While Covid seems to back off, it is not over yet, and throughout the world we see an increase in Covid cases. Does it mean that we will have more lockdowns? Are there latest variants, more destroying yet to come? The only good news we have is that epidemiologists promise that though new variants may be more viral, they are losing their strength. It means this — Covid becomes less lethal, but more people get sick at once. It can put a big strain on the medical system which automatically means we all may be in danger of new lock downs and limitations again. It may sound grim but we wanted you to have a clear picture of what is going on there now and be prepared for what may be coming. Our key idea is this, you have to be able to keep your morale up no matter what. That is why we have collected some mental tips students may find useful during Covid.
Mental Health Tips For Students During COVID.
1. Read Less News — They Only Make Things Worse.
Reading news pomps up the adrenaline. Did you ever notice that you just scroll endlessly till you find something disturbing, then you have some sort of a jolt in your mind, click on the news, read, and get “satisfied” for some time.
It seems counterintuitive, because why would you want to read some bad news, but our mind gets used to negative stimulation the same as to a positive one. The key word here is stimulation. So, the more you allow yourself to dive into the news feed, the worse your concentration is, and the more you want to get a new dose.
Reading about Covid gives both hope and fear and it is the mixture that makes your brain anxious the most. Fully bad news may depress and slow down cognitive activity, but mixed ones keep you anxious and coming for more. Your brain is active, but it doesn’t work to reach your goals.
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2. Don’t Cut Off Communication And Socialization.
It is more than normal to be afraid to communicate with people amidst the worst epidemiologic situation in 100 years. We truly understand your fears. Still, it is very important not to lock yourself at home fully (your government can take care of that any time) and keep on at least some (safe) social activities. Even seeing people outside, like walking in a park, even without communicating with them is a good thing.
Socialization is one of the main factors of longevity and must not be ignored. If you plan on living a healthy and happy life, if you want to reduce stress you need to meet with people offline. Arrange some meetings in advance, invite people you can trust to be Covid-conscious in their daily life and just go to some public not too crowded place.
3. Give Yourself a break — Ask For Assistance.
It is important that you give yourself time to breathe. Good education is an important part of your future success, but so is your mental health, even more so. That is why you should first of all focus on how you feel and manage. We don’t try to indulge you into laziness or procrastination, but we want to point out the importance of balance in life. Realistic planning and delegation may be more than helpful in this case.
When you see all the writing you need to do in this month/semester, think realistically what you actually can do. It is silly to expect our brain to work at 100% capacity in all this stress. That is why you may consider delegating some of your assignments to a professional writing service, such as https://writemypaperhub.com; this way you balance your write-rest routine and reduce anxiety about failed deadlines.
Writing experts will provide you with papers you need, and you will focus on more important tasks. Of course, it should not be a habit, but totally can be a way out of the stress-induced writing block so many students experience during Covid.
4. Find a Simple Offline Hobby.
We know that social media and streaming services are constructed to attract and keep your attention continuously. There are tons of tricks that work to make you stay, scroll, watch, procrastinate just this way. We offer you to trick the system and find a distracting offline hobby.
The major trick is to make this hobby accessible, simple, and cheap. Try harmonica — it is small, cheap, and allows you to practice almost anywhere. Try knitting or crocheting (yes, even if you are a guy), it is a great meditative solution that you can also combine with listening to some audiobooks.
If you study in front of your screen and rest in front of your screen, soon, you cannot tell the difference. It is important to separate activities. It reduces stress, increases productivity and makes you more efficient in the long run.
Covid Time Mental Health Tips For Students: Summary.
Let’s summarize. First, it is important that you actually take care of yourself, not just talk or write about it. You need to focus on things important for you right now. If for this you need to delegate some of your task, to outsource writing assignment, then it is what you need to do.
Second, don’t judge yourself. You are stressed enough, why would you add to that judging your concentration capacity or procrastination? It is definitely time to be kind to yourself. Create an environment for yourself in which you feel comfortable, but motivated.
Third, find a hobby that has nothing to do with the online world. Choose something simple, affordable, accessible. Don’t try to turn your hobby into another learning project, just relax. Unfortunately, there is no way to fully get rid of stress brought by Covid era or post Covid conditions.
It is important to embrace it and to be supportive towards yourself and close ones. Don’t give up on socialization, be kind and helpful to those around you, and you will definitely feel better pretty soon.
