Since March, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented several different obstacles and challenges that people have had to face. Each of these hardships provide their own difficulties that people must find ways to combat, taking a toll on one’s mental health.
Now that the country has opened up, people are permitted to go about their daily lives while abiding by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, such as wearing a mask and maintaining six feet of social distance.
While the country is no longer in quarantine and able to return to work and school, there is now a different kind of impact on one’s mental health. People are learning to adapt to normal life again, but from a distance.
Director of Student Wellness Services, Dr. Mary Jo Mason put out an email in the beginning of the semester acknowledging the struggles that college students are enduring while coming back to campus during a pandemic.
“This fall’s college experience will be quite different. I empathize with incoming as well as returning students. You will be not only dealing with the regular challenges of a college student, but also living in this current reality,” said Mason. “Everything is different for returning students, and incoming students continue to have an experience that no student has dealt with before when starting college.”
Sacred Heart University is doing their part in educating students on what they can do to maintain good mental health during a time of isolation on a college campus. In an email to the university, Mason identified tips that students can utilize to sustain a sense of normality whether they are in isolation or not.
“Stick to a routine, dress for the day, exercise, try to FaceTime for at least 30 minutes every day, eat well and stay hydrated, remind yourself that this is temporary,” said Mason.
Being back on campus, typically a very social environment, students are finding it difficult to have a college experience while being distant from other students.
“The life we are adjusting to is not how humans are meant to co-exist and not the college experience we remember, we are not used to being distanced, it’s making people lose their minds,” said senior Resident Success Assistant Jared Morris.
However, some students find that getting outside and getting active is one way they can effectively distract themselves.
“Whenever I find myself needing a break I go and shoot hoops or watch a favorite TV show, it helps me take my mind off of things,” said senior Zack Marino.
Some students believe that working on their physical health will lead them to maintain good mental health.
“Keeping my circle small and maintaining relationships with those close to me helps me stay healthy in other areas helping me physically feel better and have more energy for the gym and other things I enjoy doing,” said Morris.
For students who find it difficult to find normalcy while being back on campus, they are encouraged to reach out to the Counseling Center for assistance. To schedule an appointment, email Dr. Mary Jo Mason at masonm@sacredheart.edu with your phone number and availability.
