Ditching the Distress

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 09:07:28 -0500

The life of a student trying to survive the pandemic, maintaining some sort of social life, getting your work done, and missing the closeness of family and friends can be really hard. Virtual learning and sitting in front of a screen all day may not have been what you imagined your college experience to be. If you are having some difficulty in managing your stress, school work, and social life, here are a few tips to help to reduce your stress.

If you are missing friends and family:

Schedule regular check-ins, a phone call or virtually, to find out what’s going on in their lives

Host a virtual movie or game night with lots of snacks

Text or call a friend/family member when they cross your mind

If the stress of everything is getting to you, try some of these stress relievers

Meditation to calm your mind (the calm app)

Listen to your favorite music

Take a break and watch your favorite tv show or movie

Engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity to boost the feel good hormones

Print out some coloring book sheets or use a coloring app

Take a social media break for a few hours or even a few days

Zoom Fatigue is real! It’s normal to feel exhausted at the thought of logging in. Here are a few tips to help you make it through a day of class

Get some fresh air and sunlight between classes

Take a break from all of your screens (phone, tablet, gaming system, television)

Make sure you are well rested before class starts

Keep some energizing snacks nearby

If you are having trouble with getting your work done

Reach out to the Academic Success Center for tutoring resources and the writing center

Try the Pomodoro technique:

pick one task/assignment

set your timer for 20-30 minutes

work nonstop until the timer goes off

take a 5 minute break

reset your timer

repeat until you’re happy with your progress

Ask your professors and TAs for help

You are not alone in trying to adjust to the stress of living during such a crazy, historic time. These stress relievers are not meant to replace counseling services if they are needed to help navigate these times. UMBC has counseling resources available to you if you need to talk to a licensed professional about the mental health impact of everything, please reach out to the UMBC counseling center for support and resources (410-455-2472 or call 410-455-3230 after hours).