This time last year, I thought everyone was making a big fuss over a cold. “You’ll be telling your kids about this,” my mum said, which I naturally shrugged off and told her not to be so paranoid. It’ll be old news in a month. Now, for once, mum wishes she wasn’t right.
I always imagined my early twenties to be the best years of my life. Meeting new people all the time, self-discovery, globe-trotting, learning new things, perhaps meeting the love of my life? Somehow, sitting in my bedroom doom-scrolling and eating breadsticks, eagerly waiting for the government to make a new announcement was not on that list.
I’m lucky enough to have a job, unlike so many young people. According to the House of Commons Library Youth Unemployment Statistics, as of December 2020, 515,900 people aged 18-24 were claiming unemployment related benefits - a 281,000 increase since March 2020. Other than the obvious gain of an income, a job provides structure, stability and some sense of social interaction, even if that’s over a video call. But for many young people, who may have lost their jobs or been put on furlough, those positives a job provides have been difficult to replicate. Notably the lack of structure, the ‘Groundhog Day’ effect. I have found that simple things, such as, changing up my daily walking route and mixing up what I eat every day can help it feel less repetitive.
