In a time of solitude—where schools, restaurants and sports have an indefinite future—it may become easy to get preoccupied in your own boredom and pity. While many high schoolers are dwelling on stolen opportunities and events, they may be neglecting to take advantage of all of the time on their hands. 

The most important thing to maintain during quarantine is a routine. Bad habits are extremely easy to develop when almost all of your responsibilities are virtual. In order to avoid this, it may be beneficial to lay out a plan for your day that includes focus and development of family, mind and body. 

The cornerstone of sanity is keeping busy. And naturally, as most of our day this time of the year is consumed with school work, we must keep busy by keeping our mind sharp. The most important thing to do during this time of isolation is to continue learning. Yes, your parents are right, you need to keep doing your school work. And because online school may not take seven hours, try reading about something that interests you or may apply to your future occupation.

It is also imperative to continue healthy habits outside of organized sports. In order to stay in shape or even get into shape without extracurricular practice of any sort, you must be active. Try going on walks, runs or bike rides. You can also workout at home, even without weights. Try to improve the number of pushups and situps you can do by the end of quarantine. However, whatever you do, do not fall into the trap of instant gratification, which has an even stronger pull during times of lethargy.

Finally, use this time to grow with your family. Being trapped in a house with them for the foreseeable future may be driving you crazy, but the truth is, you are trapped with them, so why not make the best of it? Play games and talk with them and when inevitable tension arises, try to dissolve it as soon as possible to avoid any future hostility.

Quarantine will be boring but why not come out of it better than you were before? Let there be some positivity to all that is going on and, in the face of adversity, we may all grow.