BLOG: How COVID-19 impacts my relationships and mental health

EDITORS NOTE: 5/2/20 – Post has been updated to include a reflection blog by the author.

April 7, 2020

Never before have I experienced anything close to this before. I am old enough to remember 9/11 and the events surrounding that. I remember how it felt to be nervous for the safety of my family and friends. 

As someone who is rarely sick (knock on wood) this flipped everything I was used to upside down. March 15 was the day my retail job told me that I didn’t have to come into work, which was when everything began to change. 

Up until that point, I was just monitoring the spread and kept hand sanitizer with me. Any time I was close to a person or checked them out I would sanitize. Ten minutes of every hour was spent wiping down the store as a precaution. 

I told myself to be someone who did not freak out. I tried to not Google too many statistics or constantly question my symptoms every five minutes, continuously making sure that I’m properly informed to be appropriately concerned, but not so informed that I panic. 

Unfortunately, I became too informed, and on March 15 I spiraled, and I spiraled hard. 

I kept asking questions to the void with no peace in return. Can I leave my house? When will I be able to see my family and friends again? Can I still go to the grocery store? My chest feels heavy, and it’s hard to breathe; do I have the disease? And if I do have COVID-19, I’ve definitely spread it to other people. Oh no, my parents –they can’t afford to get sick. 

All day those questions spiraled around in my head, and to be honest some days they still do. What helped me then and what continues to get me through each day is talking to people. Actually voicing my concerns to people who care, those who will truly listen and give honest, yet careful feedback helps keep me grounded. 

Honestly, I feel more connected to my friends and family now even though I have been apart from them. I make it a priority to check in with my people regularly and plan to do so when this subsides. 

This has shone a light on how much isolation affects our lives and that connection with others is important to our mental health, not just now but all the time. 

May 2, 2020

When the semester picked up after the extended spring break and the journey of all online classes began, I honestly did not know how to feel. 

COVID-19 was initially a distant worry and I still went about my extended spring break trying to find elements of fun even through my work schedule. 

Once everything moved online, including my job, it was hard to grasp what the semester would entail. I think the experience of taking online courses before helped the thought of the transition a bit less scary. Luckily, a good majority of my assignments and work could be done remotely. 

I never felt less supported through online learning. Honestly quite the opposite. Throughout the part of the semester that was online, I was (virtually) surrounded by classmates, professors, coworkers and supervisors who were supportive during this transition while adjusting to an online format themselves. 

There were days where I felt the support of my UHCL community in abundance. A few weeks in, the reality was slowly creeping in that we were not going to resume face-to-face meetings or be able to see fellow classmates. At this point in my college career, I tend to have the same people in classes and have gotten to know them better. Some classmates even became my good friends. 

Interestingly enough, for someone who is more introverted, I really missed being around the people who created my supportive learning environment. That is what I miss. I may never have that experience again. But knowing that I could keep people safe from distancing myself made some of the hard days worth it. 

Online classes are hard and not everyone will have the same experience. Try your very best to be honest with those who you are able to check-in with. 

Keep in regular contact with your professor to ask them any questions you may have. Message classmates when you are struggling to understand the assignments or if you need someone to study or talk with.

However, even if you are familiar with an online format, the circumstance is not the same. There are days where you will feel the most productive and/or days that you will not. Be careful because it is easy to be fooled by the comparison game. Most importantly, be honest and kind with yourself about how many tasks or assignments can or must be completed in one day.