For students around the world, the plans for a 2020/1 gap year changed dramatically as a result of the coronavirus crisis. If you’re one of those students whose plans got completely warped amid the crisis, time to look on the bright side. There are ways to use this crisis as a period to dedicate to yourself and improving the way you think, work or behave. Below are some of our tips on how to use this time to boost your well-being:
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Journal Your Thoughts and Feelings
Journaling is a method that scientifically proven to reduce the feelings of depression and anxiety; exactly what students need during these times. When you have a busy schedule, a bunch of obligations and tasks for university courses, it easily happens that you forget to check in with yourself.
Melanie Sovann, a writer at Supreme Dissertations, shares her experience with journaling: “We generally lead busy lives and find it hard to make time for journaling. Otherwise, a lot of people would try it, I think. I tried journaling for the first time when I was on maternity leave and it has completely shifted the way I approach problems. I absolutely recommend it for students who are anxious during this crisis”.
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Set Smaller Goals
Students love to dream big, and that’s great! It’s just one of the reasons why students are the most socially active and dynamic groups. It’s great to have dreams and big goals – they push us forward even when we feel down, tired and unmotivated.
However, now is not the time to dream about becoming president. You might find it increasingly frustrating that your ambition is to pursue these dreams, but you end up unable to go to the places you wish to.
It’s important to keep in mind that basically anything you manage to do well during this crisis is a great success. Don’t sell yourself short on hitting even the tiniest of goals: it will boost your self-esteem and day-to-day motivation.
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Practice Reading and Writing Skills
Reading, writing and comprehensive understanding are crucial skills for any student. It sounds obvious, but many students are often not aware that the underlying cause might be unfocused reading and understanding. You might think that you are reading and learning, but your mind is wandering off somewhere else.
With this crisis going on, it’s even harder to stay focused on study materials. This is why now is the perfect time to work on those skills. Use some of these services for help:
- TrustMyPaper– work with expert academic writers who can help you thrive
- GrabMyEssay – hire professional academic writers who can teach you how to write the best essays
- ProWritingAid – scan through your papers and learn about some of the most frequent mistakes you’re making when writing
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Reconnect with your Hobbies
Remember hobbies? Those activities that you do purely because you enjoy them, and not because they bring you academic merit or profit? If you are among students who have neglected their hobbies due to academic obligations, you’re definitely in the majority.
We lose touch with our hobbies and personal passion because of one simple reason: there are only so many hours in the day. Who has time to paint when you have to prepare for two exams, three papers and presentations?
Sadly, this is the very reason why students are more likely to experience burnout and need a boost in well-being. This likelihood becomes exponentially higher if you take the current crisis into account.
Maya Geller, a writer at BestEssayEducation, says: “If there’s anything good that’s come out of this crisis, it’s more time to dedicate to one’s hobbies. All over social media, you can see people baking, drawing, painting, sewing clothes, reading, writing, and so much more! When is the last time you witnessed such a renaissance in hobbies and leisure activities?”
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Plan your Next Trips
With more time online, you now have the chance to perfectly plan out your next trip and find something to look forward to! As countries around the world start opening borders and the hospitality industry slowly prepares for the awakening of travelling and tourism, tickets and accommodation are cheaper than ever…if you get in quick!
Use some of these websites and services to plan the perfect trip for a boost in well-being:
- SkyScanner
Sky Scanner is a popular flight-searching service that allows you to find cheap flights from whichever destination. It compares data from hundreds of different airlines all over the world. The best part about SkyScanner is that you can choose the option from your city to “Everywhere”, filter according to “cheapest month” and find the cheapest flights available from that destination.
- eDreams
EDreams is a platform that’s similar to Skyscanner, but instead of the “Everywhere” function, you’ll be able to get discounts if you book both your flight and accommodation through them. Usually, this site offers discounts up to 50% when you book a flight and a hotel on the platform. However, the flight + accommodation deals are not limited to hotels only; you can also use the discounts on hostels and flats! (Tip: Before you book any flight, check on eDreams first to see if they offer it at a cheaper rate)
Conclusion
This situation is incredibly hard for many students and we will all have to go through a drastic period of adjustment to find our resilience and strength. Still, there are many opportunities to use this down-period as a chance to work on yourself. Basically, now is the time when you can do all those things you claimed you were too busy to do.
If you find it too hard to get out of your head and control your anxiety, focus on all the good times that lie ahead and start planning your next trip or your gap year. Go on, boost your well-being!
