Off to the races, the year has begun and we're already knee-deep in school work, our personal life, and learning the ins and outs of online learning! As the leaves turn red and yellow and the weather turns cold, people are starting to spend even more of their time inside. In the past few days, Toronto has seen rain which, as nice as it can be to get out and enjoy it, is also a mood dampener for many. Between online classes, and the cold - in the Northern hemisphere at least - it can be difficult to bring outselves to venture out of the comfort of our homes and breathe in the fresh air.
With school back in full swing, many of us have started to slip back into our old habits or are experiencing some new ones given the circumstances. Late nights and late mornings are especially prevalent in an online learning environment, where many classes are asynchronous and don't require us to maintain a strict schedule. For those who are abroad working from different time zones, this can permit for more flexibility and ensure that you don't miss crucial learning opportunities. Similar time zones to Toronto are given this opportunitu to build one's own schedule as well; with such liberty however we often find ourselves sliding into practices and habits that can be detrimental to our general wellbeing.
Our dependency on technology is coming to extremes, where school and work have almost entirely been moved online for the past few months. As amazing as it is to have such tools to ensure that we can continue to learn and flourish, tech is also a huge factor that influences our sleep and general mood. In recent years, research has shown that blue light can have a negative effect on the production of melatonin, a hormone that aids in regulating the sleep cycle. Addiction to technology has the potential to grown at alarming speed especially now, where the weather is getting colder and we are less likely to spend time outside and away from our screens. The second wave of Covid-19 in Canada, predicted to hit arround mid to late October, (1) will mean more restrictions and fewer opportunities to partake in activities that are good for your well-being outside your home. Taking regular breaks from tech and doing physical activity at home is a great way to regulate your day and help your mood stay positive! This is a time of high stress and sometimes coping mechanisms we have built for oursevles won't work. As careful as we should be using technology, specifically our smartphones, we mustn't forget that it can also be used as a resource for mindfulness and wellness. Headspace and Sleepytime are two appls that can help with reclaiming your sleep schedule and resetting your mind. Sleepytime is free and helps you plan your bedtime and regulate when to fall asleep, creating a more structured nighttime routine. Although Headspace is not free, their student plan is only $10 CAD for a year-long subscription, and is an excellent soruce of meditation and mindfulness practices that can be incorporated in one's everyday life.
Whether it's drinking a pumpkin spice latte, curling up and listening to a podcast, or any other kind of relaxing meditative activity, the fall will present both ups and downs for all of us. The most we can do now is take care of ourselves and allow for our feelings to emerge and be okay with not always being okay.
1 Mike Crawley, "Ontario's 2nd Wave of COVID-19 forecast to peak in October Social Sharing," CBC News, September, 28, 2020, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-19-second-wave-cases-modelling-projections-1.5739411.