June 9, 2020
Anxiety and stress can be a bit overbearing for you, and that’s totally normal, too. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to do anything or constantly be busy, so don’t be too hard on yourself. These are really strange times and most people aren’t quite sure what they should be doing. So just find something that works for you. If you’re looking for things to do, here are a few suggestions:
- Get reading: there are so many great books out there to read, whether that’s queer related books or not! Jessica Kingsley Publishers has loads of great queer titles that have been published recently. There is also some great queer related fiction out there. Get searching online and find what fits you!
- Do some home yoga or other exercise. There are so many different programmes on youtube that you can do. Now is the perfect time to get into something like that!
- Connect with your friends online: via social media, zoom, discord or skype. Set up a time to speak with one or more and just hang out, virtually!
- Find games online that are easy to access, such as Animal Crossing, Sims or puzzle games that can keep your mind occupied on something else. There are also many great game titles you can get via services like Steam, Origin, Playstation or Xbox.
- Set up a board game night: Gather a few friends, buy and download Table Top Simulator via Steam and load your favourite board games to play virtually. Alternatively, if everyone has the same board game, you can just make one person ‘the host’ that controls the board and the rest contribute and explain their moves to the host and they move their characters or control your progress.
- Watch a film/series together. Is there a favourite series you and your friends have? Set a time every week that you watch it together via shared screens (i.e. via Discord) and enjoy! There are great series/films available online on various platforms like Netflix. Simply search for LGBT related content and you’ll have so much to choose from!
- If you’re into geeky things, then why not set up a virtual D&D group via roll20.net? It has so many great features that are fitted for different systems and allows you to create your own adventure virtually.
- Cook or bake: Either just on your own or with your friends. You can set your device up so that you can chat while you’re baking or cooking. It’s a great way to spend time together while also taking care of yourself and making sure you’re getting a good meal in.
- Set up a virtual karaoke! Bring some friends together via zoom, and use karaoke versions of songs on youtube and sing and dance and have fun!
- Set up a pub quiz: Get a group of friends together, someone can host the pub quiz and do it virtually.
- Get creative! Most of the things you like to do in the outside world can also be done remotely. So use what you have and find something that works for you.
- Or just take it easy, do some breathing exercises and enjoy this quiet time if you can. You don’t have to be doing anything except just being yourself, so don’t feel pushed to do anything if it’s not your thing. But doing something is always going to make you feel better rather than doing nothing at all (at least for longer periods of time).
Practical points/tips:
- It’s totally normal to feel anxious/unsure during these times. A lot of people feel that way too, so know that you’re not alone in this uncertainty.
- Find something to keep you occupied: whether that’s connecting with friends, tending to a hobby, exercise or something that makes you feel good.
- You’re not alone and there are always people out there you can talk to. Reach out!
The COVID-19 Survival Guide is a project in collaboration with Fox and Owl, the creators of The Trans Teen Survival Guide, on what it means to be a young trans person and how to deal with topics such as gender dysphoria, hormone blockers, surgery and more. They also run My Genderation, a film project that celebrates trans lives and trans experiences.
