in the rituals. 

Rochelle, a student from Bangalore, started journaling to cope up with the pandemic. “Before the Covid era, I never believed in writing down my thoughts but being cooped up in your home for such a long time changes your way of thinking. I don’t think now I can go through a day without writing in my journal”. 

With no option of leaving their house, thousands of students were missing out on the best years of their life. Not being able to interact with friends face to face feels like nothing less than a punishment. However, platforms like ZOOM and WhatsApp lessened that horrible feeling by having the video call feature. While it is not the same as meeting your loved ones in real life, it did seem to help to an extent. 

More often than not, a teenager’s confidantes are their friends. This applies to Carmen too, from St. Joseph's College of Commerce, Bangalore. “The thought of not being able to meet my friends really pulled me down, but I found solace through video calls. Having nothing to do, my friend and I would keep each other company for hours together on call. Those calls helped me get through the lockdown and I am grateful that we live in a day and age where such things are possible.”

The pandemic has been one of the toughest battles that the younger generations have had to fight. Snatching away the joyous and adventurous teen years, the pandemic bound the world to the confines of four walls. However, humanity persevered, the young adults around the world persevered and fought the catastrophic pandemic.   Despite the chaos, the world is managing to heal itself, with the help of each and every individual who is persisting through the pandemic, the outcome ought to be beautiful. 

Could you also get the perspective of a person who comes from a low economic family? The article must be inclusive, so add a little on what people who couldn’t afford to have hobbies did.