The Holy Cross College Guidance and Counseling office addressed the challenges faced by the youth during the pandemic and shared mental health interventions through the webinar “#KapitLang: Coping Amid the Pandemic” last March 26, 2021.
Understanding mental wellbeing was emphasized during the webinar to better acknowledge the role of mental health in the productivity and actions of an individual.
Registered Guidance Counselor and a life coach, Richard Briones pointed that before knowing how to cope with the situation, an individual must first understand and differentiate what is depression, anxiety, stress, fatigue, and other changes in behavior.
Briones said it is normal to experience these challenges during the pandemic because it resulted in increased loneliness, stress, and anxiety among many people including students who are now in distance learning.
“Students can use a variety of coping strategies while at home to improve their mental health and there are local and national resources to help students receive support, you have your teachers, advisers, guidance counselors, and a lot of resources you just need to utilize and discover them,” Briones said.
The counselor shared that despite all the struggles, students can still find something that can make them happy. Another key to finding happiness during the pandemic is letting go of expectations and start embracing everything that it is.
It is also innate to every human to be resilient, to gain the characteristic of adaptability, flexibility, and learning to bounce back. There are three practices to strengthen resilience, manage your energy, shift your lenses and find your sense of purpose.
“Part of being resilient is we need to stay productive while staying at home. As the lockdown goes on at hindi natin alam kung hangang kalian maghihigpit ang lockdown and cases are still increasing. Try to create a study space, set time and schedules, and stay connected with others,” Briones mentioned.
He also suggested to not stop learning new skills and discover new hobbies. Taking a rest or a break is also important to improve the mental wellbeing of an individual. The same with the body, the brain is also working and when exhausted it needs a break time.
The school Guidance and Counseling Office also reminded students if they encounter problems like this and observed changes in their behavior, they can always message and set an appointment for a tele-counseling.
In facing mental health challenges, counselors are always available to guide and help students overcome mental problems.
Also in helping students in taking care of their wellbeing, the school with a heart will have a wellness break from March 25 to April 4 for the Integrated Basic Education Department (IBED) and Senior High School while the break for the college department will start on March 29.