On March 11, 2020, Eleanor Roosevelt High School closed due to a student who had come into contact with COVID-19 due to traveling.  The school was concerned about the health of the staff, facilities, and ERHS students. Eleanor Roosevelt High School staff authorized an immediate closure to have the school disinfected and sanitized immediately to prevent exposure to others.   

Since that day, ERHS students continue to live their lives in the shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic awakenings. We all know it has taken a toll upon us all and we’re all looking for beneficial ways to better our mental and physical health, while taking precautions and thinking ahead of what’s to come next in this ferocious period with the losses of loved ones and friends, limited resources and so much more. 

You may have more anxiety than usual, or you may have become more stressed out than usual. Maybe you feel as if you are becoming more forgetful over time as you have seen a rapid decrease in your interactions with friends and family. You may have become more antisocial than before, or hate the fact that your summer plans were canceled. You may have had to regularize yourself to our “New Normal” for the sake of your health. These may be all the consequences you despise, but ultimately you must become at ease with those consequences to improve yourself and your health.

Senior Najah Smith, a member of Bring Change to Mind (BCM), formally known as Bring Change to Roosevelt (BCR), has seen a drastic change in her attitudes and work habits due to being isolated for a long period, but she quotes “Staying hopeful and optimistic is definitely the main thing that has gotten me through the pandemic and all the changes that have come with it.”

Bring Change to Mind is a club that brings social awareness to ERHS students about breaking the stigmas surrounding mental illness. Once you become a member of the club you are able to get a free year-long subscription to a meditation app called Headspace. Using tools like Headspace to keep an open-mind and positive mentality is a significant step to improving your mental and physical state of well being. 

Having a pessimistic perspective or attitude can be common during these times, but they may also be signs of more serious mental health issues. “For those battling negative feelings during this pandemic, I absolutely understand where you’re coming from. So many of our plans have been washed, especially for us seniors, but as frustrating as it is, I think acceptance is one of the keys to feeling better,” Smith says. Najah, herself being an overcomer of a mental illness, believes “those negative thoughts come from a place of anxiety or past experiences so it’s important not to invalidate what someone is saying when they’re expressing those negative or hopeless thoughts.”

Mental health issues aren’t concerns we examine on a day to day basis. We all have our good days and bad days, But ask yourself this when was the last time you had a psychological evaluation done or self-evaluated yourself? Two days ago? Last Year? 2 years ago? Or Never?.

To establish goals and overcome hopelessness you must be truthful to yourself and your goals. Your mental awareness starts within and your physical awareness ends without.  “ You can’t change the way someone thinks overnight and that’s also not the ultimate goal. From my view, I’d just want to help them see any light at the end of the tunnel, feel some type of positive emotion, or just have a good time since they’ve probably been stuck in that negative or dark headspace for a while.”

Apply boundaries for yourself and spot out your strengths and weaknesses. Create a positive atmosphere for you to excel and grow in. Meditate, listen to relaxing podcasts or music and become more optimistic and have hope. Seek professional help if you are having serious problems, and make sure those around you know how you feel. Do what’s best for you and your health.

The impact COVID-19 has made on ERHS students mentality and physical health is unexplainable. We’ve seen what our “New Normal” consists of and we’re very unsure how to cope or grieve during times like these. We’re all still adjusting after months of being isolated. 

Here are some recommendations we suggest that may help with the battles of overcoming mental and physical issues due to being disengaged from the social world. 

Join a virtual club that discusses ways to improve your mentality and your physical state of well being such as Bring Change to Mind (BCM). Host a weekly mental and physical check-in meeting with your family and friends, talk to a counselor or a trusted adult. Write down your thoughts and progress over time and expand your imagination to better your thinking skills to help with the recovery process of becoming and remaining optimistic rather than pessimistic.

Nahjah reminds us that “Just picturing yourself at your dream job can be enough inspiration to make you get up and finish that project or that essay tonight versus letting work pile up.”