Ayushmita Rao

Graduate student from Mumbai, India

Physical distancing hasn’t been easy for me, especially since I’m living alone right now. It’s very easy to let the anxiety get to me, which is why I go for walks every evening just to get some sun on my face and relieve the pent-up anxiety of the day. I try to catch a sunset every other day. I listen to a lot of music, I’m reading a Murakami book, and re-watching Newsroom – in my opinion a show with the most positive vibes, something we all need right now. I talk to my dad twice a day for sure and occasionally catch up with my friends back in India. Though I do tend to fail, I make sure to try my best to eat healthy! Of course, there are always my assignments to work on – for now, I’m focusing on establishing a schedule.

It’s easy to look at everyone’s Instagram and Facebook posts and see the productive things they’re doing. Ultimately however, I have to do what’s best for myself. This means I may not always be the most productive person, but I know it’s for the sake of maintaining my mental and physical health, and that’s okay.