By Julia Quynh
Staff-writer
Dear The Plant,
Online school has been really tough on me. How do I get out of a funk?
Haven’t gone crazy from lockdown yet? From the editorial staff here at The Plant: Congratulations!
This year has been pretty tough for everybody, given that we are in the middle of a horrible pandemic, stuck at home with nothing much to do. So carry on; you’re doing great!
I’m sure that the transition to online school has especially been taxing for students, since we are stuck inside all day, staring at a computer screen for hours on end, and, somehow, have an even bigger workload of assignments to do. With too much work and a lack of motivation comes a funk.
I, too, would be lying if I said I am coping well. I’m no therapist, but here’s some things I do when I’m in a funk myself:
Take a break - I can’t emphasize this enough! Take a day or two to wallow in your self-despair, do your self-care routine, go on a walk or whatever you need to unwind. Give yourself a breather to get yourself in the right state of mind, and get back to work once you’re ready.
Go on a Zoom call with your friends - Get together, organize a Zoom call with everyone! Have a Netflix Party, or coordinate your Zoom backgrounds; it could be a photograph in Japan, or even a staycation inside Spongebob’s pineapple. Hopefully, while you’re enjoying talking to your friends, time will pass and you’ll forget about whatever’s stressing you out. Have fun on your self-made holiday!
Manage your time - I usually take time out of my ‘self-care’ day to thoroughly plan out the coming weeks, dedicating periods of time in the future to finishing my assignments, meeting deadlines, and attending hangouts with my friends. Planning my time carefully before getting back to work gives me peace of mind, so maybe it will for you too!
Fight funk with funk - Have a main character moment in your life, and jam to funky music in your room! Music matkes everything better.
I know it’s been really hard to adjust to what’s been going on the past couple of months, with the world’s social climate, but I hope that you know you’re not alone. Remember that somewhere out there in the world, there’s someone understanding how you feel all too well. Ça va bien aller!
Sending you love from Singapore,
Julia Quynh
Photo by Dinu Mahapatuna