Taking care of mental health during the pandemic
When the pandemic changed everything in the third term, I was thrown into both disbelief and confusion. It was something that surprised every person at the university and I didn’t know whether the new academic year would continue as normal or not. This year has been hard on me especially within my mental state; far away from my family and all of my friends returning home wasn’t fun, I was left alone to ride the summer quarantine (I didn’t want to break my lease at my previous flat, financial problems was not needed at the time). It was thanks to all those long calls my parents made that helped me cope but the best thing was keeping in touch with my friends from uni; the Facebook messages, Instagram DMs and impromptu Discord calls really made me keep it together until the new academic year. Fast forward to October and there we were ready for a new term; classes were mainly online, any or all society events were also online, we couldn’t see our friends as normally as we would, the changes kept going on and on and it still didn’t really feel like university anymore. This was reality, and I wondered how I would make it better despite my only form of exercise being to the kitchen, bathroom and back to bed (I’m now exercising so the quarantine weight doesn’t come back with winter weight, double whammy).
Since my classes are all online, my focus has turned up to twenty; I’ve been preparing for final year and the dreaded Dissertation since I first heard about it in my Foundation year, but what I wasn’t prepared for was a whole pandemic. Staying home and having classes through Zoom isn’t my dream uni experience but it IS something better than just quitting. For all of you that are coming to Essex and will be confined to your rooms, a word of advice; throw your phone on the bed and leave it alone during your lecture. Trust me, this works because my attention span runs low when my phone’s next to me and all of your attention needs to be on those classes. Socialising wise, I have met up with a few of my flatmates. Mainly by the kitchen; we shared food (safely of course) and talked amongst each other, agreeing that this year will be tough but we’re going to get through it. We’re all still keeping our distance here and there but still check up on one another occasionally.
As we are social beings, interaction is needed. My small community is the Anime and Manga Society where the group now meet up on Discord to watch shows, chat and play games. Thank goodness for the platform so I can continue my connection to the society mates, of course I talk with my flat mates from time to time, but I created a bond with the other members over the years. I’m also taking care of my mental health since it’s my Final Year and the pandemic’s still running amuck; meditating, spending time in quiet areas and listening to soft music (lofi beats are my main go-to with 80s and 90s soul music as a close second) helps clear my head and keeps me focused on my work. As a University student coming in January, make sure to take care of yourself especially if you’re an international student, look after your mental health, exercise and don’t be afraid to talk to any classmate or uni friend you’ve met through Facebook, Instagram, Discord and other methods (I’m continuously bothering a classmate and she said she likes it when I check up on her).
Yes, we’re adjusting to a new normal, but your decision to still attend university will be the best you ever made. I congratulate each and every one of you and hope that you all stay safe and healthy throughout your uni journey.