The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a new way of life for many people. COVID-19 has affected everything in our daily lives from school to simply walking in the park. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define mental health as “… our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act.” (CDC, 2020). Sudden change can cause fear, worry and anxiety about the new way of life Covid-19 has brought on us. Based on information from Healthline (Holland, 2020), 49% of people are reporting feeling more depressed than the usual 37%.
Social distancing has been a helpful and effective way to control the spread of COVID-19 (CDC, 2020). However, it has also placed us further away from each other than ever. Some people have not been able to visit their loved ones in elderly homes while others have not been able to live at home with their at-risk family members. There are many ways that COVID-19 has impacted students’ lives as shown in the graph below.
Graph 1-ActiveMinds COVID-19 Impact on Student Mental Health (2020)
College has done a complete 180. Students in the past have been able to enjoy the campus life including walking on campus with your friends to class, off-campus activities and football games. Now with COVID-19, we have to take preventative measures to reduce the risk of an outbreak. Some of these precautions are enforcing a strict mask policy, limiting in-person classes and moving many events online to keep social distancing. Most students are completing online classes or a hybrid class that meets bi-weekly. Many students are feeling a heightened sense of anxiety due to different learning experiences and seeing others not wear mask continually partying. America’s workforce has shifted from the office to the home to limit interactions between workers and prevent the spread. These drastic changes may cause people to feel isolated, alone and depressed.
Tips for a Healthy Routine
If you are feeling distant or just needing ways to feel yourself, you can try a couple tips keep yourself occupied.
- Acknowledge your feelings
It is normal to feel anxious, sad and unstable during such drastic times in our world today. Taking time to check in with yourself can give better understanding on your personal feelings. A few methods that could be used is meditation, journaling or taking time to talk with a mental health professional if needed. - Follow your “normal”
Following your own normal daily routine can be helpful in keeping a feeling of stability. Whether it is a school or work schedule it is important you make time to eat a healthy three meals a day. Keeping a set sleep schedule can allow you to feel well rested. You can also add some physical activity too such as walking. - Keep in touch
Even though you cannot be near friends or family, you can still keep in touch with them. Phone calls are nice if you are missing someone’s voice, but video calling can allow you to be face to face without breaking social distancing guidelines. - Breaks are needed
School and work being based from home can cause the load of responsibility/task to increase. Taking time for yourself can be very important to prevent mental burnout.
References
ActiveMinds. (2020, May). Covid-19 Impact on College Student Mental Health [Infographic]. Retrieved October 2020, from https://www.activeminds.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Student-Survey-In...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Learn About Mental Health - Mental Health - CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
Holland, K. (2020, May 08). What COVID-19 Is Doing to Our Mental Health. Retrieved October 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health-news/what-covid-19-is-doing-to-our-men...