The tireless pursuit of education amid tumultuous times is pushing students’ emotional and mental boundaries further as the year goes on.
Avoiding the 2020 cliche of describing the year’s events as terrible, things are not good right now. I will admit I am struggling this semester to keep all aspects of my life in check. Part of it, I’m sure, are growing pains. However, I can’t help but feel the majority of my draining mental health is a direct result of the recent transpired events.
I know I’m not the only one in this boat. As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc through the nation, and political unrest perpetuates, the constant intake of undesirable information plants seeds in our brains that only aim to worsen our mental climate.
The purpose of writing this is not to create awareness for the mental health crisis among college students nationally. It’s not to state the obvious. It’s not to belittle the accuracy of its existence. It’s for affirmation and reassurance.
Take note of the little things in our lives that bring us daily ounces of joy. We are all working toward a greater day, a goal that we have set up for ourselves over our roughly two decades of life, or a goal we set up for ourselves this week. We are constantly in the pursuit of bettering ourselves, which is in and of itself a privilege.
We can talk to those who care about us, and we can support those who need it. I urge everyone in this time of stress to lean on each other. The only way we’ll get through this collectively is altruistically.
I find myself spending too much time in matters smaller than the bigger picture—the little details and small strokes of a much larger painting. When it’s all said and done, no one is going to notice the misstep of one color. Take those accidents with a grain of salt.
With the current state of the world, whether you’re worried about COVID-19 ripping through the population, the 2020 presidential election, climate change switching up our way of life or anything on a much smaller comparable scale, it’s easy to get tied up in the worst-case scenarios. It’s easy to misjudge your frustrations while battling a stressful academic workload and conflicting extracurriculars. Don’t feel hopeless.
We aren’t going to paint the whole picture in one day. It’s okay to be upset about how everything is right now. I’m upset about it. But don’t let it distract you from taking care of yourself. Don’t take on more than you can handle right now. Tread cautiously with your involvement in the bigger picture.
As cliche as this may sound, follow your heart. As the school year slowly reaches its midway point, and COVID-19 outbreaks slowly consume Latah County, just stay safe. Your feelings are valid. They have been, and they always will be. You’re entitled to feeling distraught today. Please don’t take it on alone.
We’re all here for each other, as we always should be. This year will end, these times will conclude, and we’ll be one step closer to goals—our brighter future.
Carter Kolpitckecan be reached at [email protected].