Luis Martinez Santillano/ The Rider Photos
Sol Garcia | THE RIDER
UTRGV English senior Gina Vasquez said she is feeling optimistic about the idea of more in-person instruction next fall.
“I feel pretty positive about it, with everybody getting vaccinated and us moving forward,” Vasquez said. “I think it’d be a good, slow start.”
However, she worries about what returning to campus looks like.
The senior asked, “What would it feel like? What would it look like? Would it not feel like we used to, like the traditional stuff, like how you used to be able to just hop into your professor’s office hours?”
For many people, that and other worries, such as getting sick with COVID-19, can affect wanting to return to in-person instruction, said Carmen Villegas, a clinical therapist at the UTRGV Counseling Center.
“Within the last year, there may have been a little increase of that fear of maybe getting sick or getting family members sick and that does contribute to maybe not wanting to go in person,” Villegas said.
Those fears and anxieties may also impact an individual’s learning process, she said.
“You’re not fully focused and concentrated on your work because your mind is distracted with that stressor, the COVID stressor,” Villegas said.
The therapist said one of the first steps to mentally preparing for reintegration is recognizing and accepting that it will not be as it was pre-COVID.
“We have to embrace flexibility,” Villegas said. “We have to be able to embrace change because as we progress these next few years, things will be different, and we have to be able to be adaptable.”
Acknowledging any negative feelings is also crucial, Villegas said.
“One of the important things is to recognize that with uncertainty comes anxieties and nervousness,” she said. “Recognize that that’s how you feel and [do] not try to repress those feelings.”
If it is a health concern, people should continue to use any safety precautions that they feel safe with, Villegas said.
“[Take] proactive approaches to be able to feel safe, [such as] practicing those protocols that maybe were in place, like still wearing a mask or carrying around Germ-X or whatever it is that helps that person feel like they’re safe,” she said.
Villegas said mindful strategies, such as “being present, letting go [of] what we can’t control, being kind and compassionate with ourselves” can also help during this uncertain time.
Other coping strategies include self-talk and self-reassurance, which recognizes any negative thoughts and counters them with positive affirmations, she said.
Some self-assurance phrases are, “We’re gonna get through this,” “yes, it’s challenging, but it’s nothing I can’t get through” and “this is temporary.”
Luis Martinez Santillano/The Rider Photos
Another tip that Villegas offers is to reach out to a support system, whether it is loved ones or local resources, such as the UTRGV Counseling Center.
“Connect socially … even if it is still staying safe, using other alternatives, such as connecting through video, phone calls … can help with the transition,” she said.
Finally, plan ahead as new information arises.
“We’re getting more and more information, as it turns out, so … plan ahead and be prepared for maybe both online and in-person classes,” the therapist said.
To contact the UTRGV Counseling Center, email counseling@utrgv.edu or visit its webpage.
