All posts by Nisaly Gonzalez, Correspondent

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Your mental health can impact your loved ones

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Millions of people in the U.S. are affected by mental illness each year. It’s important to measure how common mental illness is we can understand its physical and social impact. Individuals who are suffering from mental illness can find that their condition can hurt their relationships with those close to them. Northern Essex Community College students recently shared their opinion on this topic.

Jocelyn Avila Frias is a student from Northern Essex Community College and she observes that some family members can notice when you are depressed or not feeling your happiest. Avile Frias states her opinion about this, “I am very close to my family, I’m very vocal about my feelings so usually they are aware when I am feeling down mentally,” she said. It is important to be close to your family so if anything goes wrong with you, they can be a helping hand when you are feeling low.

Poor mental health can affect your relationships with your loved ones in many ways. Avila Frias claims, “I do believe that mental health is vital in all your relationships in life. You cannot love people the right way if you are not healthy mentally.”   The support of loved ones can help people and improve their mental health. Friass says, “Just listening to me rant or express my feelings without judgment is useful.” Having someone to listen to is always helpful and can make people feel better.

There are many places to go find help if you are dealing with mental health challenges and you have nobody to talk to about it. Avila Frias said, “Maybe look for a therapist.’’Talking to a therapist and getting professional help is the best.

Having bad mental health can affect your relationship with your loved ones. According to the Alpha Healing Center research says that those who are suffering from mental illness agree that their condition has harmed their relationships with their close ones.

Loved ones can make your relationship better or worse. One research study found that most of their patients with a serious mental illness reported that their families were their primary source of strength. The website Banyan Mental Health states ” For some, it may make the relationship worse. Their loved ones may not understand what they are going through and may not know how to support them. Or they may make them feel worse because they say to ‘suck it up.’ For some, it may make it better. They may have loved ones who are supportive, and it can strengthen that relationship if they feel they have someone they can be open with.”

Problems with your family can arise when your relationships with your loved ones are rocky and could make your mental health problems worse. In contrast, when your family supports you, your mental health could show fast improvements.

Loved ones can help or make your mental health better in many ways.  Better communication strengthens relationships, and it help individuals by improving mental health.

There are great places to go to seek help for your mental health. Your primary care doctor is also a fantastic person to talk to if you think you may need to see somebody about your mental health and can usually give you the name of a psychologist or psychiatrist to contact.

Some family members can notice when you are depressed or not doing well mentally. Loved ones should not give up when supporting a family member who won’t get help for depression. Depression does not just go away. If suicidal thoughts cross an individual’s mind, emergency assistance should be called for immediately according to Alliance Scotland.

Mariam Saldivar, a student from Northern Essex Community College, shares that she has felt nervous about sharing her emotions. Her major is in journalism/communications and she is from the Dominican Republic. Saldivar said, “I’m very good at hiding my emotions.”

Hiding your emotions can be difficult but is easy for most people to do. They are scared. They do not know how you will react, and they do not want to create a negative view of themself. They do not trust you to the degree that they can share their emotions with you. Some don’t believe that anyone would care if they did show emotions.

Having bad mental health can sometimes affect your relationship with your loved ones. There may be no relationships more affected by mental health than the intimate relationships between partners.  Saldivar shared her opinion about that saying, “Of course, it can put in the distance because if you’re not open especially, they won’t be understanding why you act the way you do.’’ It brings distance and miscommunications with others around them who don’t know what’s going on with you.

There are moments when a loved one can make your relationship better or worse.  There are many people with mental health conditions in loving and nurturing relationships who share their lives with their partners, often raising families with them.  They help loved ones trying to cheer them up. It can use when they are feeling like their mental health. Any kind of issue has been difficult for them to go through alone.  Saldivar claims, “I think they can make it better.” That’s is correct they can make it better by helping their loved ones feel understood

Loved ones can help you or make your mental health worse. Helping your loved ones by listening to life experiences and asking about how you can help them is a good technique. Mental health conditions don’t typically go away on their own, and your loved one deserves excellent help.

Where can you go to seek help for your mental health? Websites like Good Therapy.org can help you find a therapist who specializes in your loved one’s specific issue.

Saldivar claims speaking with a family member helps her, adding she can confide in her mom and “like three people. Those are the only beings I trust.” Speaking to your family members or ones you trust is the best way to seek help and need a person whom you can express yourself.

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A healthy lifestyle can affect mental health

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Mental health connects to physical health. The connection between mental and physical health is fundamental,  linked to each other. Your mental health and physical health must remain stable. Northern Essex Community College students recently expressed their opinion on the topic.

Jocelyn Avila-Frias said “Yes, I decided to start my fitness journey for my physical health but found that it helped my mental health even more. The gym is like therapy.” .

What are the benefits of physical health?,  Avila-Frias says, “I feel better emotionally and physically.”

There are many great things about having good physical health. It reduces your health risk. Heart disease and stroke are two of the leading causes of death in the United States. Exercise helps you sleep better at night and fights insomnia to make sure you are sufficiently tired at bedtime. The stress-relieving effects of exercise help your mind and body. Relax so negative thoughts don’t keep you awake for hours at night.

