How to Stay Healthy in Online School

Online classes can be a pain to get through. Does anyone really enjoy being on Zoom for 5 hours straight, then spending another 5 hours doing homework?

Not only are online classes an academic challenge, but it can also be difficult to stay healthy. Maintaining physical and mental health as a student can already be hard, and now you’ve got online school on top of it!

If you’ve been feeling down recently as an online student, you’re not alone. But this is where this post comes in. Follow these 7 tips and build these healthy habits to ensure a not-so-terrible time in online classes!

Maintain routines

Sometimes, it feels as if time is just passing way too fast and you’re just not getting anything done. This can contribute to more unproductivity, stress, anxiety, and overall a bad time.

To solve this problem, you must attack it at its root: the lack of effective time management.

Successfully managing your time can be a challenge for many people, but here’s my top tip: build habits and routines.

For example, you might decide to start a productive afternoon routine, when you aim to finish all of the day’s homework in 3 hours. To build this routine and stick to it, you must do the following things:

1. Eliminate all distractions in the physical environment.
2. Set up and organize your space for a productive 3 hours.
3. Create time-blocks to plan out the routine.
4. Set goals during each block of time.
5. Reward yourself when you reach the goal.
6. Repeat for at least 3 weeks to make it a habit.

Have a comfortable workspace

Online school has made every student an employee working a desk job. Every day, for at least 5 hours, you sit at your desk and stare at a screen. 

But what students can do (that is different from a regular employee) is that you can change up your workspace to make it comfortable and customized for yourself. Not only will an organized workspace make you feel better, but it can also make you more productive.

So how exactly should you organize your workspace? Start by following these steps:

1. Separate leisure space (like your bed) from productivity space (like your desk).
2. Keep distracting objects like gaming consoles, phones, and snacks away.
3. Keep study tools like planners, highlighters, and organizers near.
4. Ensure good lighting and ventilation, as well as isolation for quietness.
5. Invest in high-quality, ergonomic chairs and desks.

Get up and stretch

Sitting for hours on end is terrible for your physical health. This could be made worse if you have bad posture or other bad habits. 

So to prevent getting spine problems as a young student, constantly remind yourself to sit up straight. A good way to make sure you don’t forget is to put sticky notes above your computer where you can always see them.

Not only do your back and spine need straightening, but the rest of your body also needs some exercise. Your muscles, especially those in your legs, can get sore from its lack of usage.

So every few hours (preferably every hour), get up from your desk and stretch. You can take a short walk around your room, around your house, around your neighborhood, wherever you’d like. Trust me, your body will thank you!

Limit your screen time

I know how ridiculous this sounds. I mean, online school is literally held over Zoom, and all your assignments are online. But other than the necessary times spent in front of your computer screen, there are things you can limit to protect your eyes and your mind.

Many students today have a terrible phone addiction that causes significant eye damage and prevents them from being truly productive. But how do you counter it?

There are 5 steps I swear by– and you don’t need to delete social media– to stay off my phone:

1. Avoiding what doesn’t work (such as setting long passwords or turning on grayscale).
2. Identifying and deleting toxic apps.
3. Identifying and archiving useless apps.
4. Turning off some notifications.
5. Download helpful productivity apps.

You can learn the exact details of this process in my post, How To Break Your Phone Addiction in 5 Simple Steps, and start implementing it immediately.

Go outside

Studies have shown that being outdoors can lower stress & anxiety and eliminate bad moods by lowering cortisol levels (a stress hormone).

After a long period of working and/or studying inside, your brain is tired and experiences “mental fatigue.” Not to mention the rest of your body– your muscles are likely tired simply from the lack of exercise.

So the next time after a difficult day of online classes, go outside and admire the nature around you. Take a walk, jog a few laps, or just sit and listen to the sounds of nature, and you’ll feel re-energized yet relaxed– ready to take on the rest of the day!

Stay in touch

Quarantine has caused most of us to become detached from the rest of our communities. No more gatherings with family, and no more parties with friends. This has hit some more than others.

If you’re one who’s been hit especially hard by the lack of social interaction, it’s time to take action now. Reach out to your friends and family and talk to them!

If you’re an online student and a couple of friends are in your classes, make a group chat and be active on it! Reach out whenever you have questions and help out others, as well.

Even if none of your friends are in your classes, still make sure you’re staying in touch and reaching out often. You can even hold virtual study sessions by studying “together” on a call (something I love doing).

Have self-care days

Everyone needs self-care days, especially modern students. With the overwhelming amount of work, the lack of exercise and fresh air, and the detachment from the rest of society, students need some time for themselves.

Even if you only have 30 minutes to yourself, take that time to get away from your computer, listen to some music, and just relax.

Preferably, you should take 1 day out of each week or month to just pamper yourself. Here are some things you can do on a self-care day:

• Meditate for 15-30 minutes.
• Practice the Law of Attraction.
• Watch the sunrise/sunset.
• Take a bath.
• Pick up a project you “gave up”.
• Practice gratitude with a journal.
• Write out an entire page of random thoughts.
• Organize your desk.
• Redo your room.
• Plan the entire month ahead of you.
• Sleep.

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Conclusion

I hope these tips will help you maintain both your physical and mental health during online classes! And remember, taking care of yourself is more important than anything, so always put your own body and mind first.

What’s your favorite way to stay healthy (and sane) during online school?

About The Guest Writer

Hi, I’m Ellie, and I’m the blogger behind SincerelyStudents.com! My blog is specifically aimed at students who want to become the best versions of themselves, whether that’s academically, personally, or else. Visit my blog to find tips on studying, productivity, personal development, and more!

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