As the 1st term of the 2020-21 school year comes to a close, it’s important to evaluate not only student’s grades, but how they’re feeling. At this point most students are accustomed to the online format and are completing their schoolwork, but isolation and a lack of social interaction can have a huge impact on a person’s mental health. Sitting at your computer all day isn’t the best for you physically either. So, I thought I would ask students to tell me how their mental health is doing.
I took to Instagram and made a post asking all students to message me their current mental state. Over the next 24 hours I got 35 replies and, unfortunately, they all followed a similar trend. 31 of these replies somehow stated that their mental health had declined. There was a range of severity, with some people feeling lonely, and others feeling the urge to give up. The 4 replies that weren’t negative, all said that they were okay, and little had changed health wise which isn’t necessarily a positive response.

A lot of the negative responses that I received detailed similar issues. Students are having sleepless nights and struggling to focus in online class. Zoom classes have increased a lot of students’ screen time, which has been proven to lead to headaches, eye strain and trouble sleeping. A lack of sleep the previous night often results in students falling asleep during class, and possibly missing important information regarding a test or assignment. It’s also much easier to get distracted at home, where a teacher can’t take your phone or monitor your computer usage.

On the other side of the negative responses, the isolation has gotten to a lot of students. A few of the responses mentioned a lack of motivation, which can be amplified by your phone and the comfort of your bed. A lot of straight-A students have drastically fallen behind and are scrambling to try and complete their make-up work in time. Others feel that their friends have drifted from them. This most likely stems from less interaction with them due to in-person school being put on hold. Feelings of loneliness have engulfed many, which can lead to all sorts of negative thoughts and emotions.

Looking at the above evidence, there is no doubt that isolation, combined with the online schooling format leads to a decline in overall health. While physical health issues are harder to tackle, you can focus on your mental health by finding some time in the day to do something that you love. Or, for those that have a busy schedule, meditating for a quick 5 to 10 minutes can help you to relieve stress and focus your thoughts. This is a great way to have something to look forward to in the day and brighten your mood.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, know that help is available. Call 800-273-8255 and speak with a counselor today.