“I think it’s important to feel good, can’t feel good physically if you do not feel good mentall,” said Avila-Frias.  Feeling physically good is just as important as feeling good mentally. your mental health plays a  role in your general well-being.

What are the best ways to gain physical health? Avila-Frias states, “To me, it is eating healthy and staying active.” Eating healthy and staying active can improve your mental health. It helps people maintain their bodies the way they want it. Everyday functions and promotes optimal body weight and can assist in disease prevention.

Mirrorajah Metcalfe is a student from Northern Essex Community College. She is from Las Vegas and currently lives in Haverhill MA. Her Major is Journalism/Communications. She says “physical health helps me to clear my mind and overall allow my body to feel much strong and healthier. I can focus better, and I am in a happier mood after going for a run.”

Metcalfe states “it helps me release any negative energy or bodily tension I might be carrying around from stress. Helps me to relax and reduce my thoughts and actions.’’  Physical activity can help relieve stress and tension. Physical activity and most people also note an improvement in general well-being over time as physical activity becomes a part of their routine.

What are the best way to gain physical health? Metcalfe says there are many forms of physical exercise and some may work differently for others. Examples include yoga, running, the gym dance, swimming even daily masks daily walks are a good source of exercise.”  Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy to tackle daily chores.

What are the benefits of physical health? Working out helps her feel more awake, said NECC journalism student Mariam Saldivar of Lawrence. Other benefits include losing weight (if you need to) can help with confidence with your body but can also make you feel more accomplished,” she said.

“For me, it’s important because I’ve always had self-esteem issues,” she said. “Currently, I’m working towards losing weight, and I feel more accomplished every time I get closer and closer to a healthier weight. I think it’s also important during these times.’’

The good news is that high self-esteem can be good for you if it’s the healthy kind; the bad news is that high self-esteem. Be bad for you if it’s the unhealthy narcissistic kind (the grass greener).  Self-esteem will naturally fluctuate. The important thing is to get it to a place where it’s relatively stable are genuinely feel good about yourself.

”Easy workouts would be to run or even jump rope,” said Saldivar. “Cut out all the junk food too. But it’s hard than people think. You have to a lot of determination.”

As much as it may stress you to think about exercising. Once you start working out, experience less stress in every part of your life helps your mental health improve.

 

 

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Negative body image leads to low self esteem

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Self-esteem has a big impact on your mental health. Body image can also affect your mental health. Body image is how you think and feel about your body. Having a negative body image can cause low self-esteem which can harm your mental health. Society wants everybody in the world to have the perfect body. Not being too overweight or underweight is awful and society tends to criticize those with not the perfect body Society thinks women are the only ones suffering from body image issues, Men are suffering too. Northern Essex Community College students recently expressed their thoughts on this topic.

Robert Smith is a student at Northern Essex Community College, in his third year of college. He is from Massachusetts. Smith states, “I do think that society cares too much about this. We are all told that we have to look and act the same but that is not the case. I believe that companies exploit this to sell their products and make profits.’’

Most people with a positive body image are more likely to have good mental health. People are constantly trying to look better, feel better, be better. Some turn to working out and subscribing to healthier diets and others develop not-so-healthy habits like starvation and consuming big amounts of alcohol. Either way, when a woman doesn’t have “that” body, society expects her to change. This shouldn’t be the case. This can cause sadness and insecurity among people which can lead to mental health problems. People’s self-esteem has changed since the pandemic, they feel more insecure and not happy since there are in lockdown and cannot find a way to workout. (Covid-19 and self-esteem). Smith says, “I think that it depends on the person. Many things make up self-esteem and I feel that it is individual-based.”

Some people overthink body image and get concerned about what others think of their bodies. Smith states “I believe that people do this to fit in with what is popular at the time.” It is also that people are identifying images on social media as a key factor that makes them worry about their body image. Conversations with their friends also have a major role in causing young people to worry.

Pop culture has the opportunity to teach people to have better self-esteem through movies and social media. Smith says, “I think that society can do this by having campaigns that focus on the qualities that make us up as people and by celebrating diversity in all aspects from the skin to body type.” Society can be hard to please since it can be very judgmental. Some people can get sad and depressed because of it.

Mariam Saldivar is a student from Northern Essex Community College. Her major is Journalism/communications. She is from the Dominican Republic. she currently lives in Lawrence Massachusetts. Mental health can occur from having anxiety from people judging them not being perfect enough. Society cares very much about being the best slim and in shape body, Saldivar agrees, about how people self-esteem has gone low during the pandemic, “Yes I do.” People have changed since the pandemic and they are trying their best or many, COVID-19 is an incredibly stressful and traumatic experience; stressful situations can have a huge effect on mental health. ‘’A majority of adults (61%) reported experiencing undesired weight changes since the start of the pandemic, with more than 2 in 5 (42%) saying they gained more weight than they intended. Of this group, adults reported gaining an average of 29 pounds (with a typical gain of 15 pounds. (American Psychological Association).  “As COVID-19 has changed the idea of normality and raged through the world for an entire year, people have had more time to contemplate their self-esteem.

