What To Do When Stuck at Home During Irma
September 15, 2017
Photo Credit: Alexa Traviesa/Achona Online
Trees were knocked down by Irma’s winds and took down the power lines with them.
Tampa was in a frenzy last week due to Hurricane Irma. Supermarkets were cleaned out and restrictions were placed on how many waters a person could buy. For people who stayed at home for the hurricane, boredom quickly struck. Even with power, the list of things to do was dwindled with restaurant closures across Tampa.
School Counselor, Emily Pantelis, sent out a friendly email reassuring the student body that if they kept faith, everything would be okay. She also recommended things to do while stuck at home.
Breathe
During scary or stressful situations, it is important to take some time to focus on breathing. Yoga is one effective relaxation technique. After relaxing your body by managing breath, catch up on your sleep.
Coloring
Coloring is not just an activity for children. Michael’s sells adult coloring books online and in-stores. Doodling relieves stress, boosts mental clarity, and relieves jitters and doubts.
Family
There may not always be time for family bonding, so take advantage and cherish the time you have with your loved ones. Grandparents are always willing to share interesting life stories and sitting down to talk to them can make their day. Being stuck at home with your family for a week can sometimes feel like an annoyance but partaking in conversations or even playing board games together can strengthen relationships and allow you to get to know family members better.
Sophomore Carolina Cardoso explains, “My immediate family and I evacuated to my cousin’s house that was still in Tampa, just not in an “A flood zone”. We all brought our dogs, so there was chaos with all the animals being afraid of the thunder. But I spent a lot of time with my grandpa. We sat around watching tv and talking about his early life.”
Catch Up
Even though most school work at Academy is digital, catching up on any school work or studying can also help pass the time. Being locked at home for a week doing work may not be the most interesting activity, but when school begins, the stress of an overwhelming load of assignments will have been reduced.