Stress is a challenge for everyone, but especially for college students. Add the spread of COVID-19 to the mix, and you can understand how problematic it is for students to manage their studies while trying to keep their health in check. In this article, we will talk about tips to help college students focus on their health during the pandemic.
Set Boundaries
There is often a varying degree of precautions taken by fellow students in terms of social distancing. Oftentimes, we find ourselves being invited out to social events with strangers. It is easy to feel pressured to participate. When we spend all our time locked at home working on our studies, any excuse to get out of the house seems appealing. Be cautious! Be careful about being near people who don’t take social distancing precautions seriously. Especially if you have high risk individuals living with you.
Also, with an abundance of free time, it is hard to say no to hanging out with friends. This is especially when we are caught up with our studies. If it is difficult to decline offers to go out, you may find yourself neglecting to spend time on yourself. If you have a personal project you want to work on or a room you need to clean, don’t be afraid to say no. They should understand; you need to focus on yourself first.
But don’t isolate yourself too much!
Declining invites to go out to focus on yourself might be the opposite problem for some. Many of us have been hibernating in our homes since the beginning of quarantine. While you may have high risk family members and are limited in who you can see, don’t seclude yourself too much! Loneliness and depression are common effects of isolation, which is certainly harmful in many ways. Try to make it a habit to call or video chat with friends and family. Make an extra effort for the older ones in our lives that often feel the most isolated during quarantine.
Stay Active
An online class schedule mixed with lockdown restrictions can not only dampen our mental health, but our physical health as well. For those of us who don’t have jobs or hobbies that keep us on our feet, it is easy to spend most of our time sitting in front of a computer or television.
If you find yourself sitting down for long durations, take a short break to walk around, stretch, or do jumping jacks/pushups. I use an app called “Hourly Chime” to send notifications every hour during the day to remind me to stand up and move around. If you want to download it for yourself, click here.
If you can get out of the house and run or ride a bike, do it! Getting out in the sun is great for your mental health, and more intense exercise is great for our joints, blood pressure, and weight management. And don’t forget to drink water throughout the day!
Practice Good COVID Health Safety Measures
Naturally, following good COVID safety measures are important to prevent contracting and transmitting the virus. Per CDC recommendations:
Keep 6 feet apart from others
Wash your hands
Keep hand sanitizer in your car (or in your purse / backpack)
Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces in your house
And of course…
Wear a mask, wear it properly… And it is worth investing in a good one.
We all remember the memes of people finding bizarre ways to improvise wearing a mask. While there was certainly an overwhelming demand in the beginning, manufacturers have caught up and there are now tons of mask options on the market. If you are going to keep a cloth item on your face most of the day, why not make sure it is effective and comfortable? Most complaints about comfort are due to scratchy, poorly fitting, low quality masks. Shop around and find a mask made out of a good material, and you will truly forget you are wearing one. A good quality mask can be both comfortable and breathable, so you won’t be tempted to lower your mask to breathe better, which makes the mask pointless.
For a list of safety tips directly from the CDC, Click Here.
Be Mindful Of Your Mental Health.
As a full time student and part time video editor, I spend most of my day sitting in front of a screen with very little contact with other human beings. The physical toll was obvious: my back and eyes were very strained, and I felt icky sitting in a chair all day. However, the decline of my mental health really started to creep up on me. The cold weather felt mentally draining, and since the sun set at the same time I got off work, I started to feel like a vampire. In a given week, I spend less than an hour in the sunlight. My habit of getting distracted on YouTube for my fix of serotonin only exacerbated the problem. The looming deadlines made it hard to enjoy the time I spent with friends. I would then decline to hang and work on schoolwork instead, which felt awful.
Over time I began experiencing very mild anxiety attacks. Nothing compared to what I have witnessed in some of my friends, but something completely new to me. I was completely drained.
Fast forward to a week ago, when I spent an hour in the warmest Florida day in months. I actually texted 2 of my friends just to tell them how happy I felt to be outside, and how the warm sun made me feel.
Don’t be too distracted by school to look out for yourself! Read a book, spend some time in the sun, read a book on your porch. Anything to break up the mind numbing habits we picked up during quarantine. And don’t forget, reach out to your friends and ask how they are feeling!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex Christodoulou
Student Author - Spring 2021
