Staying Sane as a College Student During a Pandemic

Staying Sane as a College Student During a Pandemic

While COVID-19 has clearly effected all of us in a variety of varying degrees, it's uniquely changing the lives of college students. Incoming freshman are starting school at half-opened universities, while graduating seniors (such as myself) have had their graduations cancelled and moved to online ceremonies. Recent and upcoming college graduates are entering an unstable job market, while recent and upcoming high school graduates are considering gap years. Some of us are trying to navigate the transition to online classes, and some of us can't imagine how we will make it through the semester without our free yoga classes (among other campus resources that have been limited for safety reasons). While I am definitely no expert on managing the stresses of a pandemic, there are a few things I've been doing to help myself out during this weird time.

Stay on a Schedule

I think this is especially important for when the semester starts - having online classes can allow for extra flexibility in your day, but that can also mean you easily lose focus. Waking up at the same range of time every day will keep you motivated and productive. Allot time in your day for relaxation, for breaks, and for working. This doesn't have to be super structured - just enough to keep yourself relatively accountable. 

Safely Socialize 

I recently went camping with three friends (who had all tested negative beforehand) and it was super refreshing to be outside in nature with my pals. While going out to bars and other enclosed spaces with a bunch of people isn't really in the cards for this semester, there's something to be said for spending time in the great outdoors with a select few of your favorite friends. 

Try to Enjoy Your Alone Time

My friends and I have a big group chat specifically for completing this 21 Day mediation and manifestation challenge - meditating has been super helpful during quarantine to reconnect with myself and lower my stress levels. Here's the first video if you want to do the same: 

Other than meditating, I've started running again just to give myself an excuse to get out of the house every day. I run at around 8:30, when it's cooler outside, and I always stop to pet the neighborhood cats!

You Don't Always Need to be Productive!

I know this is against the rest of the advice in this piece - but sometimes it can be stressful to see other people completing quarantine workout challenges, building new things every day, cooking amazing meals - when you don't feel like you are up to it. Not every day in quarantine needs to be a new adventure, and it's normal to feel unmotivated and fatigued right now. Sometimes the best thing you can do is stay home and be safe, even if that means not doing much else.
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