Hello, everyone, and welcome to our blog! Andi here, writing to tell you all a little bit about my time at home during the COVID-19 crisis and how Recharge is helping me to practice mentally healthy habits.
As I'm sure is the case for everyone, the exponential spread of the novel coronavirus took me by surprise. I certainly did not leave SLU for spring break with the expectation that I would not be returning to live there for the rest of the semester. When I left, I had no idea of what was to come, the online classes, shutting down of restaurants, social distancing, stay-at-home orders, it all happened rather quickly. Like most other students, I am now doing remote learning from home, and I also hang out with two kids during the day while their parents must still commute to work. It honestly feels a lot like summer time, but the school obligations make it not so. I wanted to get on here and talk a little bit about what I am learning to do during this time and how Recharge has greatly influenced this.
For me, the hardest thing I have had to do during this new season of life is learn how to schedule my time between the things I have to do, the things I want to do, and the things I need to do. It is definitely still a work in progress, but I am finding that it is helpful to get work done during the daytime so that I can have my evenings to enjoy to myself or with my family. I also think a big part of remote learning is creating boundaries for yourself. For example, I am trying to avoid checking my email in the evenings and over weekends so that there is a separation between school and personal life. We at Recharge are major advocates of carving out YOU time. I have been trying to incorporate this into my own life by keeping a journal and writing down the things I am enjoying or the things I am grateful for. I find this activity helps me to process through my thoughts and feelings in a creative and cathartic way. (NOTE: See Abby's post on how to keep a bullet journal if you're looking to give that a try.) Taking "5o'clock walks" with my family has also helped me to get out and enjoy nature while letting exercise relieve some stress.
I will close by saying that, while this time is cetrtainly not what anyone expected or wanted, we can still use it to learn how to take care of ourselves. This can mean taking breaks to do things like journal, or it can be calling up a friend, or even taking a nap. I would encourage you to try and think about what you could do during this time to protect your mental health and de-stress. Happy recharging! :)
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