The transition back into in person learning will be, without a doubt, one of the most difficult chapters in the story of the 21st century global pandemic. High school students especially face challenges such as navigating social life, managing rigorous coursework, and juggling extracurricular activities. While those tasks may look daunting, students should also remember that there simple ways exist to avoid becoming overwhelmed with rushing back to normal.
Time Management
Spending several hours a day in the classroom has become alien to students. While online learning increased schedule flexibility, the reinstatement of in person learning has limited students time to accomplish their assignments. This means that time management has suddenly become especially important to academic success. Corporate Finance Institute, an online education program, suggests setting smart goals, prioritizing tasks, working in time blocks, and taking breaks for effective time management. These tips may be crucial to staying on top of workloads and managing stress.
Self Care
Taking care of the body and mind doesn’t have to entail hours of skincare or reading or even meditation. In its simplest form, self care can just mean getting an extra hour of sleep, working out and moving your body, or even taking five minutes at the end of the day to turn off the phone and just be still. Matthew Glowiak, a counselor at Southern New Hampshire University, shares similar beliefs in his article “What is Self Care and Why is It Important to You?”, saying “By taking some time out to engage in self-care, you may relieve the pressures of everyday life and reset yourself to get back to a healthy point where productivity is once again maximized.” Although self care can be highly sensationalized, it truly can be the path to a healthier lifestyle.
Compartmentalizing
When transitioning between classes and activities throughout the day, it can be beneficial to keep emotions and thought processes separate from each other. Otherwise known as compartmentalizing, this system of focusing energy into individual events can help reduce stress and prevent overloading. Entrepreneur Ryan Blaire reveals in an article published by Forbes that compartmentalization has been the key to his success over the years. He tells his readers “Your ability to compartmentalize, prioritize, and focus enough time on each area in order to make incremental progress towards a conclusion will be your most important skill set to achieve significant success.” This can be achieved with breathing exercises in the car on the way to work or school, writing down a to-do list so that memorizing it doesn’t become a chore, and taking a step back from stressful situations to gain a larger perspective.
Despite the innumerable ways to crack down on the stress and emotional overload that this school year will bring, the most important thing for students to remember should be to check in with themselves on a personal level. The techniques listed above can only provide limited help during the journey that will be the transition period from online to in person learning. Keeping tabs on personal thoughts and emotions can allow a student to lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle, where school doesn’t have to be all consuming. Instead, students should utilize their personal strengths and resources to take advantage of this exciting year, and to focus on enjoying the high school experience that they have waited so long for.