The transition at the start of the pandemic was difficult for everyone. In my case, it was a matter of days before I went from living my life as a normal college student on a busy campus to completing online school for the next three semesters at home. While the pandemic changed almost everything about my life and the plans that I had for the rest of my college career, I also learned some things that have helped me in the world of our ‘new normal.’ One important thing I’ve learned through all of this chaos is how to prioritize my mental health.
Being Alone is the Only Way to Truly Know Yourself
Like many people during the pandemic, I struggled with the isolation. However, the period of isolation was how I figured out how to care for my mental health. When I was feeling low or anxious, I took inventory on how I was feeling and what I needed to do that would help me navigate myself away from those feelings. I did this in the moment because I had no other options at the time. I couldn’t distract myself with other worldly things like work or school because they weren’t there in the same way anymore. During isolation, myself and many others were forced to deal with the balancing act of mental health. However, this turned out to be the best way to understand myself. The time I was forced to be alone helped me realize who I was and who I wanted to be. From my introspection, I realized my priority was peace of mind. Once you figure out how to prioritize your mental health, it’ll be a lot easier to move toward that goal.
Self Care is Ever-Changing
Prioritizing your mental health looks different for everyone. More specifically, it differs for each person in the moment. Sometimes the best thing for yourself could be a long walk, and other times it could be lying in your bed and watching your favorite show. Do what serves you best in that moment.Â
Take the Night Off If You Need It
Knowing yourself is one of the most important things in prioritizing your mental health. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can really help to step away and take a breather. That means putting down whatever you’re currently working on and doing something for yourself.Â
Sometimes “Self Care” is Doing the Work
While I am a big proponent of taking breaks and stepping away from your work, as I have mentioned earlier, another way in which to prioritize your mental health is to confront whatever is making you struggle. For a college student (for me, especially) that might be finally starting that paper you’ve been worrying about all week, or starting a project early that you know will take a long time to complete. Either way, it might make you feel better to have at least started your work. It will make the task seem more manageable and less daunting.
I’m not perfect at prioritizing my mental health, and no one is for that matter. There are times when I slip and everything seems overwhelming and like I can’t handle it. However, over the past year and a half I’ve learned how to navigate those feelings better. We’re all learning how to adjust to this new normal. Maybe in this new normal we can all learn to put ourselves first and prioritize our mental health.
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