Weight change is a common symptom when people are having difficulty coping with mental health challenges. A majority of adults (61%) reported experiencing undesired weight changes, since the start of the pandemic, with more than 2 in 5 (42%) saying they gained more weight than they intended (American Psychological Association). Saldivar says, “Yeah. They’re nothing to do. A lot of us stuck at home. All that does is create the opportunity to overthink.”

Since the pandemic, a lot of us overthink and overanalyze certain situations and their body image can be their weight, and the way look causes depression and insecurity that can lead to mental health issues. This society will always care about body image Saldivar agreed,” Society does overthink about body image.”

There are many great ways to teach people who feel sad and depressed and insecure to have high self-esteem. Saldivar states, “I think we need to teach people that just because you have a different body type doesn’t mean that you are a horrible creature. People are different and that’s ok. Everybody should love themselves for who they are is important. People shouldn’t compare their looks with others, be happy with who they are.”

Bryan Fernandez is a student from Northern Essex Community College and his major in journalism/communications. He is from Bronx NY, and he currently lives in Lawrence Massachusetts. Society makes it hard to love yourself and it’s difficult to have high- esteem when everybody idolizes people in the media and social media with the perfect body. Fernandez states, “Absolutely, “As a whole, we have these unrealistic standards of what the perfect body’’ should be and we tend to beat ourselves if we don’t fit this standard.”

People want to have the perfect body because that’s is trendy and trying to be perfect and trying to remain flawless with your body can cause stress and anxiety. Which can lead to bad mental health problems. The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the pillars of people’s lives. Face with quarantine school closures and social distancing, many people deprived of the everyday experiences that can build their self-esteem and sense of worth as a person. Having low self-esteem is a critical ingredient of people’s mental health issues. People with higher self-esteem tend to have happier lives, better relationships, and fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. (American Psychological Association).

Fernandez stated what he thinks about people’s self-esteem changed during the pandemic. ‘Yes, as most of the people that I know GAINED weight during the pandemic, which is also understandable, A lot of people don’t have the drive to work out at home either, so it makes sense.’’ People have not become less active and more concerned about their well-being. People try not to get infected with Covid-19.

Some people overthink the way they look because they tend to compare body shape or their appearances to other people. Fernandez claims that “I do think people overthink their body image. I think people will never be genuinely satisfied with the way they look.” People need to gain self-love and not worry about what others think of them.  Fernandez says, ‘’One way we can boost self-esteem is to start using real people of all sizes and shapes for marketing and advertising. The industry is fill with extremely skinny models for all types of advertising. It insinuating not only that their product is for the body type that is what is expect.  I think there should more inclusion.’’   The media want to fill the world with products pills to make them thinner or more in shape.  People get surgery on their faces to look better. They want to look different and not accept who they are. People are never going to be satisfied with what they are and that builds stress and anger that cause mental health issues with not being happy with who they are.

The most important thing society can do is teach people to love themselves help people to build confidence.  They won’t feel depressed about how they look and develop health problems with insecurities.

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College and high school students face mental health issues during pandemic

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How is a college student’s mental health different or similar from high school?  The extremely high-stress levels and mental health issues among students have resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, COVID-19 is why there is a rise in mental health issues in general, people are stuck in the house and scared of getting sick or getting others sick, like family members. Northern Essex Community College students can help us understand the mental health issues among students who are in college and high school. Students from Northern Essex Community College give their views on this topic.

Marriam Saldivar is a student from Northern Essex Community college, she majors in Communications/Journalism. Saldivar and is from the Dominican Republic and currently lives in Lawrence Massachusetts.

Saldivar explains that she feels that high school students have worse mental health than college students, ”I can’t say with certainty, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is,” she said.  “Teenagers grow up with the old saying that high school is the BEST time of their life maybe… They might have other stressors like the expectations of trying to fit in and trying to get good grades to get into a good college. Some high schoolers are starting to work so they’re trying to juggle between the two of them. It’s a lot.’’

It seems like high school students are in more stressful situations compared to college students. They are more likely to suffer from peer pressure trying to go to the best college or being the most popular person in the school. College students tend to have more freedom to do whatever they want and not worry about being cool or popular.

Being a student, in general, is tough in college and high school. Most students go through similar issues,  they are problems that a college student probably will have, and a high school student has that’s similar.

Saldivar states, ” Lots of things like juggling school and works still trying in for some trying to get good grades some of us are still deciding we want to do with our lives… the only difference is that most of us are ending with debt.”

There are a lot of things that cause mental health problems in students.  One of the key factors is the pandemic because students didn’t attend school in person.

Saldivar states,  what causes students to have mental health issues. ‘’it’s various things, like not being able to afford school, and so you take out various loans as you dread the fact, you’re going to end with so much work. Then there’s work when you add it on top of the school. Some employers don’t care, and so we’ve barely got time to ourselves and to rest.’’

