The American Psychological Association (APA) recently published an article about the mental health toll of remote learning on kids. Students are struggling, and there is no end in sight to when the pandemic will end or when many can return to school. Initially, families attempted to mitigate the impact but, the reality is that many parents are now fatigued as the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has been extended indefinitely, and many are continuing to grieve the loss of our previous way of life.
APA has been tracking the stress of Americans and they reported, “We are facing a national mental health crisis that could yield serious health and social consequences for years to come.” Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents and their children are experiencing increased levels of stress and anxiety, and a there is a simultaneous decrease in feelings of social connectedness, as families limit interactions with friends and family members because of physical distancing regulations. This contributes to feelings of overwhelm, anxiety and stress, and this stress has a negative impact on focus, planning, organization, decision-making, cognitive flexibility and emotional regulation. For students, difficulties in these areas can make school and life difficult.
Many students are now learning in isolation at home, and some are struggling to stay engaged; motivation for learning is waning, largely because students feel disconnected from peers and teachers and they miss the school environment, which was conducive to learning. For students with learning or neurodevelopmental disorders, like AD/HD, remote learning can exacerbate existing learning challenges and social-emotional difficulties.
On Nov. 2, 2020 update, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent, Austin Beutner, reported that more middle and high school students are receiving low to failing grades, with struggles with distance learning appearing to contribute to more D and F grades among middle and high school students. Students and their parents are experiencing Zoom fatigue, the mental exhaustion caused by the overstimulation associated with excessive videoconferencing, the increased demand for divided attention, and the difficulties associated with attempts to mimic in-person interactions in a virtual environment (Sklar, 2020). This fatigue contributes to anxiety, disengagement and a decrease in motivation for learning.
So, how do we deal with the fatigue and stress? We basically have to persist, provide social and mental health support to family members, be flexible in our approach to increase engagement, and collaborate with children and adolescents to determine how to maintain and increase motivation for learning. Parents and educators must ask kids, “What can we do to make this better for you?” Then, control what you can.
Here are some tips:
- Make sure everyone in the family gets adequate sleep
- Minimize distractions during “school time” and clear work space to increase focus
- Turn off gallery view on Zoom
- Have child use noise-canceling headphones to minimize sounds in the home
- Consider alternative seating (e.g., standing desk, balance ball chair, active motion stool) for students who struggle with remaining seated
- Change the learning environment (go outside, switch rooms)
- Print out checklists and calendars and have children check off work on hard copies as they complete assignments
- Take movement or meditation/mindfulness breaks (preferably outdoors)
- Give choice about order of tasks for student to complete during asynchronous learning time
- Provide organizational support for schoolwork, particularly asynchronous classes
- Engage students in a discussion about what they are learning in class; have them teach you!
- Give feedback about how students are doing
- Encourage persistence; give praise for effort and provide emotional support
- Schedule 1:1 time with teachers (a quick zoom check-in is fine to help students feel connected to educators)
- Decrease isolation and increase feelings of belonging with safe and socially-distanced time with peers
- Stay connected to extended family
- Acknowledge that this is a challenging time and provide a safe place to discuss feelings
- Express gratitude
- Decrease the sense of helplessness by offering support to others (e.g., a small “thinking of you” note for a friend or neighbor)
- Practice self-compassion
- Spend time outdoors
- Make sure to make time for fun & do things that bring you joy (even if that is popcorn and Netflix)
- Seek mental health services for anyone in the family who needs it
- Don’t try and do ALL of these; pick one a day, a week and celebrate that “win”
With all that is going on, compassion and empathy are crucial to managing the stress and anxiety we continue to struggle with during this time. Implementing strategies and seeking professional support will help build resilience, improve student engagement, and enhance family well-being.
Reference:
Hasson, J. (2020). Remote school recommendations (white paper). PAR.
Marchetti, D., Fontanesi, L, Mazza, C., Di Giandomenico, S., Roma, P, & Verrocchio, M. C. (2020). Parenting-Related Exhaustion During the Italian COVID-19 Lockdown, Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 45(10), 1114-1123.
Sklar, J. (2020, 24 April). ‘Zoom fatigue’ is taxing the brain. Here’s why that happens . National Geographic. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/04/coronavirus-zoom-fatigue-is-taxingthe-brain-here-is-why-that-happens/
Author:
Dr. Karen Wilson is a Clinical Neuropsychologist, Director of West LA Neuropsychology, PC, the founder of ChildNEXUS.com, a digital platform that connects parents whose children struggle with learning or social-emotional issues with professionals who provide psychological and educational support services, and the host of the Diverse Thinking · Different Learning podcast.
Twitter: @DrKarenIWilson
Instagram: @kareniwilson and @childnexuscommunity