by Anna Panunto
Being a student amid a global pandemic can be quite challenging yet learning virtually can also be quite fun and productive. First, we should learn how to successfully manage our stress levels simply because our regular routine lives have changed.
Source: FlickrSo, here are a few practical ways of managing our stress levels as a virtual learner:.
- Take it one day at a time
With all that is going on in the world, it is sometimes difficult to sleep peacefully, especially if we or family members , friends, or even co-workers have been affected by Covid. There are natural remedies that can help with temporary insomnia and/or anxiety. Vitamin supplements such as omega 3, licorice root, valerian root, and vitamin B, chamomile tisanes, cumin seeds, warm milk and nutmeg .Whenever anxiety strikes, an immediate remedy is deep breathing and positive affirmations. Just learning how to breathe properly can work wonders. There are some useful youtube videos on ( AskDoctor Jo) that can help with this.
- Reserve time for yourself
Regardless of one’s schedule, most adult learners are juggling work, family life, and school. This can be a heavy load for most and so, keeping one’s mental health in check is a priority. Whether it be early in the morning, sometime in the afternoon, or late in the evening, we need to take time for ourselves and dedicate a specific time during the day/evening to do it. It can be as short as 15 minutes a day, but we need to do it every single day. Any kind of physical exercise has proven to be helpful – a daily walk, simple aerobic exercises, meditation, etc…
3. Create a “new” routine that works
If learning remotely has changed your schedule or anything else that used to be routine, try creating a new routine! An important part of your new routine is being realistic about the present. Know what these challenges and changes are and write them down and then, create your new routine. You can begin by planning ways to address them. Understand new ways of implementing your goals and completing the activities that were once a part of your standard routine into the new one. Create a work space at home – one that works. Set up your space in a way that it feels like your new sacred space. Bear in the mind that the size of the space is not as important as the feeling that it is yours.
4. Managing Your Busy Schedule
For most students including their teachers, campus life is greatly missed. Most people miss the social interaction and activities that took place among peers. Although we are now saving commute time, this change can feel quite isolating . So, we now have to implement our own deadlines and design practical schedules that work for us in our new work/ learning environment. The best way to know what works and what doesn’t work is to keep a diary of your experiences. Remain patient as it is all trial and error at first, until we finally find a successful way to manage our time.
5. Re-invent your Peer Support
Whether we are computer savvy or not, online learning is indeed, challenging. Of course, glitzes take place, equipment breaks, laptops/ ipads suddenly freeze, cell phones break down etc…
The challenges may vary from one learner to another, but we need to re-invent a new way of learning that is both effective and productive for us. Our preferred ways that took place in the classroom may not coincide with our online learning experiences.
Adult learners need flexibility and remote learning gives adults this opportunity. We are able to choose what to learn, when to learn and at what pace to learn it. The virtual classroom has also given students the opportunity to create their own community. For example, a student who is more knowledgeable in using zoom can help those that are not yet comfortable using zoom. Working collaboratively online may be a new form of learning that may motivate some students more so than if they were in the onsite classroom. Peer to peer support can be the gateway to change.
6. Online or Telephone Resources in French and English – there is help within reach!
a)Telephone services: amiquebec.org ( 514) 486-1448 and Multi-Ecoute (514) 737- 3604, and Ecoute Entraide (514) 278- 2130, Tom Caplan (514) 737-7208
b)Online services ( free online therapy) www.betterhelp.com , www.justanswer.com ( 24-7 no waiting room) and www.montrealcbtpsychologist.com