There are things on a student’s mind other than their education also working at a job other life issues that can affect their mental health issues.  Some students have trouble expressing themselves and want somebody to give them advice on how to control their mental health challenges when in high school and college, and high school.

Saldivar stated what advice would she give a college student and high school student who struggles with mental health issues.  ”Get a calendar to organize all your events the dues dates for assignments by month, week and make a daily to-do list. It organizes everything.’’

Being organized in college evenings in high school is significantly important.  Making a list is helpful so you won’t feel overwhelmed with and you will get things done. Reaching out to somebody will also help with mental issues.

Natalia Pena is a student from Northern Essex Community college. Her major is nursing. She is from Lawrence Massachusetts. Pena stated she thinks college students have worse mental than high school students. ‘’ I think college students have worse mental health,” she said.  There is a reason why college students have worse mental health problems because they must think about what many college students go through —  a feeling of intense pressure to obtain high grades in connections with career aspirations, taking final exams, trying to establish a romantic and social life, dealing with the often very high cost of college, and possibly working at a job during the school year.

Pena stated what are the similar mental health issues college students and high school students go through. ‘”Similar amounts of pressure to do well in school. They both through the pressure of trying to succeed in their ability to become successful in the future’.”

College students and high school students both deal with stress. It can be different since there are different stages in their education. They can also be going through similar issues.

Pena says” Yes definitely there’s a lot at stake.,” for college students. Being a college student can be stressful because of the student loan college students have to pay.

However, there are similar worries among college students and high school students have, such as not having good grades passing in work in time worrying about not meeting requirements academically.

Pena stated what she thinks causes mental health issues students ‘’I think the lack of resources and knowledge on how to deal with mental health issues causes more issues.’’   When a student has a lack of knowledge and resources, they have a difficult time adjusting to school. They should have someone to guide them to the right path, such as an excellent guidance counselor for high school students or a helpful adviser for college students who need to seek help to get through the semester.

 

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Students look forward to a new year

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The year 2020 is coming to an end, and new beginnings are around the corner as this year is almost over. This year has been a whirlwind with a global pandemic causing changes including learning virtually, so this was a special year. Some people are excited about the hope that comes with a new year.

Mariam Saldivar is a student from Northern Essex Community College who lives in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Her major is Journalism/Communications. Saldivar states what she liked and disliked about this year.  “I liked that online classes gave me more time, but I disliked the fact that things were not in person.”

This semester was very different for most students because it was virtual, and it was a transition to get used to. Some students didn’t enjoy it because they didn’t have face-to-face time with the teachers, but they did have more extended time for their work.

Saldivar states how this year made an impact on her. “I feel more depressed and hopeless. Like I’m stuck in time.’’ People are having difficulties with their mental health this year because of the global pandemic, so feeling depressed is a common issue this year.

Saldivar states what she learned about herself this year, “I learned that I regret a lot of things, like all the time I have wasted on meaningless things. I learned that after all this is done, I’m done being a loner and I am going to get out there and experience more wonderful things.”

Recognizing that there is more to life and that it is good to make time to experience beautiful things is one outcome of this unusual year.

Saldivar states she is excited for the new year. “It’s not like COVID will magically disappear, but at least the chances of a vaccine are getting closer and closer especially in 2021, And that gives me hope.”

The good thing is there is hope in the new year for the medical community to help with COVID-19 because there will be vaccines to prevent its spread which is good and will hopefully make the cases lower.

Saldivar states she does have some resolutions. ”I want to write my book.”

Having a big resolution like that is great and keeps you excited for the new year and what is upcoming to be waiting for the new journey this new year offers.

Robert Smith is a student at Northern Essex Community College, and this is his second semester. Smith states what he liked and didn’t about the year in general. “The pandemic has been a pain, and the other thing I have noticed is just how people have been all about helping themselves out and not helping others. Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Regis Philbin dying sucked, too. The thing I have liked about this year is the work our essential workers are doing and being closer to my family.”

This year has been good and bad for many reasons like how so people died this year. This year people have been closer to their family and making more moments with their family and quality time with them since there was a lockdown that offered chances to make more memories with family.

Smith states this year made an impact on him. “It has shown me how much we take the little things for granted such as eating at a restaurant, and it showed me the importance of the connections we make with other people.”

This year has shown us how little things matter like communication with others since nobody can do that in person with many people now that it is a pandemic, and because of social distancing, we must limit our communication with others, since we are trying to limit contact with people to keep the virus from spreading.

Smith states what he learned about himself this year. “I learned that mental health is just as important as physical health and that I can learn anything new if I set my mind to it.’’

Mental health is very important just like physical health because how we handle stress, relate to others, and make the right choices in life impacts our well-being. Knowing that you can learn something is important for you to strive.  Every year there is growth you can make as a person.

