Month: April 2021
Tough Days in the Pandemic and Getting Through Them: Planning Activities
by Claire Kirshenbaum, Class of 2024
On tough days it can be hard to get the things done that we need to do. We can very easily become overwhelmed with work. On tougher days some tasks feel like a lot more work. This stress can lead us to ignore our own needs.
An idea to combat this is to plan out and organize your day. This will help you get everything you need done. If you plan out your day you can build in time for yourself and activities. And on those really tough days planning helps you to be able to have nothing left to do and just hang out, doing whatever feels right for you.
Planning also leaves you room to plan for yourself and for healthy activities like exercise, a walk, reading a book you like, or even just cuddling up and watching tv. Doing these things while having a plan to fulfill all your tasks for the day can help you to not feel overwhelmed with what you have to do or guilty about taking time for yourself. These activities can be very beneficial to your mental and physical well-being.
Tough Days in the Pandemic and Getting Through Them: Exercise and Nature
by Claire Kirshenbaum, Class of 2024
Staying in a small dorm room all day and week can be so draining. It is important to break up your day with new scenery and environments. This can be going to a library to do work or going to get a coffee. Through this you can be in nature and a new environment. Walking is a very good plan to break up the day. During the colder months it can be less enticing to go for a walk in the cold, but we need to get out and move our bodies.
Moving is very important to our mental health. Exercising can be very hard to prioritize at school. It is important that we keep in mind our own bodily movement. Make sure you get outside for a small walk during the day.
However, during quarantine I know this can be a bit more difficult. Try doing small activities in your dorm room. These can be activities like yoga or workouts that involve sit ups, just things you can do while in a small dorm room.
It is important to be patient with yourself. Don’t put too much pressure to go out and move if it will cause you stress. Do not feel guilty if you haven’t left your dorm all day. It is very difficult to do all of these things everyday. And some days we are a bit busier than others or a bit more sensitive.
Tough Days in the Pandemic and Getting Through Them: Building in Time for Yourself
by Claire Kirshenbaum, Class of 2024
It can be super easy to only focus on the things you need to do for school or work. It’s also easy to ignore your own needs and fall into unhealthy habits. It is beyond important to create time for yourself.
Taking time out of your day to focus on what you need in order to stay mentally healthy is essential. Though it can seem very difficult, thinking that there is no time for this; it is important to move things around so you can fit in time for yourself.
In this time you can just relax and do things to ease your mind. You can also find times for your hobbies and activities that you enjoy. This helps break up the day and can shift your mood. Take time out of the day to do the things you love or even to treat yourself.
Activities like this can help keep our mental states balanced and are good prevention strategies. It is a good idea to come up with your own list of prevention strategies, and incorporate them into your days and make them part of your daily routine. This is a very proactive way to help your mental health. By doing these prevention strategies on days where you are doing well and are able to do them, will help you in the long run.
Tough Days in the Pandemic and Getting Through Them: Support Systems
by Claire Kirshenbaum, Class of 2024
When you’re going through a hard time, it can be very beneficial to discuss it and get it out of your system. This makes it easier to process the emotions and feelings you have. It is super important to have a support system. It’s important to have someone you can talk to calmly about these feelings. It is also just reassuring.
If talking to someone isn’t really your thing, that’s totally ok! There are other ways to process our thoughts and feelings to get them out of our systems. One way is to journal. You don’t need to be big on writing to do this, just getting your thoughts out onto paper (in whatever crazy barely english way) can be very beneficial.
It’s very important to understand and process our feelings. When we are overwhelmed and stressed during the many long hours of work during the pandemic, writing out all of your stressors can be helpful. Then make a to do list to be productive.
It is also important to make sure you are still being social despite physical distancing. A support system of people who are just there for you during the uncertainties pandemic can be very helpful.