We’re all experiencing the whole “online class” situation with the current pandemic that has taken the entire world by surprise. The majority is still getting used to the online mechanism of Zoom even the teachers are going out of their comfort zone, adapting their syllabus to the digital era.
First, let’s describe the meaning of stress. The Mayo Clinic defines it as a ‘normal psychological and physical reaction to the ever-increasing demands of life’. It causes our bodies to secrete tons of hormones that increase our heart rate, raise our blood pressure, and tense our muscles. To fight stress, you have to recognize why you have it in the first place, and then find out what triggers it. The most common cause in times like this can be the uncertainty of what’s going to happen and not being able to manage your time wisely. For the latter I have some tips to help you:

• Keep your schedule up-to-date:
  It’s easy to miss assignments and classes if your routine changes drastically, and there’s no one reminding you of what you have to do every day. You need to be wise and maybe start using reminders to be on top of your homework. Another thing you can do is use a planner to be ahead of everything that you need to tackle in the week.
• Set goals, don’t expect to get them done overnight:
  Setting goals is a great way to prevent procrastinating your to-do list. If you give yourself a treat every time you complete a goal, it will motivate you more. Remember: hard work pays off, and it takes time to make it a habit.
• Don’t mix schoolwork and chores:
  It’s easy to go to the kitchen to grab a cup of water, see the dishwasher overflowing with dirty dishes, and to want to do something about it immediately, but if you’re in school hours, focus solely on school. If you separate whatever’s going on in your house while you need to concentrate in school, it’ll make the routine more effective, and you’ll understand much better what you’re learning.
• Think positively:
  In this situation that we’re all currently going through, it’s easy to find yourself thinking negatively, and most of the time that leads to a lot of deep thoughts, that may not necessarily be bad but, right now, it’s not the mindset you should have. If you have a positive attitude and mind, your stress levels will descend drastically.
• Go easy on yourself:
  First of all, this situation is new to pretty much every non-homeschooled student, so no one expects you to grasp it in the first couple of weeks. Everyone takes their different amounts of time to make something new work for them. You also need to pay attention, now more than ever, to your mental and physical health and remember to rest properly and make the best out of the situation.