You may think of health in the physical sense, but COVID-19 has also left lots of people’s mental health affected. Online learning might have come in handy to keep education going, but it couldn’t replace traditional face-to-face learning.
According to Arc Winnipeg, while going back to school post-lockdown is exciting, it’s important to think of ways to guard your safety and health while living at a student residence. This includes both physical and mental.
Here’s how you can stay safe and healthy at your student residence post-lockdown:
Wash Your Hands Regularly
It’s easy to relax after lockdown and think things have gone back to normal. Most people have put lots of trust in vaccines, which is good. But although they boost your immunity, they can’t stop you from contracting the virus.
Washing hands effectively and regularly may sound like a broken record, but it’s one of the most effective ways to try and curb the virus. Here are steps to take to make sure you wash your hands effectively:
- Use running water to wet your hands
- Cover wet hands with enough soap
- Scrub hands for at least 20 seconds
- Make sure you scrub under nails, between fingers, and the back and front of your hands
- Use running water to rinse thoroughly
- Thoroughly dry your hands using a clean towel or cloth
This is especially important for you because student residences often accommodate many students.
Observe Social Distancing
The lines can sometimes be blurry when it comes to social distancing while at your student residence. You’re likely to be surrounded by your friends who you’ve probably missed so much during the lockdown. The urge to hug each other may be strong.
However, be strong and resist the temptation to hug and hold each other’s hand. You may even want to curl up in a corner for some group gossip. This is the last thing you want to do as it may expose you to COVID-19. Remember, with the vaccines, some people may be asymptomatic. That unfortunately doesn’t stop them from spreading the virus.
Take Care Of Your Mental Health
School on its own is enough to cause you intense stress as it can be demanding. Balancing that up with trying to stay safe and free from the virus can be overwhelming. In fact, it may even be lonely as won’t be able to socialize as much as before.
If you find yourself drowning in stress, anxiety, or depression, don’t hesitate to seek assistance. Some student residence like the ones on the school campus has professional counsellors. These services are usually offered for free to you.
You can also make use of mental health support teams online. You can set appointments with them and they’ll offer counselling via whatever online platform is available to you. Student Space is an example of an online provider of mental health support.
Be Cautious
Shared spaces are particularly more high-risk. These may be the kitchen areas, bathrooms, study rooms, and toilets. You should be careful to thoroughly wash your hands and avoid touching shared areas. You can also wear your mask and sanitize regularly when you’re in shared spaces.
Disinfect Your Surfaces
This may sound like a lot of work. Truth be told, you have enough on your plate with school assignments, tests, and deadlines already. However, you need to be responsible for your health and safety post-lockdown.
You should disinfect your surfaces like door handles and tables tops at least once a day. COVID-19 can persist on surfaces for hours or even days. Therefore, by cleaning surfaces, you can reduce gems and reduce your chances of contracting the disease.
Exercise Regularly
You might not be able to go to the gym, but you can still find ways to keep fit. You can join online gym classes or follow a workout routine from YouTube or other applications. Most people turn to supplements like vitamin C tablets to boost their immune systems. However, exercise is a very effective natural way to boost your immune system.
Regular exercise won’t only help you reduce the risk of COVID-19, but other viruses and diseases as well. Don’t forget to couple up your exercises with a healthy diet to make it even more effective. Live an active lifestyle, so you’d have better overall health.
Conclusion
It’s important to go the extra mile in safeguarding your mental and physical health while at school. Lockdown might have lifted, but don’t put your guard down yet. Follow the steps provided here to give yourself a chance at a healthy mental and physical state of being.