Everyone is certainly aware that 2020 has impacted our lives mainly in negative ways. Ten months have gone by rather quickly since the beginning of quarantine, which officially started on March 13. 

The COVID-19 pandemic is a very stressful situation that can cause fear and anxiety which can be overwhelming especially when having to be isolated from the people that help can act as support through tough times like these. Public health actions like social distancing and wearing masks can increase the levels of stress and anxiety people are experiencing. Isolation can cause sadness and a feeling of emptiness from the absence of friends and family. 

However, the new year sparks new beginnings, even though it is a little different this year. With a new year, comes new goals and of course New Year’s resolutions. Students at Olympic Heights shared their New Year’s resolutions with The Torch, including how they plan on achieving their goals through this stressful time. 

OH junior Marly Telchin wants to spend less time on social media and more time with the people that she truly cares for. Explaining how she wants to better herself by staying off of social media that can sometimes be very toxic and time-consuming, Telchin says, “I will be scrolling through Instagram not realizing 30 minutes have gone by.,” She feels that social media tends to stress her out, so she thinks it would be a good idea to take time off from it. Telchin believes that limiting her time on social media will benefit her in that she can ultimately focus on herself more instead of watching others through her phone. 

In place of social media, Telchin wants to watch her show that will relax her when she feels stressed. She also plans on fixing her sleep schedule by “going to bed early so I can wake up at a reasonable time and not waste my day away.” Telchin explains how she has been stressed out by the number of work teachers have been piling on students and how she feels like she has no time to do the things she enjoys. “Especially online it is very frustrating, and on top of all the work I have, I also have the SAT to study for which gets overwhelming,” Telchin claims. 

Staying home during the virus can result in poor eating habits because going to restaurants and even the store to get food has become challenging during this time. OH senior Sean Gerstein has recognized his poor eating habits and has made it his personal goal to eat healthier in 2021. He intends on accomplishing his goals by “eating healthier foods like salads with protein in it.” He asserts how important it truly is to maintain good eating habits as he has been eating poorly this past year. “I want to live a long healthy life, so I feel that eating healthier and making smarter choices will help me with that goal,” Gerstein explains. He also points out how important eating healthy foods is by stating how it can alter your entire mood for the better for the day.

Staying on the healthier side of resolutions, OH junior Brooke Hollander’s goal is to get into better shape. “I want to feel better about myself, so I feel this would be beneficial to me.” Hollander intends on exercising more to accomplish this goal, including running, playing tennis, and riding a bike. She believes that all of these are fun activities that can help her reach her goal. 

Hollander explains how being active is very beneficial for the body, saying, “I always feel great after a workout, and I feel like I accomplished a task for the day to look back on.”. She also intends on dieting not just by herself, but with her family. “As a collective whole, my family will diet together which will make it easier for all of us,” Hollander explains. She has set high goals and feels like with the proper motivation and support around her, she will accomplish her goal for the year 2021. 

Giving back during this time of year is very important to OH junior Spencer Vogel, who plans on donating to local charities and participating in food drives. “I want to get kids that are less fortunate more food during this pandemic because I know it is hard for them to get it,” Vogel says. He will be donating cans of nonperishable goods to the local food bank to achieve this goal of his. Spencer wants to continue to give back to his community throughout the year by helping out various charities. 

2020 has come and gone as another page in the book of life. Perhaps these OH students’ New Year’s resolution goals will spark some new ideas and goals for others. Even though 2020 was a tough year, It was just a bump in the road that will hopefully lead to greater years ahead.