To help with physical distancing, we are spending a lot of our time online. Some students might really like this, and others may feel more stressed, anxious, or isolated. Here are some ways to maintain your mental health while staying virtually connected:

1. Notice your mood, and respect what you need

The first step to setting good digital boundaries is to be aware and honest about your needs and emotions. Check in with how you feel after looking at social media or seeing things in the news. If you notice that these things are making you feel worse about yourself or your situation, look for ways to give yourself a break and block content or users that make you feel this way.

2. Be mindful of what you share

It is hard to determine what should be shared online and what should stay private. This goes for online classes as well. To help determine how much you should share online, think, “Would I say, show, or write this if I were in class in front of my parents or teachers?”

3. Beware of online fear of missing out (FOMO)

Does it look like everyone is still living their best life during COVID-19? Remember, most of the time people are only showing one version of themselves online. If you notice you feel worse about yourself or your situation after looking at social media, find ways to spend time with your closest friends and family who you know care about you. This could be a video call, talking on the phone about how you are doing, or even spending time with your furry friends. Many times our pets are our best friends.

4. Seek healthy connections

Meaningful connections during this time will look different for everyone. It is important to find creative ways to stay connected to friends and family.

- This could be connecting online with real-time activities, finding ways to volunteer, showing small acts of kindness, taking a virtual exercise class, finding outside activities with friends.
- What are some ideas you have already done that are working as well as other ideas you would like to try?