Unplug screens, plug into reality

We have been taking classes online for an entire school year now, and sometimes it still doesn’t feel like it has gotten any easier.

As the weather gets warmer, we feel an itch to be outside, only we can’t. Instead, we are forced to complete schoolwork on a computer, confined inside.

Not many coffee shops are open or allow many people inside to adhere to CDC guidelines, so we can’t always get the ideal change of scenery to do homework or other obligations.

During difficult times like this, we encourage a social media cleanse.

However, this seems contradictory! We want to be on social media less, but have to use iCampus and other computer technology more.

It feels like a chore to prioritize right now. In addition, many people struggle with FOMO: the fear of missing out. This is attributed to social media usage.

Those who see others living their best lives via Instagram start to worry about their own timelines and why they aren’t having that much fun.

Social media is a facade to an extent, no matter who you are. This is why it is essential to create some distance sometimes.

It’s all too easy to get sucked in, especially when we’re laying in bed procrastinating doing our homework.

This is why I suggest setting time aside to step outside and away from your computers to clear your head in between classes or homework sessions.

Believe it or not, even a ten minute walk can give you the ideal headspace you need. It will make coming back to your homework even easier and less daunting.

If you want a challenge, try this: next time you go somewhere cool and want to share on social media, don’t. Keep it to yourself and see how you feel not sharing your adventure/experience with the world.

Maybe it’ll make you feel happier, more humble. Maybe it’ll make you feel weird because you can’t prove something to someone.

This may help reframe the way you view posting on social media. Who cares what you post as long as you’re doing it for yourself and for the right reasons.

Staying true to yourself keeps you grounded during times like this, when day-to-day activities feel like the most difficult things ever. Stay strong!