At the start of this year the ideal of companies asking all their employees to work from home would have been unthinkable. Never mind the impossibility of social distancing and quarantine becoming commonplace. Coronavirus has change the face of work worldwide. It’s a new kind of normal for everyone.
People are generally very social, and prolonged periods of isolation can start to wear on our mental health and wellness. It can be an issue for not only people with pre-existing mental health concerns, but also those in seemingly good psychological health.
As we continue to face ongoing prospects of social distancing or quarantine, we will have to start establishing our own ways of preserving our mental health at home.
At a mental health town hall yesterday, five student panelists praised reforms to mental health and disability services on campus while also vocalizing their discontent with a continued lack of transparency and systemic limits to resource accessibility. Students shared their stories as part of a larger nationwide event called the Disability Justice Day of Action for Mental Health, which also took place at Yale, Columbia and Bergen Community College, among others.
Most of the panelists described mixed experiences with on-campus resources, ranging from positive and invaluable to baffling and debilitating. “I still encourage people to use resources. I think we should use them, but also critique them when they’re not okay,” said Valentina Cano ’19, echoing a theme of the nearly two-hour conversation.