Almost all students are anxious to have a vacation from attending classes in their school. Right now, we have this thing called the new normal. It is more about doing the classes online. Because of the pandemic caused by COVID-19, face-to-face classes cannot happen. Having close contact with one another is a big risk of spreading the virus. Since then, one hundred percent of the online classes was conducted in most schools, not just here in the Philippines but also in other countries. Because of advanced technology, some apps can be used for doing virtual classes. There are Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc. . Despite doing classes online, there is still a risk for our Mental Health to deteriorate. Focusing too much on doing our tasks in online schooling causes burnout. Not just that, but also the feeling of isolation. Most of the students are used to socializing face to face with their classmates and friends. It’s hard to adapt to the new system. Many are experiencing loneliness and depression.
On Nov. 14, 2020, the 150 students of the College of Law from UP Diliman protested to have an academic break regarding the government’s action to prevent a pandemic. They are campaigning about the days in which the synchronous and asynchronous classes should be suspended for an academic break for students and teachers. The relief of stress and anxiety regarding internet issues for an online class, burnout, and doing something in their social life. They have a unity that no students should be left behind.
Last January 2022, the DepEd announced a nationwide academic break. The reason is to have a lot of time for teachers and students to recover from the COVID-19 Variant and have a mental health break. It is an emergency because of the increasing number of cases of having the virus. they proposed that the activities that need to be submitted should be optional.
We should pay attention to our health. Yes, education is important but we should also monitor our physical and mental health. If we are healthy in both aspects, we will have a good performance in school. Everything should be balanced. If you focus too much on pressure yourself on your school tasks without having a break, you will mentally deteriorate. There are times that when you feel yourself being in distress due to academics, you should do something to relax. Do some activities that will make you escape from thinking about school work. You can watch Netflix, exercise, talk to somebody, go out for a walk in just a few minutes, eat, or do any other activities even though it’s a short period. Life is short. Make sure to make most of the moments memorable in a positive way
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