Smith states about the new year, “I am cautiously optimistic about it. It cannot be any worse than in 2020, and I hope that the virus will be better under control. I don’t think it will go away until another point in time. and I hope that we can start to heal as a country.”

Being optimistic about what is going on as a country now is good and keeping positive insight into the situation especially entering the new year is good as well, so we can keep a constructive view of the situation.

Smith says about new year’s resolutions, “I do not believe in making New Year’s resolutions as I never follow through with them.’’

Sticking to New Year’s resolution can be tough. The best way to stick to it is finding ways to stay motivated. Making a vision board can help or write a letter to your future self. Find the best way for you to keep on track to keep resolutions.

Mirrorajah Metcalfe is a Northern Community College who lives in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Her major is Journalism/communications.

Metcalfe states what she liked about the year and didn’t like about the year.

“I didn’t like that I didn’t get a college campus experience. I didn’t like t that I couldn’t interact with other students or my professor and go to the library,” she said.

She adds, “I did like that the online classes accommodated my schedule well and that professors put in the extra effort to communicate with students and help them accordingly.’’

It is hard being in your first year of college and not experiencing what a normal college year has to offer and not being able to enjoy being a college student on campus and meeting people in person. The school experience was very different. It is good for everyone to work as a team to make this stressful year in school less challenging for students.

Metcalfe states how the year made a huge impact on her and why. “I think this year made a huge impact, especially regarding my improvement in time management because of online classes.”

This year put our procrastination time to the test with having to work at home.

Having good management skills is very important this year to build a better structure in your life.   Time management increases productivity and efficiency.

You can gain a sense of fulfillment once your time management efforts start to pay off in the form of accomplishments and managing your time can have a direct impact on your stress.

Saldivar states what she learned about herself this year.  “I learned that I enjoy my own company despite isolation from COVID. This was my first semester of college, so I learned what responsibilities to expect and what is expected of me as a student.”

This year helped us know the greatness of being alone and getting to know some good qualities about yourself that you didn’t know before this year helped us as well.

Personal alone time allows us to grow as a person and know our strengths and weaknesses.

Metcalfe states what she is excited for this year. “I’m excited about the new year because hopefully, it will feel like a fresh start for everyone, myself included.”

The New Year symbolizes new beginnings, a fresh start, and a chance for you to begin new chapters in your life.

Metcalfe states what her New Year resolutions are for the upcoming year. “My new year I resolve to become a vegetarian and have straight As during the second semester.’’

Having goals this semester is very great and important and can help one to strive more and to push for improvements the next year.

Goals are a way to quantify what we wish for ourselves. The start of a new year is a great time to celebrate the accomplishments we made in the previous year and to look forward to achieving more in the coming year. It is a time to reflect and give thanks, celebrate small victories, make decisions to change, and embark on new beginnings for a fresh start in your life.

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Celebrating the holidays during the pandemic

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The holidays, as festive and jolly as they might seem, can be a stressful time. Adding in a global pandemic that has killed a significant amount of people that has required families and friends to cancel annual traditions, can add to the stress and feelings of depression. There are people connected to Northern Essex Community College who are experiencing this.

Denise Trinidad is a faculty member in Northern Essex Community College. She is from Lawrence, Massachusetts, and currently lives in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Trinidad states, ‘I don’t usually travel for the holidays. We have relatives who travel here to celebrate with us. We all gather at my parents’ house.  This year my family and I were hoping to travel to Puerto Rico to celebrate with our family over there.   I was texting with one of my cousins the other day about this. He was looking forward to us celebrating Christmas over there.  I haven’t been to Puerto Ricco since 2011. This year my husband and daughter were able to have Christmas week off, but we won’t be able to travel because of the pandemic. My relatives cannot join us either.”

Being away from your family is not easy especially at the holidays and not being able to spend your happiest times together can be hard, especially when you haven’t seen your family in a while, but there are ways to help people cope with not being able to spend time or travel to spend holidays with family. One great thing you can do is facetime them, which is a great way to keep in touch. You can also send postcards for memories of your family.

The holiday will be different during the lockdown, Trinidad stated how she felt about the holidays being different in the pandemic. ”Yes, in terms of how we’ll come together, it will be different. It was already different during Thanksgiving. This year my sister and her family didn’t gather with us for Thanksgiving. Christmas Eve is a major holiday for us.  It’s always a large gathering of at least 30 people. That won’t be the case this year. My parents are in their 70s, so we need to try to prevent them from getting sick.”

Being home for the holidays can prevent people from getting sick, but staying home for holidays causes people to feel loneliness, but having a large gathering can cause someone in your family to have the virus, so it’s best to spend the time alone in your home where you know you will not get sick and others won’t get sick and there are always ways to communicate with your family during holidays like phone calls and sending them money or food or presents.

Holidays are fun and a jolly time and most people have a favorite holiday they love celebrating with their families. Trinidad states about choosing her favorite holiday, ‘That’s a difficult choice to make. It would be between Easter and Christmas, but if I had to just choose one, I would have to say Christmas. Christmas is a time when we have a bigger gathering of family and friends. We spend more time planning and getting ready for Christmas. When we all come together, there’s a lot of laughter and joy. I love hearing my mother sing songs she learned as a child when her family did parrandas (a Puerto Rican tradition like Christmas Caroling).”

