Are you wondering how you have been able to navigate an entire semester with no breaks during a pandemic? Are you experiencing immense burnout and have almost no motivation to do work? Me too, to both of those questions. I honestly thought I did not need a break and was happy to get through the semester a little faster than usual. Now I realize that I actually do need one. October break is the perfect time for us Vassar students to take time to ourselves after having weeks of midterms. As we know, this was not able to happen this Fall. Stress and anxiety are common feelings at this point as we are kept inside of this bubble that now feels so small.
I’ve been hearing that the two Community Care Days implemented by Vassar are not enough for students and seem to act as a free day to catch up on work before we fall behind. I feel the exact same. As STEM majors (or students simply taking some STEM classes here and there) there are lab reports due almost every week, tests and quizzes that are sometimes unannounced, class presentations, and more. We just simply cannot handle the fast pace at all times, especially when there is such a disconnect with most classes being online. So what can we do to clear our body and mind? Perfect question, I’m glad you asked.
Lucky for you I have some tricks up my sleeve. Personally, I have been taking some moments of mindfulness almost every day by doing simple exercises in my room with my yoga mat and resistance bands that I purchased from Amazon (we LOVE retail therapy!). This only takes me about ten or fifteen minutes each day and forces my body to “wake up” before I start doing work. One of my friends mentioned to me that she was told to do jumping jacks before starting work as well. Exercise or any other form of physical activity releases endorphins that trigger feelings of positivity that can last for a period of time. Maybe starting your work soon after this can help get it done quicker! If exercise is not your forte, I get it. Have you tried meditating or simply taking a couple of minutes to close your eyes and do absolutely nothing? Meditation is a great alternative, as you are taking the time to connect with yourself and be aware & present of the space you are in. One of my classes last semester did this in the first five minutes of every class. It was a really great way for me to be at peace with myself before starting a task that required a great deal of effort. Meditation also takes way less time than an exercise in case you’re a pre-health student who has little time to enjoy themselves. If neither of these methods appeals to you, I may have the best remedy of them all: playing the trending Among Us game. I play sometimes right before I’m going to bed and getting those last minutes of phone time in. I even play with some of my Vassar friends who live in different dorms as a way to stay connected with one another. I’m not telling you to stay up and play for hours (unless you want to, of course) but one or two rounds should be enough to make you laugh and give you a brain break. Trying just one of these methods- or even a combination of them- will permit you to feel a bit more at ease with the current situation.
The truth is none of us asked to be a college student during a global pandemic. Nothing will top going home/staying on a quiet campus and relaxing for two weeks, but we are all experiencing it together. Remember to reach out for help if things get a little too rough as well. Contact family at least once a week and remember that you are a person before you are a student. Hope I helped! 🙂