Dealing with Mental Health Side Effects of Virtual Learning
While online school has become very common worldwide recently, kids and teenagers are still struggling to cope with it. Some students are succeeding, but others are beginning to feel the workload is becoming too much, and their mental health is being highly affected. Unfortunately, teens today continue to hide their mental health instead of asking for help.
In an optional and anonymous survey about mental health, 47 students said that their mental health had gotten worse during online learning, while few students said that it did not change. One anonymous student said, “Before online school, I was able to control my anxiety about assignments and felt like I could get help when needed and cope with my social anxiety and repressed it. Now my anxiety has been almost unbearable with seeing all the due dates for assignments and it's hard for me to have the motivation to do anything.”
If you, or someone you know are seeking help, you can reach out to your teachers, our wonderful school counselors, a parent or trusted adult, and even your friends to help point you in the right direction! You can also visit local counseling to find help. Below are a few Ideas on how to help your mental health if you are feeling stressed.
Take a break and come back to it.
Email your teachers, tell them how you're feeling, they only want to help.
Make a daily calendar, setting a time that you will get each task done.
Set aside time to just relax, read a book, play games, watch a movie, bake or something else fun.
There are many more things you can do to aid with anxiety and depression. Just visit https://www.mhanational.org/blog/10-things-you-can-do-when-youre-stressed if you need some other options on how to help when you're stressed. If you are looking to reach out to our school counseling department, their emails are:
alex.corrado@oshkosh.k12.wi.us (Alex Corrado, School Counselor, Class of 2024)
lynn.swoverland@oshkosh.k12.wi.us (Lynn Swoverland, School Counselor, Class of 2022)
maci.wallace@oshkosh.k12.wi.us (Maci Wallace, School Counselor, Class of 2021)
heidi.wheaton@oshkosh.k12.wi.us (Heidi Wheaton, School Counselor, Class of 2023)
rob.kerl@oshkosh.k12.wi.us (Rob Kerl, School Counselor)
kathryn.delain@oshkosh.k12.wi.us (Kathryn Delain, School Social Worker)
courtney.wagner@oshkosh.k12.wi.us (Courtney Wagner, School Social Worker)
katie.kosobucki@oshkosh.k12.wi.us (Katie Kosobucki, School Psychologist)
They are all here to help you. If you are looking for help outside of school, reach out to your parents about getting set up with a therapist. Please remember you're not alone in this. We are all going through the same thing, and some people may have it worse than others. But we have to be here for each other.
By Ashley Kozel
Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue III
December 11th, 2020