Let's Check In: How are you doing?

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on all of us, especially on students who have been suddenly ripped from the safeguards of normalcy. Feelings of anxiety have accosted adults and children alike, isolation has proven more and more burdensome as time passes, and the uncertainty of the future adds to an already stressful situation. So, let’s check in. How are you doing?

A recent study found that 13.2% of adolescents (approximately 3 million adolescents) received some sort of mental health services within a school setting. Therefore, there are severe implications for school closures apart from lulls in academic growth. Many students who are used to receiving mental health services are having to cope with lacking full access to these services.

May is Mental Health Month and this year’s theme is “Tools 2 Thrive.” All month long mental health organizations, such as Mental Health America, are sharing tools for you to thrive during this challenging period. Their advice includes going outside for walks or bike rides, taking breaks from mundane tasks to reflect on your purpose, writing down things you are grateful for, and connecting with others virtually.

Our advice — pause and take time to check in. First, check in with yourself. How do you feel? What thoughts and emotions are surfacing? Then, check in on your family. Parents should be sure to sit with their children on a regular basis and ask, “how are you doing?” This simple, yet oftentimes complicated question can create a space for transparency and much-needed connection.

Outside of the home, educators should take steps to check in with students and do everything they can to establish consistency over the next several weeks, though this is much easier said than done, particularly with “the digital divide.”. Administrators and policy makers should implement uniform plans that mitigate the broader disruption COVID-19 has caused.

Bottom line: We are in this together and we can all play a role in encouraging the mental well-being of others, especially our youth.

Source: CDC