How students can combat isolation during distance learning
The Catalyst / Photo courtesy of Coleen Lorenz
A breathing exercise used to relieve stress.
“You take three deep breaths, in and out through your heart, you inhale and exhale, count in for three to five seconds, through your heart. And on the third breath, you just think of someone, someplace, something that you absolutely love and feel grateful for. Never create a feeling of harm or hurt or pain or or stress or anything, like a puppy, or a favorite place that shifts someone into appreciation or gratitude,” said Dance and Psychology teacher Coleen Lorenz.
“They should always seek out professional help if it feels overwhelming. If it’s not overwhelming, meaning they’re not frozen up and incapacitated, to talk to someone they trust, to reach out to someone they trust,” said Lorenz. “Triggered anxiety, things like that is normal, we can have anxiety, we can have stress, we can feel triggered by things, someone they can talk to and trust that will not tell them what to do.”
NDB Health and Wellness counselor Allan Gargaritano discusses how teachers can be helping out and checking in with their students.
“Well I think it starts with just being available and starting a conversation. I mean, knowing that our school and that school is important, and schoolwork still needs to get done. But from a human level, and someone who got into education to help young people, I think it’s also important to recognize, to humanize ourselves, and then also share about things that are tough for them, so that students build better relationships with their teachers,” said Gargaritano.
Due to COVID-19, social media has become much more prevalent in many teenagers’ lives. Social media can have negative effects on mental health, but can also help students feel connected to their fellow students during quarantine.
“I am on social media a lot more and I am still in touch with my peers. I think a lot of people are feeling alone and isolated in this time of the pandemic. A lot of people are bored during quarantine so they resort to social media,” said sophomore Lauren Nobleza.
However, social media alone cannot make up for the lack of human contact that is a result of the coronavirus pandemic. For those struggling with feeling isolated, it is important to reach out for help.
“The counselors are always available. We’re always available for students who want to reach out, but it also starts with people that you trust, and I think just being able to ask for help is the beginning part because we can say that counselors are here, adults are here, teachers are there for you,” said Gargaritano.
As online learning extends into the near future, it becomes increasingly important for students to find creative ways to check in with their peers, teachers, and counselors. Reaching out can be difficult online during the pandemic, but NDB’s faculty and staff is available to help students in need. Student council has also been finding ways to bring their classes together with fun games and bonding activities during class meetings as well as various events on Tiger Wednesdays.
Jennifer Huang is a Staff Writer for the Catalyst. In the next few years of high school, she hopes she will continue to write for Journalism. In college,...