Doing family traditions is very fun and always cherishing moments like that with family is beautiful and so it is tough when these traditions are not happening anymore, but you can always create your traditions without family. It is not the same but it can make great memories, too.

Bryan Fernandez is a student at Northern Essex community college from Bronx, New York, but he currently lives in Lawrence Massachusetts. His major is Communications/journalism. Traveling during holidays can be fun but risky this time of year with the lockdown. Fernandez stated he will not travel during holidays, ” Mostly because there are too many people out and about during that time. And plane tickets are extremely expensive.” Most people will prefer not to travel not only because it is a global pandemic but it’s also a lot cheaper to stay home.

Holidays will be different since there is a lockdown. Fernandez states what he feels about it: ”A lot of people are scared to go out. Even family gatherings must be kept to a minimum.”

Gatherings are not happening and there aren’t many people inside other people’s houses so there’s not a lot of people in a gathering to keep people safe and less worry about what will happen to you as well while being around huge gatherings.

Some will prefer staying in the comfort of their own home rather than being in a huge gathering. Even if there is no lockdown, they prefer to be comfortable in their home, where they can relax. Fernandez states, ”I usually stay home. I am not a huge fan of the holidays, so I usually just stay home and watch movies.”

Holidays are always fun and celebrating with loved ones is even better. Fernandez states what his favorite holiday is and why” Halloween is the only one I look forward to.  I love autumn, and the leaves changing.  I also have a ritual of watching 3 specific movies every year for Halloween.”

All holidays are great and enjoying them is even better. A lot of people like holidays for a lot of different reasons such as watching movies and making holiday traditions.

Mariam Saldivar is a student at Northern Essex Community College from the Dominican Republic who currently lives in Lawrence Massachusetts.

Traveling during holidays can be fun but it can be risky with this pandemic. Saldivar states that sometimes she travels during the holidays ”but I didn’t with this pandemic occurring.”

Traveling to see the family is great but during the lockdown, it is worrisome about the virus and if you do travel the best thing to do is wear a mask, to keep you safe too.

Some people like celebrating the holidays somewhere else or in their own home but in the pandemic that’s not an option to do that.

Saldivar states how she feels about that ”Where I live it’s easier that way” It’s easier and better to spend holidays at home as you can avoid crowded areas and be causing you less stress at home, you get to have quality, private time, and you don’t even have to worry about strangers who get on your nerves.

Saldivar states, ”My favorite holiday is Christmas!”  There are a lot of reasons why people enjoy the holidays especially Christmas like baking cookies and Christmas lights and Christmas movies and gifts, but it can be sad not enjoying this with loved ones but enjoying that alone or with the people you live with is great too.

In conclusion, not being able to spend time with family because of the lockdown can be devastating, but the greatest thing you can do is make your traditions your way.

A lot of people spend the holidays differently and a lot of people have all types of different traditions but as long you are happy that is what matters.

Next year, when the concerns of the pandemic have faded, we can hopefully all look forward to a more normal, joyful holiday season.

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Students share how pandemic has affected mental health

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According to a Nov. 11 Boston Globe article, since the pandemic young adults have been experiencing higher rates of depression and other mental health concerns as the COVID-19 pandemic rages forward in the U.S. Some Northern Essex Community College students say they have experienced issues with their mental health as well.

Mariam Saldivar is a student from Northern Essex Community College. Her major is Journalism/communications, and she is from the Dominican Republic and now lives in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Saldivar states how quarantine affected or changed her mental health, saying “The days have started to blur together, and there’s this sense of dread that time is running out. So yeah, it impacted my mental health in a bad way.’’

This is a good example of how most young adults are feeling around this time during this pandemic. Life is an emotional roller coaster. Some days you feel like nothing can stop you, but others can be challenging to our mental well-being.

Ariana MacNeil, a reporter for the Boston Globe wrote in the NOv. 11 article that experts have found that young adults, ages 18 to 24, throughout the country, are experiencing higher rates of major depressive symptoms

Saldivar states what she does to make her feel better, “either write, read, or listen to music.” These strategies are great to use when you feel depressed to uplift your mood. Listening to music especially is a great strategy that helps you feel better if you are sad or feeling down that day.

Young adults have experienced anxiety and depression since being in quarantine. Saldivar said she has “absolutely’’ felt the same way. The Harvard and Northeastern study was a follow-up to one released in May 2020, which saw higher instances of depression that spanned across young adults — depression was up 27 percent compared to in the past, according to the Boston Globe. That’s a high percentage of depression among young people.

Communicating with anybody when you feel sad or lonely like a friend or a family member can help people feel less isolated. Salividar reaches out to others explaining, “yeah, I play video games with my friend. That way we can talk, and we spend lots of time.’’  Having a person there for you to cheer you up is very great as well and surrounding yourself with positive activities as well.

