3 minute read
Mental Health
14 Mental Health By Rekha Isaac, Olivia Kim, & Shailani Skoretz
As the spread of COVID-19 continues to keep us quarantined indoors, the mental health of many people has begun to weaken. With limited ways of keeping in contact with each other, it’s difficult to create a sense of community during this time.
On top of all of this, people are facing the cancellation of so many events they had been looking forward to. In particular, the senior students have lost their last months together and many memories are no longer able to be made. All of these things are having a negative effect on the mental health of students, and it’s important to know how to keep your mental state healthy.
Connecting with others has been taken for granted too often. Oftentimes, we may find ourselves passing by a classmate at school, and we may say hello just as a friendly greeting. However, with these new restrictions in place, in order to contact someone, it takes effort, and it may not come as naturally. This can
lead some people to develop symptoms of depression and anxiety since loneliness has never been more present.
Adjusting to this new lifestyle can put enormous pressure on students as well as faculty. It is hard to gauge how much homework is necessary to make up for the missed hours in school or how much homework is too much. Finding a balance of homework, self-care, and proper mental health is extremely difficult at this uncertain time.
It is important for people to understand what mental health is, and that it is a completely valid issue that many face.
Mental health encompasses a person’s psychological and emotional well-being, and if this is not properly taken care of, it can spiral into more serious conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Sometimes, it can also be a result of environment, genetics, or other factors as well. With students and teachers facing loads of school work each day on top of stress from COVID-19, it is important for them to learn to take a moment to breathe.
If things are starting to feel too overwhelming, students
should reach out to teachers or trusted adults for help and to explain what they can do to care for the student’s mental health. Understanding that they’re feeling okay is the first step a person can take towards bettering their mental health.
It is important to take care of yourself. Going to bed at a good time and getting adequate rest, as well as eating enough and drinking water will help your body to stay healthy. How you feel physically can affect your mental health.
Keeping track of your homework and setting a schedule for yourself will help you stay organized and less stressed. However, if you are still overwhelmed, you can always talk to your teachers. They want to help you the best they can.
Talk to God about how you are feeling; He will help you find peace.
Take time to breathe and relax. Do something fun, something that you love. Maybe take a walk or spend time with your pets.
During this time, it is also important to stay connected. Oftentimes, it is easy to feel alone and isolated when dealing with mental health, especially now that we are quarantined. It may feel difficult to reach out to your friends, but chances are they are feeling the same way. Text or call your friends and check up on them. Hearing a friendly voice or seeing a familiar face, even just through a screen, is reassuring and will remind you that you’re not alone in these
trying times. Remember that we’re in this together. Photo Credits: Shailani Skoretz
