Lockdown has been hard. The move to schooling online has been a huge adjustment and it is ok if it hasn’t gone perfectly. You might not have managed every single task every day. But you have tried your best. This post has a few tips to manage your feelings around blended learning.

Be kind to yourself

We are in a tough situation-they will write history books what we are living though! Remember that you are doing the best you can in a difficult time. Talk to/ about yourself as you would a good friend. You would be kind to them so be just as kind to you.

SMART goals

Don’t try to do too much at once. Make sure that study goals and plans are reasonable and fair. Think of this acronym- SMART. Study goals should be Specific (be exact, very general goals grow out of control), Measurable (so you know you’ve done it and can take a break), Achievable (is it actually possible), Realistic/Resourced (is it a fair goal and do you have all you need to do it) and Time based (set a fair time limit. Nobody can study for 12 hours straight).

Take breaks and balance your activities

Avoid working straight through. Take a short break every hour or so and maybe a longer one in the middle. Your day doesn’t have to be all work either just because you are working from home. Psychologists believe that for good mental health we should have a balance of achievement, enjoyment and activities with others. So, spend a fair amount of time on schoolwork (achievement), do something fun like gaming, listening to music or watching something (enjoyment) and some family time or call/ message a friend (closeness to others). Everyone deserves this time, and it is as important as achievement time.

Challenge negative thinking

If you get stressed, you might start thinking a negative thought like “I am doing badly or will fail the year”. Ask yourself- “Is that true? Do I have proof or am I just stressed?”. Weigh up the proof, is one bad day enough to make you fail? Or can you just pick up tomorrow with fresh eyes? You might be doing better than you think.

Overall, being fair to yourself is really important. Try these tips to ensure you are doing this and if you are really struggling ask for support from family, friends and the school. We will work our way through this.

Robert Cosgrove, Secondary school Counsellor, The- Exchange.