Mental Health of Students and Teachers during the COVID-19 Pandemic!

As the corona virus breakout has caused mutilation all over the globe, we have been taking a lot of precautions, like wearing masks, carrying sanitizers, maintaining a distance from each other, etc. COVID-19 has deeply impacted everyone’s live. Some must have lost their loved ones, while some may have lost their jobs. And many things have caused harm to the mental health of people.

Being a student, I have witnessed a lot of change in the educational system. We had online classes going on, and, to be honest, our teachers did their best for us to understand their teaching, but it was very hard to concentrate, and the continuous usage of phones or other devices increased our screen time and led to headaches, back pain, and some of us even got spectacles! The lockdown has deeply affected the mental health of students and teachers alike. The teachers definitely gave their 100c/o for us to feel comfortable and attentive during the online classes, but I am pretty sure most of us were distracted by mobile games, social media apps, or even eating snacks or food by keeping the camera and microphones off. The online mode of education also led to mass cheating in examinations. As mentioned before, students spent a lot of time on their phones and devices. This distracted us from studies and physical activities too. As it is, students are forbidden from going outside and playing in groups. The addiction to phones increased our time inside our homes and really made us feel like caged animals.

The government's inconsistency in deciding whether to hold exams online or offline added to the students' anxiety. Even the same decision for board exams was taken late, and it really affected our mental health. Conducting exams offline before students were vaccinated felt unfair, but because the schools ensured that the COVID-19 safety precautions were followed, we are relieved.

As for teachers, they almost spent their entire day working on the phone, conducting classes, school competitions, clearing doubts, etc. And of course, their personal family issues shouldn’t be ignored while thinking about their mental health. Be it preparing for our exams or tests or conducting activities and events online, the teachers have done it all! They should be really appreciated for doing so much for the students in these tough times. Maintaining personal and work life is perfectly handled by them. Obstacles like parents refusing to pay fees or problems during the online classes were also handled by the teachers. I can’t imagine how hectic it must have been to handle all of this together, but appreciating them for their great contribution is the best we can do.

Mental health is definitely a serious topic to talk about and shouldn’t be ignored at all. Just like we talk about our physical pain, we should be open about our mental pain or stress too. Activities like light exercise, yoga, meditation, eating your favourite kind of food, etc. It can be beneficial for relieving stress and exertion. A person’s mental health is as precious as their physical health and deserves the same quality of support.

Thank you!

Miss Ashna Gawade (X-B)