BY ANTOINE J. DAVIS / VN STAFF WRITER
One of my grandmothers used to say, “You can’t put a price on peace of mind.”
But what happens when peace of mind shows up for an extended stay?
This is the exact state in which people all over the world found themselves, confined to their homes by a faceless enemy, Covid-19.
In the early stages, people struggled with uncertainty.
Routines and schedules were nonexistent, but work was still required of some.
Many workers who could do their jobs from home found themselves glued to laptops.
Students were expected to continue their education via online or Zoom.
Student-athletes like myself saw their seasons either ended abruptly or cancelled before they even started.
So, what do you do when work and school assignments are done?
This is the question I faced a year ago.
For the first time since seventh grade, I could not play basketball.
Gyms were ordered closed by the government.
Basketball was what I did with most of my spare time.
Without it, I found myself searching for something to do besides playing video games and watching TV.
This is when I decided to seriously take up photography as a hobby, and it got me through a season of boredom and stress.
Photography allowed me to express my creativity, got me out of my apartment and helped with my mental health.
I enjoy being in front of the camera as much as I enjoy being behind it.
I got to photograph friends and downtown Detroit sites like the Spirit of Detroit statue and the Riverwalk down by the Detroit River.
If photography is not your thing, hopefully you can find something just as relaxing and entertaining to ease pandemic isolation.
Columbia College Calgary in Canada in 2018 listed three key benefits of hobbies, all especially important for college students.
Hobbies increase confidence, ease stress and help with socialization.
Life as we knew it pre-Covd-19 is in the past, so we will need help getting on with “our new normal.”
