Yeah, this is my first year here, interesting year to come.

I was meant to be in first year of uni and I thought I'd make a lot of friends, meet a lot of new people...

[On-screen text] Edwin

...Hasn't gone exactly to plan.

[On-screen title] Keeping up with my Culture. Identity. Self.

[On-screen text] Life in lockdown

During COVID, I think young people especially, we're feeling more isolated and lonely, and what should be like the most fun and social years of our life, should be when we're going out, meeting new people, the best times, 'cause after this there's just responsibilities and life piling up.

I think one thing that really affects young people a lot more is that we've been using social media, and our screen time has gone up so much more. I feel like it's been really detrimental to our health 'cause before we just wouldn't get that time.

And yeah, I feel like it's more lonely that I thought it would be.

[On-screen text] Cultural connection

Because we've been home together a lot, me and my parents have been speaking a lot in my mother tongue and this is great 'cause I can talk to my grandparents and stuff.

I have a few cousins back home in India, and like, they know English but they still feel comfortable talking in their mother tongue.

Now, when we went into the second lockdown, I felt like I didn't have anyone to talk to and I kind of felt myself slipping. That's when I started really feeling, like, the lockdown pressure. And I actually reached out to two friends I have here.

[On-screen text] Looking after yourself

Just like the reassurance that you're not in this alone, really helped me sort of think, 'Oh, they can do it, I can do it.' It's not too bad to pick myself up. 

If somebody is struggling in this, which I know many people are, I'm not going to say I try to be crazy productive or anything, 'cause I know if your mental health is down, you can't.

But I would say, don't lose sight of what your goals were before all this started or what you wanted to be at the end of this year, or at the end of whatever you're doing, or what you wanted to be. Don't lose sight of that.

[On-screen text] 
Whatever you're feeling, you're not alone.

ReachOut.com/CultureandCOVID

A collaboration between ReachOut and Beyond Blue.