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Keeping It Together
by Kennae Hunter
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The idea of completing college is stressful in itself between all the assignments, lectures, walking across campus in all conditions, finding ways to afford necessities like food, housing, and class materials, and finding time for some sort of social life. Imagine trying to do all of these things amidst a pandemic. Making multiple life adjustments while trying to stay focused and be successful will affect the sanest person’s mental health and could lead to forgetting to just take time for yourself and clear your head.Â
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Here are some ways one can do some self-therapy and self-care during this semester.Â
1. Journaling
–Â Journaling allows you to basically vent to yourself. Reflecting on your day and then writing out the positives along with any struggles just gets it all out of your system. Get your thoughts and ideas out of your head and leave them on the page.Â
– We have been encouraged to stay inside and “quarantine” as much as possible. There are not many events happening right now and things we look forward to like football season has been canceled. This means we are cooped up inside our rooms most of the time which can be draining. Get outside and go for a walk. Absorb the sun, observe nature, and just enjoy being out and activities safely.Â
– Many of us can’t wait until school starts so that we can get away from the routine within our families or hometown drama or even just to be independent in your own space and forget that we have people at home who love and miss us. Give a call to your favorite cousin or your aunt who you haven’t spoken to since moving in. It will just be refreshing to hear from loved ones in these times.Â
–Â It is good to be focused on schoolwork because obviously, that is what we are in college for right? But, sometimes it is good to have days where we take our mind off all of that and get into something interesting and attention keeping like a Netflix show with a couple of seasons.Â
–Â To keep a positive attitude, we must surround ourselves with positivity. Find relatable quotes about things like strength, self-love, peace, or whatever is best for your personal situation and write them down and keep them somewhere you look every day to give yourself mental reminders that things will be good.