How Animal Crossing Has Helped Me Cope During the Quarantine

Hi, everyone! How are you? And by that, I really mean—how are you? How’s your mental health? How have you been coping with the COVID-19 pandemic?

Things have been quite a blur for me, to be honest. I didn’t even realize until I checked my latest blog post that it’s been more than a month since I wrote an article. I actually thought that by being home 24/7, I’d have more time to write for the blog. But it turns out—it’s not that easy. As much as I love writing, it takes up so much of my energy and lately, I’ve been using that energy to really get it together and stay mentally healthy.

I haven’t been outside our condominium for more than two months, and while I love staying at home and enjoying its quiet space more than going out, I really miss my family. This is the longest I haven’t seen them in person, and doing video calls just isn’t the same.

Our company also declared furlough until further notice, which is completely understandable given that we’re a startup business. So since April, I’ve had so much time in my hands and to keep myself busy, I was introduced to the wonderful world of Animal Crossing New Horizons on Nintendo Switch. I know it’s just a game and that others have it so much worse, but it’s made not seeing my family and being furloughed bearable (besides having the Cupcake, Booboo, and Bellatrix around, of course). I find so much fulfillment in developing my little island, and every day, there’s always something I can add or improve. My island is constantly evolving—especially whenever I visit other islands to get inspiration.

Here are photos of how my island currently looks like!

Animal Crossing also allowed me to reconnect with old friends and school mates who I haven’t talked to in years. We’ve been chatting more often, helping each other collect things we need or want, and gifting each other with letters as a way of saying thank you. And I think these connections, in a way, have been helpful in keeping me grounded.



Anyway, I just wanted to share that here. I hope that you’re all safe and okay, that the government does a better job in preventing the spread of the virus, and that we find a vaccine really soon. That way, we can give each other real hugs again. They feel so much better than virtual ones.