By Nicole Baldwin
With the pandemic still around, students find it hard to focus on school work. Many students are more worried about contracting the virus than their school work. That said, the pandemic has put a strain on everyone’s mental health after being in “lock-down” for several months.
Schools have slowly begun to open back up and get back to normal. This means homework, tests, exams, extracurriculars, and sports are going back to normal, and this has put a lot of stress on students since it has been so long since school has been normal. Many teachers and professors have been taking it easy on the workload due to COVID-19.
I have asked two of my fellow Western New England University friends to shine a light on how they have been managing their mental health during this time. One of my friends said she reminds herself to take mental breaks and do things for herself, such as going to the gym, watching a show, working, or hanging with friends. She also says she does retail therapy as well. My other friend said she goes to therapy here at the school, takes time for herself if she’s feeling overwhelmed or stressed, and tries to do fun things that make her happy.
Remember to always pause on homework or studying when you feel overwhelmed and take a break. Talk to your friends and family during that break about things other than school. School can be stressful.
Contact Health Services if you are having difficulty concentrating or managing your thoughts. To make an appointment, call 413-782-1221 or come to CSP 235. Counseling services are offering telehealth visits with limited in-person sessions right now.
