“There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.”- John Green.
If education institute closures and worrying headlines are making us anxious, we are not the only one. Actually, that is how we should be feeling. Psychologists recognized students’ anxieties during Covid-19 is normal and this scenario in our country is similar to most of the countries of the world.
Dr. Lisa Damour, an expert adolescent psychologist, best-selling author and monthly New York Times columnist said, “Your anxiety is going to help you make the decisions that you need to be making right now – not spending time in big groups of people, washing your hands and not touching your face.” Psychologists know that when people are in chronically difficult conditions it is helpful to divide the problem into two categories: things they can do something about, and then things they can do nothing about. Therefore, we can create a checklist of things that are in our control and the things that are unavoidable.
Henry Brzycki, an expert for over thirty years in the fields of both education and psychology, said "Our young people require additional support to succeed in school, careers and life. These supports are a combination of personal counselling for personal awareness about life purpose, dreams, and well-being; career counselling for career match or fit; and, academic curricula that supports the development of competencies”.
Since, educational institutions are closed; we can take this opportunity to develop ourselves by attending a number of online self-development and skill development courses or training programmes. In this pandemic, there is not only a chance to watch a number of thought provoking positive videos from social media but also a scope to read numerous articles and posts by which we can improve our career, future and ourselves. If we manage this time doing these, we can find a new self after this pandemic when we get back to education and the life we enjoyed.
After that, we should take care of ourselves, eat regularly, exercise, sleep enough and reduce all other sources of stress. We should do things that give us back the control of our own life. Besides, we can dedicate time to activities that improve our mood. That can be listening to music, a film, a good book, a hobby we have not had time for before. We can engage ourselves in surfing positive news and entertainment on social media that can add extra strength to pass this crucial time. In a word, we should be proactive because this attitude gives us the power and control of the uncertain situation. Also, taking care of ourselves will not only help us stay healthy, it will also help us stay calm and focused so that we can adequately take care of our family and friends. We must keep it in mind: “One small crack does not mean that you are broken, it means that you were put to the test and you didn’t fall apart.”- Linda Poindexter.
Most importantly, we should spare ourselves to the negative information and excessive watching of the news and negative posts or videos on social media and not only that we should not let the information about the development of the epidemic over flood us. At the same time, we should beware of misinformation; get our information only from reliable websites and information sources that provide proven information and advice. If we feel severely anxious and unsettled, it is important to know that we are not alone and that our response is normal and understandable having in mind the situation that the entire society is in. Sometimes talking to a trusted person, a friend or family member is a good and easy way to feel better. Added to that it will be a time worthy suggestion to both educators and policy makers to place a greater emphasis on considering the well-being and mental health of students when deciding how to get them back to education, overcome Covid-19 anxieties and motivate them to adapt this new normal. So from now on, try to believe “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” - Albus Dumbledore
The writer is a Lecturer of English at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and can be reached at parvez@bsmmu.edu.bd
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