Finding Serenity During COVID-19
Graphic by Meher Yeda.
From health concerns and anxiety about COVID-19 to the larger impacts that the pandemic has had beyond our health - from school moving online, to job and financial uncertainty, and the generally terrifying state of national and international affairs - managing our mental health as college students have been, at least in my experience, an incredible challenge this quarter.
When I asked some fellow college students about their self-care methods Fall quarter, while many responded that exercise and creating new habits such as journaling, running, or making art have improved their state of mind, along with spending time with friends (although the balance of seeing friends and maintaining safety is also novel anxiety), the majority of responses reflected that students feel they haven’t effectively been taking care of their mental health.
Why does it seem that none of us think we are doing enough to take care of ourselves? I think the likely answer is simply that we are under more stress than ever before, not to mention that we’re separated from many of our healthy (or not-so-healthy) coping mechanisms like partying, going to concerts or shows, having random romantic escapades.
We continue, specifically as Northwestern students, to put the same pressure on ourselves now that we have in the past, but the reality is that the world right now is far from perfect, and before it gets any better we must discover and fight to change the flaws that have recently come to light. The country is crumbling around us, which is not new, but with increased time at home on our screens, all eyes have finally focused on the pandemic that has been plaguing this country since its founding, racism. We’re dealing with racist policing systems and the murders of innocent Black people, students being tear-gassed at peaceful protests here in Evanston in October, and an election that, while clearly won by President-elect Joe Biden, was challenged by an attempted insurrection, as Trump supporters and white supremacists carried confederate flags and guns into the Capitol.
I want to preface this article with some emotional honesty. There are many different coping mechanisms and methods to improve mental health during this difficult time, but there is no solution that will work 100% of the time. There are experiences, struggles, and certain more serious mental health issues that I cannot speak to, and will not try to address. All I can and will speak to is the increased anxiety, sadness, and frustration in the most basic sense that has been a common experience for many, not all, college students.
There are days where it takes too much energy to even take care of ourselves, there are days where our bad habits or intrusive thoughts get the best of us. I am certainly guilty of this, and it is entirely normal to not know how to take care of ourselves all the time right now. Anxious thoughts and fearful thinking are hard to avoid lately. I will offer no solutions, just various small methods through which myself, my fellow college students, my therapist, and my constant Googling have found to improve self-care and prioritize mental health during this time. None of my ideas are particularly genius, but I have found that both sharing and reading about how other individuals are handling the stresses of today can in itself be helpful.
As my roommates would say, “your feelings are valid,” but there are probably some things you could do to feel better. Maybe this means treating yourself to that fresh scone at Coffee Lab or taking a long walk with a friend instead of writing a few extra emails. For us, this is often walking to 7/11 to buy individual tubs of ice cream and watching Sex and the City, which we’ve been binging before the reboot premiers, for an hour-long homework break. Find the little things that bring you joy and allow yourself access to them; there is no point in denying ourselves the things that will improve our lives right now, even accepting the small consequences that may come from them occasionally. A stomach ache from too many cookies or a less than perfect grade is likely worth it. The more happiness you can build a foundation for yourself, the more successful you will be in all your endeavors regardless.
It is important to take breaks from being on our screens. Zoom fatigue is incredibly real and can be detrimental to general mental health. At least personally, I have spent the most hours on the screen in the last few months of online school than I have ever before in my life. Taking a real break can no longer mean going on my phone to watch TikTok or a 25-minute episode on Netflix. Taking a break means stepping away from the screen, going on a run, talking to a friend, cooking, doodling, or journaling. Setting a timer for every 75 minutes to take a 15-minute break, or any similar timing breakdown has been shown to improve overall productivity and focus and prevent burnout.
The reality is that right now we are all experiencing something really hard and scary, but we are doing it together, and that feels somewhat comforting. We ultimately cannot control COVID-19, and I can speak from the experiences of those directly around me, that even while being the safest possible, no one is immune to the virus.
After a roommate of mine tested positive for COVID-19, after going nowhere in the previous 7 days other than grocery shopping and to the gym I might add, and my other roommates and I remained negative but quarantined in our house I came to realize how intense a toll my own anxiety and sadness about the pandemic and the state of the world was taking on my mental health. After months of constant debates, discussions, and debriefs about the nuances of navigating college life safely, when the situation we feared most occurred, I found myself crumbling under the uncertainty and anxiety of a situation I believed I had been mentally preparing for, for months. It was during this quarantine that I realized how counterproductive, although entirely understandable and valid, the constant stress of avoiding COVID-19 truly is, as it diminishes our ability to safely handle situations actually involving COVID-19 when they occur.
All we can do right now is our best. There is a difference between living in constant fear and doing everything we can to protect ourselves and those around us. While terrifying, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to make sure we are in the mental, physical, and emotional space to handle whatever is thrown at us during this time of mass-uncertainty.
I am not religious, growing up my family said one prayer, “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” No matter the extent to which you align with religion if at all, the sentiment of this prayer rings true. Wear your masks, social distance from the general public and those outside your pod, get frequently tested, and avoid unnecessary dangerous gatherings. That is what we can control.
Be compassionate and understanding in your analysis of other people’s situations, while I am certainly one to instinctually shame other individuals for not following safety guidelines, ultimately the added stress of this only hurts ourselves. Researching the state of the pandemic across the country, creating hypothetical fear-based arguments for different possible situations, or shaming others for not abiding by guidelines is not only unhelpful but also results in the deterioration of your own mental state, making it harder for you to control what is within your control.
You cannot run away from the pandemic, and accepting that is the first step towards becoming your best self during this time. For now we must celebrate the successful production of effective vaccines, and hope for a swift and smooth mass-distribution and the hopeful return of some normalcy.