Sleep has a huge impact on mental health, so having a good sleep schedule or sleep habits is important during the pandemic to prevent mental health issues.  Saldivar says, “Yeah, it’s all over the place, I sleep whenever.” Having a good sleep schedule is good and developing good habits is important because it can really affect your body.

Mirroajah Metcalfe is another student from Northern Essex Community College.  Her major in Journalism/Communications. She is from Las Vegas and currently lives in Haverhill, Massachusetts. When asked how the quarantine affected or changed her mental health, Metcalfe stated that she, “became more isolated.’’ Being more isolated is a symptom of worsening mental health. There are easy ways to help isolation such as staying active and setting structure in your life and self-care.

Metcalfe stated ways that have helped her do better in that issue. ”I spent time trying to figure out who I am and learning how to be alone.’’ Spending time with yourself and getting to know who you are is also important.

Experiencing depression and anxiety is common during the quarantine. Metcalfe stated, “Yes I have felt depression sometimes.’’

Most young adults have been struggling with this feeling, especially young women. They are at a higher risk to experience mental health problems.

Communicating with somebody when you feel sad or lonely, like a friend or a family member is helpful. Metcalfe stated, “Yeah I have one best friend, but he lives in another state so it’s always over Facetime, unfortunately, but it’s still nice having someone to call and rant to.” Having a friend to be there for you is great and you feel like you can express yourself too, so that is great for mental health.

Having any changes in your sleep schedule or sleep habits can affect your mental health, Metcalfe stated, ‘’My sleep schedule was very erratic and random, so I had to really discipline myself.’’ Maintaining a good sleeping schedule is very important, like setting alarms and making a list of

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Students face difficulties while studying at home

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College life has been turned upside down since the pandemic struck. Rather than sitting at classroom desks many students are learning from their bedrooms or kitchen tables. There are thousands of college students not able to go anywhere to study in a quiet environment during the pandemic. There are some Northern Essex Community College students facing this as well and they are having to adjust in many ways to this new learning approach.

Marriam Saldivar is a student from Northern Essex Community College. Her major is journalism/communications and she is from the Domincan Republic. Saldivar states how she focuses while studying at home. “I make sure to sit at my desk. It’s always been my space for productivity, so it just makes my mind instantly go into that mode. I also music jazz in the background,” she said.

Saldivar states that the most difficult part about studying at home is  that “there are way too many distractions. I’m not in the environment that I’ve always been used to when it comes to doing what students do.”

Not being in a traditional college environment can make students lose focus and not concentrate as well.

Many things can distract students in their environment. Saldivar said, ‘My phone, to be specific I get distracted by YouTube videos and my friends texting.”

Electronic devices can cause a major distraction while studying as well social media.  Being focused is important while studying. It can increase your knowledge while working.

“I always write a to-do list every day of the assignments I gotta do and the jazz music just helps with allowing my mind to stay clear. Without it, I just get a headache,” she said.  Having a clear brain can help students stay focused better during these trying times.

Another student from Northern Essex Community College, Erik Terrio who majors in journalism/communications and comes from Haverhill shared how he focuses while being at home.

“I usually put my headphones on and listen to some music. I block out the distracting noises and it energizes me,” he said. Music can help many students stay focused and help stay on track while doing work.

The most difficult part of studying at home for Terrio is the change in setting. He explains, “I would say the hardest part is that it is a distracting environment. There are too many things around that take me out of school mode and put me into relaxation and chill.”

The environment can make a big impact on how students concentrate while studying. Terrio states what gets him distracted when he is studying. “Could be the dog barking or a family member asks me something. Or it could be something that I think of and start doing. Like, I remember that I have laundry that needs to be turned over, or I get hungry and cook something, or I start web surfing and get distracted with that.”

Distance learning can come with many distractions that students wouldn’t face in the classroom.

Terrio states what helps him stay focused while studying at home. “I think music makes sure that I am staying healthy, like eating enough and staying hydrated and getting enough sleep. Also making to-do lists helps keep me track and snacks.”

It is very important to stay hydrated to eat well, study helps your brain not lose focus. Students are finding new ways to keep their focus and boost their mental health during this challenging time.

A Northern Essex Community College student Bryan Fernandez, whose major is Journalism/communications and is from Bronx NY, but currently lives in Lawrence.

Fernandez states how he focuses while studying at home. “I have to be at my desk if I’m on my bed or in my living room, or anywhere else. I feel like physically placing myself in my work area is the only way I can do my work. It is all a mindset.’’

Doing work on your desk can help people pay attention to them and keep them concentrating and not getting distracted. Fernandez states where he prefers to study at home or school. “Definitely at school. It is a mindset for me. So physically being in a place where I have no choice but to study is really what works best for me. No distractions or temptations.”

Some people prefer to work in school because they have more support around, such as teachers and tutors than at home. Fernandez states what time of day he prefers to study at night or earlier than the day. “putting my phone on and playing music on my Air pods loudly. Somehow I focus better.”

