Adjusting to a New Normal - By Kate Ottrando
Adjusting to a New Normal
Remember that the only constant in life is change. - Gautama Buddha
By Kate Ottrando, Student Worker with The WELL
If the constant state of change we are living in due to the pandemic is affecting you, then you are not alone. We are living in state of unpredictability and being in college during this time has been quite overwhelming and a whirlwind. One moment, we think we are heading back to campus, and that we will be sitting in our classrooms experiencing in-person learning. The next moment, we are told that we will be learning remotely again. With this constant back and forth, it is normal to feel disappointed, frustrated, or anxious. Luckily, there are a lot of tools available to help us navigate this challenging time. College students all over the nation are dealing with the same sort of uncertainty, fear, and challenge with change. Here are some helpful articles and resources to support you during this time of adjusting to a new normal.
College Amid the Pandemic: How Can Students Cope? > News > Yale Medicine
9 tips to deal with the uncertainty of the coronavirus outbreak (nbcnews.com)
Self-care is extremely important during this time. With all the uncertainty surrounding how we learn in college, our social lives, and the health and safety of our communities, we must try to take excellent care of ourselves. Our wellbeing includes our emotional state, physical state, and mental state. There are ways we can support ourselves during the pandemic which will help ease the stress caused by the uncertainty of the new normal we are living in. Can you think of activities that make you feel better? Now is the time to partake in those activities. It is important to remember that we are in this together, and by supporting each other, we can navigate this new normal. Being able to accept change while taking excellent care of ourselves may be a silver lining of being a college student during the Coronavirus pandemic.
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” - Socrates
Since we have had to adapt to so many changes during the pandemic, perhaps in the years to come, even after the pandemic is over, we may feel more comfortable with the concept of change. If life throws us a curveball in the future, we may be able to draw strength to handle that surprise from our experiences navigating life during this pandemic. Adapting to change while prioritizing self-care may be a valuable life skill that we as college students during this pandemic can maintain and uphold for the rest of our lives.
Kate Ottrando is majoring in Graphic Design