By: Zenab Habib

Waking up to a world where staying indoors is the new normal and skipping social gatherings is the new cool, no student envisioned college to pivot around hiding behind a laptop screen, mics off. With the unforeseen shift in lifestyle, students found themselves uprooted from the college experience they so lucidly dreamed of; going back to square one at home.
As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded through the past year, the economy wasn’t the only thing left in shambles – our social and mental head-space languished too. The past nine months threatened our physical health, and in the making, rendered us vulnerable to financial stress, anxiety and uncertainty in the aftershock.

The Journey Within

In the haze of the aggravated stress about the coronavirus, we often lose sight of what matters. We forget certain things are merely beyond our control and let fear get to ourselves and our loved ones. In a crisis, our brains transition to a primal, instinctive response system to counteract the stress. However, bringing balance to your thoughts and calming the storm inside your heads is essential if we wish to function seamlessly.

In contrast to popular opinion, mental health directly affects your physical health. Stress can affect your immune system, one’s ability to remain rosy about the immediate and the long term future, putting you in a more vulnerable position when a deadly virus is airborne.

A Penny For Your Thoughts?

Student mental health in higher education has been an increasing concern in the past years. The pandemic situation has brought this into renewed focus. Separation from loved ones, loss of freedom, boredom, and uncertainty can cause a deterioration in an individual’s mental health status.
It’s easy to get into vacation modus operandi when you are at home all day. Even with family, the reality of social isolation can still trigger loneliness, sadness, and anxiety. Quarantine and self‐isolation may have impacted mental health, but we are jumping this hurdle together, so we must learn to make haste and get the most out of what we have.
To interpret and navigate through a computer screen, all-the-while staying empathetic self-aware is the need of the hour. We must remember to remain open- minded and double down on kindness. As the pandemic shifted mental health issues into the spotlight, more awareness is being drawn towards those struggling with anxiety and depression every day; it looks like a promising future.

Just Keep Swimming

Imagine yourself on a boat, rowing across the rough water, trying not to fade into the horizon. You would need to paddle left and right simultaneously to move forward. Picture the one side as the depth of empathy and love, and the other side as the expanse of logic and pragmatism. As long as you hold warmth and consideration for others in your heart while maintaining the belief that our empathic side educates us to do our best for all and to ensure everyone feels loved. Our logical side reminds us that life will go on – like a phoenix rising from its ashes, we can rise above the gloom and bloom. Even if things fail to go the way you planned, remember to keep your head above water, stay buoyant and keep swimming.

The Way Forward

In the wise words of Buddha, no matter how hard the past is, you can always begin again. Evaluating the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on the mental health of students is of the utmost value. Here are some tips that can help anyone and especially students feeling overwhelmed with isolation.
● Try healthy exercises
● Learn a new talent
● Go on a social media cleanse
● Reach out to a senior or a professor for guidance
● Public awareness campaigns focusing on the maintenance of mental health in the prevailing situation
● Spend time with friends over virtual calls or watch movies together

In such unprecedented times, people look toward others for compassion and guidance through the rocky road ahead. Since time immemorial, humans habituated to think critically, conditioned to face one crisis after another. A global pandemic is no different, yet comes with its own absurd set of twists and turns. It came with a few silver linings: most of us introspected how it was not the superficial things we missed like going to the mall or the theatres, but it was human contact. We craved priceless conversations, hearty laughs, bonding with friends, and making ever-lasting memories. After all, we’re all in this together. So reach out a hand to someone, anyone, even if they’re doing fine, who knows it might be the one thing that livens up their day.