Not paying attention to your phone and not focusing on any electronics can help is good for your mind.

A lot of NECC students have difficulties focusing while studying at home. All these students faced difficulties in many ways and did many different things to help solve their distractions. This pandemic has forced NECC students to find creative ways to stay on track and keep focused on their work so they don’t fall behind and continue to find success.

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Online learning in the pandemic

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During this pandemic, it has been difficult for students to learn and concentrate. Some college students have faced a lot of struggles. Also, the professors have been facing difficulties teaching during the pandemic.

Mirrororajah Metcalfe is a student at Northern Essex Community College. Her major is Journalism and Communications. She from Las Vegas.  Metcalfe states that she struggles  learning virtually.

“The hardest part is creating a schedule every week,” she said.

She also is having to email teachers for questions instead of being able to ask. Students also have problems staying focused during this pandemic since everything virtual is been to hard maintain focus. Because we in a different set of learning and don’t see the professor face to face.

Metcalfe said, “for the classes I’m taking I don’t have any virtual meetings.”

Not every student has a virtual meeting this fall semester which can be beneficial since it causes some stress and confusion for students.  Helpful resources are important and take you a long way during learning virtually. It is useful to find any recourse it can help you.

”Honestly just planning my schedule is the most important thing for me so that I can stay organized and not fall behind also getting a planner notebook and doing school work at my desk instead of my bed,” said Metcalfe.  This is very helpful and can make you feel more confident in school and be more prepared to learn.  It can still difficult to stay motivated if you not getting the help you need.

Metcalfe said the way she keeps motivated is “I just have to be in the right mindset to get work done.” Having a positive mindset and getting work done and not procrastinating can take students a long way in school during this pandemic.

A student from Northern Essex Community College, Pachano Matos is an Electrical/computer and Chemical Engineering major. Matos is from the Dominican Republic.

He faced struggles from learning virtually. The struggle Matos has is “I have ADHD, so I have a hard time concentrating and taking the time out to do the class and when reading the material, I get distracted and bored and usually don’t finish and I’m working full time,” he said.

It can be hard for students to learn especially with learning disabilities. It’s hard to stay focus during virtual learning if you are distracted easily.

There are ways to fix it, This is what the Matos said about fixing the issue about him not concentrating. “I don’t really. I’m always late for everything I tried and plan but at the end of the day it really does not work for me. In a zoom classroom. I can turn off mic and camera and just do other things and the whole things class is in the background. The lectures that I have to read I don’t, and the discussion board I don’t really participate.”

This student has problems staying focused and being on task because it’s hard for him to pay attention and to make a schedule for the upcoming day. Some students having trouble with the same thing as well it can be hard to also achieve in school while learning virtually.

Matos also stated about his grades. “for example, I am taking one class so far in person. And in that class so far, I have 60 points out of 60 compare that to one of the classes complete online where have 48 out of 70.”

Students have been struggling on maintaining good grades since the semester started. That’s why good methods come in handy for some students during this virtual learning. This is what Matos said about his resources: “Honestly I don’t think I can with all honestly say that there’s any of me. Except maybe for the school paying for half of my computer.” Paying for expenses of students has helped a lot and has put less stress in their life. It also made it is easier for them to study and pass in work.

It has been very difficult for students to stay motivated during a pandemic. Especially if they can’t seek help.  Matos struggles during the pandemic, with staying motivated.

“I have my good share of struggle even if we are on campus, but being so behind in almost all of my classes and losing point in such unnecessary manner, and having to self-teach for me most part and trying to juggle everything and that at the end of the day may not be enough,” he said.

“It’s hard to want to continue … It  seems that the system doesn’t really care for the odd ones out. The school is set up as one fits all kind of education when life doesn’t work like that. And they should allow some people, learning remotely being able to take classes on campus and practicing social distancing. I know it is possible because it is a reality to one of my classes,” he said.

Mary Jo Shafer teaches journalism and English Composition at Northern Essex Community College. She is also the faculty adviser for the college student newspaper the NECC Observer, which is not publishing a print issue right now but is being updated on its website.

Learning virtually can be a struggle and teaching can be a struggle too. Before this semester Shafer said she had never taught fully online.

She said, like many of her students, she has also struggled to stay focused during this stressful time.

The work environment made it tough to stay focused during this pandemic and attention span has gotten shorter, she said. Teachers also had resources to help them out during this time as well and she took a class this summer on how to design online courses.

The professor stated that she had some helpful resources, including coaches this summer ot help her design online courses.  She said that she knows many people have struggled with staying motivated during this pandemic and that she realizes it has been hard for the students as well.

“This affected professors in college as well,” she said. “Everybody had different struggles …. because everybody had a different experience …. but everyone did struggle during this new transition from working on campus to working from home.”

Being a student and teacher during this pandemic has been a struggle for many students and professors in schools, not just Northern Essex Community College. My sources all had a different experience, different issues but they all can relate to one another’s struggle.