The following blog post content is from the WellConnect January 2021 Student Newsletter. Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) offers the WellConnect Student Assistance Program, which provides FREE mental health counseling and other support services to CUKC students and anyone in their household.
According to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, “Change is the only constant.” This means that all things in your life are in a state of transition, and given enough time, they will become very different from the feelings, experiences, and expectations that you presently know.
Your friends may move away and grow emotionally distant. Your parents may age in ways that require you to provide them with special or more routine assistance. The place where you live may become less exciting or too crowded, preventing you from enjoying the activities and spaces you once frequented.
Change is often seen as something to be afraid of or to be worried about. In fact, change can be a powerfully positive force. Through change, you gain experience that can be applied to your life in ways that make you more resilient and more adaptable. Change can present you with new opportunities or outcomes that enrich your life or connect you to new people and responsibilities. Change can also help you grow as a person and understand more about yourself, including what motivates you, what makes you happy, and what gives you the strength to get through every day.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is an event that has been a catalyst for change. It has interrupted the most basic experiences of everyday life for many Americans, and for students across the country, it has transformed the higher education experience. Coping with this change may require you to adjust to using new systems for learning, adapting to working on your own, and learning to better manage your time.
Here are some recommendations for embracing the changes ahead for you:
• Create a space in your home where you can work as effectively as possible with few distractions.
• If you participate in live online sessions, review what your camera can see in your space and remove anything in the frame that may be problematic or distracting for your classmates.
• When you have a break, avoid sitting in front of a screen. Spend that time moving around, going outside, or exercising to counter long bouts of sedentary learning.
• Monitor your posture and any pains or tension you feel in your body. Your chair may not be suited for lengthy periods of sitting, and your workspace may need some additional adjustments to support your needs.
• Accept that there will be challenging days and know that you have the ability to adapt to tough situations and overcome the challenges in front of you to reach your academic goals.
