Teentalk

Humans are the only species that urge to be busy and make themselves productive anyhow. This becomes a concern of a healthy mindset. As this pandemic is taking a toll on everyday life, it has become an unannounced norm to do something or master some skills in the time of quarantine. As always it should be your choice, what do you want, and how do you want to direct your life? However, this pandemic isn’t any rat race that you have to participate in everything. If you feel like doing nothing, don’t join the bandwagon. Ask yourself one thing: why bother losing your mind attempting to accomplish things that bring you no joy or hope?

 
Here’s why you shouldn’t feel left out –
 

• In this challenging time, your mental health matters more than any accomplishments. It’s completely okay to go on at your own pace. 
• Learning a new skill, reworking on your old hobby or being productive all the time are not the aims of this lockdown. If these are not making you happy, then you deserve to stay away from it all. 
• Instead of preparing for a good portfolio or ticking off the lockdown to-do list, you should emphasize on trying to stay alive and remaining calm. This lockdown period is no showbiz. 
• It’s okay to feel nothing or take a pause from this hustle. Embrace yourself first, and rest can be done later.
• Nothing will be lost if you come out with zero new skills after this lockdown. Remember your mind needed attention and you did your best. 
• If you feel helpless and want to cry, if you don’t feel okay then accept this emotion too. Remember, accepting every emotion is a healthy habit.

 
You don’t have to constantly make yourself busy as the novel COVID-19 has put you inside for the whole day. Doing nothing is also a job to embrace your well-being. Being stuck at home does not automatically leave you with free time, energy, focus, and motivation. It takes immense courage to do everything on your own at home and survive this pandemic. And believe us, you’re not just alone.
 

If you’ve felt the pressure by social media updates to fill your time with new activities, and not being able to pull them off, then this shouldn’t let you feel disappointed. You can’t make everything work with norms set by others. Enjoy your time. You don’t need to rearrange your closets, drawers, study tables. Actually, a sudden change may affect your mental health. Moreover, it’s okay not to be okay sometime. If you need space, if you want to be silent, embrace those moments. Your well-being deserves attention too, and now as we are away from outside distractions, the need is more than ever. Don’t try to control your anger or sadness; let it flow and see where it takes you. You will never regret the time you’re spending with yourself.  Because, you’re the queen of your mind and heart, so, let it rule!

As online-schooling continues with the extended lockdown, most of us teenagers are getting restless and disoriented. We miss running around our school hallways, chatting with our friends and simply attending classes with our favorite teachers.

As a teenager myself, I have felt the same demotivation and unproductiveness as most of you. So here are a few tips that I have developed in consultation with Teentalk’s Counsellor that will help you focus during your virtual-school lessons and make the most of online-schooling
 

• Have a designated study area

Assign a particular spot in your house as your study area. This could be your study table or any place where you are isolated from the noise of your household and able to concentrate easily. Having a dedicated study area which is distinguished from your relaxation area will help you stay focused and, on the other hand, help you confine your academic stress to your study area. This will also help your brain condition itself to be serious and focus every time you sit in your study area. For instance, if you choose to study in your room, your hall could be your relaxation area. Avoid studying in different places around the house or moving your study location as it will be difficult to focus.
 

• Choose a workplace with sunlight

Most of us are attending virtual classes for 4-5 hours and some even up to 8 hours. This means that we are glued to our screens for long hours at a stretch and our eyes are exposed to the artificial light of our laptop or computer screens. Picking a study area that is washed with enough natural light becomes essential to help relax your eyes. Sunlight is a steady source of light which helps reduce the strain on your eyes, preventing the effects of myopia also called short-sightedness. Moreover, natural light stimulates the production of the hormone melatonin in your body which indirectly increases attentiveness. 
 

• Have a neat and organised work space

​​​​​​As you try to replicate your school desks at home, make sure your desk is tidy and equipped with all the material you need. A neat work space will help your mind declutter and give you a sense of control. Ensure that your desk is free of all distractions, including your phone, to help you concentrate. It’s a good idea to have your supplies - stationary, notebooks, textbooks- close to you and organised neatly. This will prevent you from having to get up in the middle of classes to look for material and instead make you feel prepared for your lessons during online-schooling

• Get up from your chair

You are likely to get restless and frustrated if you sit continually for long hours during your online-schooling. Give yourself breaks between lessons and take a minute to stand up and stretch yourself or to take a short walk around your house. This will help your brain relax, help it retain the new information that it has learnt and prevent it from cramming. Taking out an hour for any form of physical activity after your lessons is imperative for de-stressing and releasing endorphins in your body to elevate positive feelings
 

• Revise your lessons with your friends​

​​​​​​Online-schooling can get boring especially when you’re locked down and can’t go out to meet your friends. Revising what you have learnt with your friends through video call can be an interesting way to revise what you have learned and clear your doubts. This is also a great way to build interest in your work and stimulate the onset of dopamine, a hormone that helps you stay motivated and work towards your goals 
 

• RELAX!

​​​​​​​Give yourself time to relax and engage in the things you love doing. Try out different non-academic activities as they can prove to be great stress-busters. Lastly, as they say, ‘the key to success is focusing on your goals, not obstacles’; so, keep in mind that this pandemic will end and you will be back to school- but till then, make the most of online-schooling!