Going home for the holidays is always a great stress reliever, especially in the middle of a hectic semester. This year this is more than just a break from school. This holiday break is the turning point in the semester because URI is completely remote now. This is going to be hard for many students. Trying to find a balance between school work and home life can be challenging. In addition to maintaining good grades, this is a hard time on mental health. Many individuals suffer from mental health problems during the colder months, and with COVID-19 still very much present, this can lead to some hard months ahead of us.

Here are 5 key things I do to stay on track with school and try my best to stay positive:

1. Make a schedule for yourself: The key thing to staying on track is making yourself a schedule. Set aside time for each of your classes. Some of your classes may have been already in your schedule because they are done over Zoom but there are several classes that are not through Zoom. For me, scheduling out my day keeps me accountable for what needs to get done. Maybe Monday, Wednesday, and Friday set aside 2 hours to work on 2 classes and Tuesday Thursday set aside 3 hours to work on the other 3 classes. Also, a huge thing that helps me is leaving my phone in the other room. Whenever I try to do homework with my phone nearby I end up texting my friends or spending too much time on TikTok. 

2. Get outside as often as possible: Most winters I lock myself indoors covered in all the fuzzy blankets I can find. Of course, in the past winters, I was forced to leave my house eventually, due to school, work, and hanging out with friends. This winter, I believe I could easily get by with leaving my house once a week for groceries. I am not a fan of the cold, but staying cooped up in the house is not a healthy way of living. This winter, I plan on getting outside as often as I can. With Rhode Island currently in a “two-week pause,” I plan on getting outside by bundling up and going for walks. This isn’t as exciting as meeting up with friends and going to restaurants, but it’s much better than being stuck inside all day. Sometimes I need to force myself to get outside, but I always feel refreshed afterward. 

3. Spend time with your loved ones: Something a friend said that stood out to me was that… yes COVID-19 is awful, but he got to spend the summer with his sister, which he hadn’t done for years. I agreed that this summer I got to spend time with my family that I don’t always get to do. We usually are always busy working and don’t have time to see each other as often. We have to look at the positives. This is a great chance to spend time with loved ones. Isolating yourself will only damage your mental health. For those who are unable to be with family right now, just remember how lucky we are that technology allows us to stay in touch with one another. 

4. Limit your screen time: With classes completely online now, it seems that we are constantly staring at a screen. When you are not working on classwork, try to step away from the screen, whether that be your laptop or phone. I try to put my phone away for at least one hour a day. It’s small, but it can make a big difference. Try using this hour to read a book, draw, do a puzzle, or journal. Our bodies will thank us for the time away from our screens. Sometimes we don’t realize how taxing all this screen time can be on us.

5. Nourish your body with healthy food: I get it – it’s the holidays and it’s easy to eat all the delicious holiday food. That is totally okay, but remember that what you put into your body has a huge impact on your mood. I love dessert but I know I also need to eat fruits and vegetables to remain sane. I always try to remind myself that I am not giving myself a fair chance at happiness if I’m not nourishing my body with healthy foods. There are tons of delicious, healthy recipes online and all over Instagram – here’s a link to 50 popular healthy meals. 

Remember, we are in the middle of a global pandemic, and not every day will be the best. The only thing you can do is try to move forward. Focus on the positive parts of life, and remember this is only temporary. Stay on track with your goals, we got this!

author: Lisa M.

Hi! I’m Lisa, a senior at URI getting my degree in public relations. I have lived in Rhode Island my whole life and decided to continue my education here. I am excited to be working with URI Campus Recreation this semester. With everything going on in 2020, it has sparked my passion for health and wellbeing. During these hard times, I find it’s easy to get into a rut, but I have tried my best to stay positive and focus on what makes me happy. I try to be outdoors as often as I can. I love going to the beach, biking, and just and enjoying the warm weather while I can.”