Jonathan Siegal | Talon Staff
Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has to lead to students across the country struggling with their mental health. According to a Michigan State University survey, 83 percent of students report that they have been negatively impacted by quarantines, the stress of avoiding the virus, and adjusting to a new way of life.
Students are finding that it is becoming harder and harder to maintain a positive mental disposition. Children and teens, in general, require socialization time, though with the pandemic, normal activities have changed, become unsafe, or have changed in ways to promote public safety at the detriment of socialization. The Harvard Gazette recently published an article stating that children can be expected to be similarly traumatized as those who endured Hurricane Katrina. As a result of having schools shut down and multiple generations across all demographics being impacted, Harvard professor Katie Laughlin said that 25 to 30 percent of students may be deeply traumatized by an event such as the pandemic. It is also explained that children are more likely to maintain a more positive mental state if given opportunities to socialize during times of stress.
A study from Northwell Health, a New York healthcare provider, found that “spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing”. While this study was published prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, public parks are still open and students can turn to the local community to take advantage of free, city, and state-provided resources. One local resource that maintains free admission are state parks. Students can visit parks such as Governor’s Square Park, Tom Brown Park, and Cascades Park. Each of these locations are dog friendly and some offer hiking trails.
In addition, parks often host local arts and culture events, while providing students with a safe, outdoor area to relax and spend time with friends. Another option for students is to visit Goat House Farm just outside of Tallahassee, students can spend a morning either volunteering at the farm or participating in yoga with the farm’s goats. The yoga sessions are held every Saturday.
Students can also reach out to resources provided by Tallahassee Community College. TCC provides students with access to student guidance counselors, flexibility with course selection and maintaining registration, and demonstrates a level of care for students that aims to address issues both surrounding the pandemic, and any issues students had before lockdowns and restrictions began. TCC also maintains a fine arts gallery that displays student, faculty, and local artists’ paintings. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Two FSU students had different approaches to handling their quarantine in utilizing local and common resources, with one person saying that she “worked more hours at her job and volunteered at animal shelters” and the other saying that she “would take three to four-hour-long drives and watched a lot of YouTube.”
It has been reported how damaging an event such as a pandemic can be for everyone, but TCC students can take solace in knowing that the local community is still a place one can enjoy themselves in and easily adapt to a new normal. Prior to becoming eligible for the vaccine, TCC students can still enjoy spending time with their friends in a way that still accounts for their safety.
