Importance of Mental Health during the Pandemic

It's been more than a year. A lot has changed. The pandemic has forced all the schools, colleges, and educational institutions to host classes off-campus. This has led to the students missing out on some of the most awaited aspects that they would normally experience in a college campus. It’s a time when students eagerly look for interaction with classmates, enjoying college life, but many of them are left feeling isolated. No doubt, it has been a rough year for students across the globe.

All these factors lead to have an impact on mental health and further on can lead to health issues such as sleep disturbances, depression, anxiety, etc.

Many things are beyond our control, but in the current situation, there are things that we can control, modify, and can make some life-changing improvements. It is of vital importance to take driven steps to maintain a routine and keep yourself engaged in things that you enjoy to give a sense of normality.

So, here are some tips that you may find useful to deal with these stressful times:

1. Always stay in touch with your friends and loved ones: In these tough times, physical distance need not mean social distancing. You may call your friend; catch up with your friends and family over a video call, etc. Looking for support from your family and friends helps us to realize that there is someone for us and we are not alone.
2. Express your feelings: It is okay to feel overwhelmed, confused, or doubtful. It is of utmost importance that you show your feelings to someone you trust. You can express your feelings by writing them down in a diary.
3. Have a daily routine: It is always advisable to have a structured routine that makes you feel in control. It is useful to plan out one’s time in advance and identify the activities that you may want to do in the day. This will allow you to have something that you can look forward to with enthusiasm.
4. Take care of your environment: Identify or create a dedicated space/area that you feel most comfortable in. This should be somewhere you can enjoy sitting, like even a small corner of your room or a space on the balcony.
5. Take a break from social media if you need to: Nowadays, all forms of media are portraying negative news coverage and this can often raise stress levels. At this time, it is best advised to stay away from this negative news and try and remain positive. It is important to remember that stress decreases immunity levels and it is important to stay positive.
6. Foster wellness: Eat, sleep and exercise regularly; these should be the three main activities throughout the day. Seek a new hobby, practice mindfulness, yoga, or read some interesting book that has been on your list.
7. Be Thankful: Being thankful for what you have is the best way of remaining positive. A gratitude journal where you record things that you take for granted might be one of the good things that you can do. Staying positive no matter what is the most important thing to do during these times.
8. Find a purpose: Finding a social cause is one of the best ways to keep yourself busy. Helping less fortunate people elevates our self-esteem and adds resilience, eventually building up immunity.
9. Set realistic goals: If you have set some goals, you may need to revisit your goals or move the timelines of achieving them at this time. One of the easiest ways to do this is to break goals into small achievable targets, which will give more sense of achievement and happiness when small targets are reached.
10. Seek help: More often than not, seeking help from professionals is the best way to go. Do not wait until too late, if you are having negative thoughts or feeling stuck or even generally depressed, seek help.