For seniors this year, online schooling means they are missing many of the usual milestones— spirit week, sports, prom, graduation. These are events that many seniors have looked forward to all year.
How do you cope with these disappointments? The first step is to acknowledge the feelings: realize that it is normal to feel disappointed that you are missing prom or graduation. Do not downplay the importance of those events to you.
Stay connected with your friends. One of the great things about technology is that it allows you to stay in touch with people. On a personal level, when I am having a tough day during this crisis, my wife tells me to go call a friend. These relationships are important to all of us and will help us get through these difficult times.
Try to focus on what you can control. You might not be able to have a prom or graduation, but perhaps there is an event that you can plan to celebrate the end of the crisis.
Remember that we are all doing this for the good of each other. By staying home and abiding by the quarantine rules, we are helping each other stay healthy. You should continue to think of the positive reasons why we are not going to school and not having these events.
If you are feeling a high level of anxiety or depression, reach out for help. Contact your guidance counselor, or you might need a therapist to help guide you.
In the end, if we continue to help each other get through this crisis, we will all become stronger for it and realize we can handle tough situations
This one was important for me. My birthday and graduate school graduation are a day apart and both will feel very different this year. Also cancelling a big celebratory trip to Italy with my partner. I just keep reminding myself it is for the safety of the people we love.
ReplyDeleteYou are a person who devotes themselves to others, so this comes in a way natural to you. Think about ways to celebrate when this is over. Congrats on birthday and grad
ReplyDeleteIf I'm feeling down about missing these things, I think about all the kids in less fortunate countries who barely even get an education, much less a prom or sporting events or a "high school experience." I guess it puts in perspective that these events aren't necessary to appreciate the journey of our schooling, and they're a gift, not a right. We can't have everything, and there are plenty more great things to come.
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