Pushpa Priya

The spread of COVID 19 has shut down schools and colleges and compelled the school, college operators and students to switch to online teaching and learning.
A Continual teaching and learning process helps jog one's mind and helps in developing positive vision. In the very process of teaching and learning, there is less chance of becoming a victim of fear arising out of COVID-19.
There are numerous challenges faced by both teachers and students during online classes that leave directly or indirectly negative impacts on mental health. It is, therefore, very important to maintain mental wellness for effective online teaching and learning process. To address these problems, some ways such as self-care, avoiding assignment before bed, focus on kindness and gratitude, minimising news feeds and using social media for sharing positive stories can be adopted.
Most importantly, teachers should support emotional well-being of students.
Time for self-care ensures one with mental well-being. One should take care of self by engaging in productive tasks like: Physical exercise, meditation, reading moral stories, spiritual books and so on. These activities turn out to be fruitful as they stimulate happy hormones, reduces stress and anxiety, boosts the immune system, improves sleep and build emotional resilience that helps in maintaining mental wellness.
During a pandemic like the present one, a person should prevent catching the virus by washing hands, maintaining social and physical distance and engaging in healthy practices. And sometimes if ond is not sure what to do then it is better to follow the things that ensure mental health. Teachers and students can teach and learn smoothly if they are engaged in self-caring activities.
One should avoid any kind of assignment before going to bed as bluerays of computer has an adverse impacts on mental health of a person. If one is concerned with mental health, he/she needs to get enough sleep at night. In the meantime, an act of appreciation or kindness produce positive emotions, strengthen social relationships and improve overall wellbeing in terms of mental health.
If such sense of kindness and gratitude is practised between teachers and students during online classes, it may work magically to further strengthen the bond of their healthy relationship. Technology has made online education possible even at the time of pandemic and, therefore, gratitude should be expressed towards it. Similarly, one may stay mentally fit by giving service to the needy ones taking precautions of pandemic as it may provide with inner satisfaction.
Benevolence is always rewarded in the form of self-loving, self-gratitude and self-contentment. Watching or goinging through news sometimes increases stress, fear and anxiety. News feeds should thus be minimised in order to calm the mind. Only at specific times of a day, one should watch news broadcast for once or twice. Social media should only be used to spread positive stories but misinformation should be corrected when one views it.
As students may be impacted in multiple ways by COVID-19 and the closure of schools and colleges, it is a necessity for teachers to think about students’ emotional well-being during the online teaching and learning process. Some children may internalise the uncertainty they are feeling during this pandemic that may result in withdrawing/isolating behaviours, anxiety, depression.
Allowing children to express their feelings, share their thoughts and help them with new normal routines may help ease some of their worries during this ambiguous time. Words such as “brave”, “smart”, and “proud”, may empower the students with positivity and, therefore, teachers should praise them time and again for their patience during the pandemic.
Chris Underhill, mentor and expert on global mental health, has suggested to maintain routinised life and to set number of hours to work allowing oneself to take short breaks including 20 to 30 minute naps if needed to maintain mental health. In addition, he recommends the activities like cooking, doing household chores, dancing and listening to music to maintain wellbeing since such activities have therapeutic effect.
Moreover, he stresses the importance of limiting the consumption of news during this period, as this can exacerbate the feelings of anxiety and fear. Citrus fruits filled with vitamin C stimulates the formation of antibodies to protect one from infection. Vitamin A can stave off infection, and it’s found in spinach, carrots, milk, sweet potatoes or cereal. Protein is another key factor in maintaining healthy immune system. Similarly, breathing exercise is a boon in order to relieve stress.
Trying breathing in for 5 seconds, and breathing out for 10 seconds immediately calm the mind and ensures emotional well-being. Health should be on the topmost priority in this testing time. The above mentioned tips are indeed helpful for both teachers and students to maintain mental well-being during the pandemic time and also ensures effective online teaching and learning process.

(The writer is a lecturer of English)