Melissa Curran
Student Life Editor
Like many other people my age, I find myself getting in the holiday spirit right after Halloween. I start listening to Christmas music on repeat, buying fancy coffee grounds that claim to be from the North Pole, and I anxiously await for the first snow.
This year has been extremely different compared to other years. Due to COVID-19, I find myself feeling hopeless and honestly just lonely– this year was the first Thanksgiving I’ve ever spent alone.
I find myself in this constant Ground Hog Day-esque loop: get up, go to class, go to work, do homework, and go to sleep. In my quest to not feel so alone, I decided to reach out to some friends.
“Not being on campus and not having to go back and forth from school to home has really messed me up, it feels weird. I know a lot of people have said that this year feels like it’s been way longer than just a year, and I completely agree. But I do have to say that as soon as October hit I got really sad that I wouldn’t be able to spend some time leading up to Christmas with my college friends.” said Jessie Havens, a senior Rehabilitation major.
According to the Mayo Clinic, 10-20% of the general population becomes affected by a mild form of winter blues every year.
“There’s no doubt about it, of course I get sad when it gets cold! Not being able to go anywhere or see different things, especially for me, looking at the same four walls because school is online has been very depressing. Now that it’s starting to snow and I’m going to be inside all of time, I’m very wary about it.” said Vanessa Smith, a freshman Musical Theatre major.
Please be kind to yourself during the holiday season.
I know that between finals, COVID-19, and the stress of having to prepare yourself for another semester at Zoom University can take a big toll on mental health, but you’re only human.
Make time to FaceTime friends and family, play some games over Zoom with your fellow Warriors, light a nice holiday candle, and try to make the best of the situation. You got this!
Email Melissa at:
mcurran9@live.esu.edu
