MANAGING DISAPPOINTMENTS IN QUARANTINE

With many goals and expectations affected by this pandemic, feeling disappointment may be common for students. Some may be feeling discouraged with their performance in their online classes. Some may be ruminating on the thought of what it would be like to return to campus, to hangout with their blockmates after classes, or to graduate on the site where they spent some of their best years in. All of these “losses” may be difficult for most students to process and to accept, as it is truly difficult to not dwell on:  “What if things were different?”

With that, how can we manage disappointments in the online set-up?

Acknowledge your emotions. 

Students may be feeling a mix of frustration, regret, and grief, among others. These feelings are valid. The pandemic brought multiple losses that are difficult to let go of. Naming your emotion is an important step into managing it, for it is also allowing yourself to feel and to face your current reality. Try to practice parsing in regulating your emotions by reflecting on these questions:

Manage your expectations. 

As you try to grieve these losses, it may also help to reframe how you think of these life events. You may think of new ways of celebrating achievements, or shift your focus to hobbies you have not done for a while (APA, 2020). Also, be patient with yourself. You may not be the student you were before, or you may not have the same level of motivation. Still, you are trying and right now, in this context, this is enough.

Ask yourself: What are my expectations of myself right now? Are these helpful or do these keep me on edge?

Facing disappointments in life may be unavoidable, but know that you can overcome them and even learn ways on how to better maneuver through future challenges.