Fregen Mae L.

Apoya

BSN II-B

“Ang Pagpadayon: A Talk on Mental Health Preparedness Relative to the Limited Face-to-Face

Classes (LF2F) in Higher Education.”

The issue about mental health has slowly been acknowledged and was given attention for in our
society today. According to Pine Rest Christian Mental Services, 2021, Although the general
perception of mental illness has improved over the past decades, studies show that stigma against
mental illness is still powerful, largely due to media stereotypes and lack of education, and that
people tend to attach negative stigmas to mental health conditions at a far higher rate than to other
diseases and disabilities. Even after so many posts in social media about people opening up and
talking about their mental health status and even after much solace from the society that mental
health should be treated somewhat like any other wellbeing issues, there are still many people who
have false beliefs about mental illness in which sometimes causes much problems like discrimination
to those who are suffering in the said illness. Mental health is an issue that was once something that
people has been troubled to talk about, some are fighting silent battles alone and not even one knew
because they were happy on the outside however the raging storms of mental health happens when
one is alone and all the thoughts will often flood their minds up.
The global pandemic brought to us by COVID-19 has greatly caused prodigious turmoil in
everyone’s lives. We are all introduced to the “new normal” way of living that all of us must and need
to adapt and adjust that in return also caused everyone impediments and affect greatly especially in
the mental health of the people. Life are now different to how it used to be; lost lives and lost jobs
are prevalent up to this day and students who are supposed to be at school are now studying inside
the comfort of their homes. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Region 7embarked on a

webinar entitled: “Ang Pagpadayon: A Talk on Mental Health Preparedness Relative to the Limited

Face-to-Face Classes (LF2F) in Higher Education” last April 22, 2021. The webinar talked about mental
health readiness that was facilitated and guested by flabbergasting speakers repeating the
significance of mental wellbeing readiness in relation to the limited face-to-face lesson. The webinar
is very relevant for today’s circumstances especially now that the students struggle a lot in their
studies.
In the context of new normal and online classes, the students are forced to adapt to a new
flexible learning scheme which is somewhat challenging since this is not the way that we are used to
gain knowledge from. This new medium of conducting classes through online is not for everyone. As
we all know, not everyone is privileged enough to all the resources for this online class. The vicissitude
such as slow internet connection or no internet connection at all, inevitable power interruptions, no
proper gadgets, expensive internet service and all things like that for online classes add up as
hindrances to the students’ peaceful life. There are a lot of students who gave up their studies due to
financial and personal reasons, some are still continuing yet experience a lot of breakdowns,
frustrations, and struggles with online classes. As what I have read through the social media posts of
students, I can say that most of the mental health of the students are shaken up by the occurrences
of today. As we fly along to the skies of online classes, most of us are having a hard time coping up to
its strong winds that we students can sometimes think of just crashing our plane of hopes for our
future. The whole new learning scheme with online class adds up to the students’ uncertainties and
qualms regarding their future. Students encounter complexity and perplexity with our new mode of
learning. Though they may be safe and sound inside their house but not all houses are a good learning
environment for the students, they are experiencing rough seas mentally, emotionally, and physically
caused by the encompassing stressors of today’s circumstances.
In my own experience as a sophomore Nursing student, although it has already been a year
since we conducted classes through online yet I am still in the process of coping and adjusting. It is
very hard for me since I lack the suitable learning environment at home, strong internet connection,
and sometimes I easily become unmotivated caused by this new normal. Nursing is a skills-based
course and I do not think that the it is applicable and suitable for online classes. Making return
demonstrations videos is arduous since I don’t have the appropriate place and not all the equipment
needed are found in our city. On the other hand, as a student who needs to be in a proper classroom
with teacher teaching in front of me, this online classes with our teachers teaching us through my
phone screen makes me feel bored and sleepy. The only thing that is making me feel motivated
sometimes is the deadline, I can say that we are merely submitting requirements for the reason of
passing but not learning at all. This whole new set-up, has greatly shaken up my mental health and
triggers my anxiety. I experienced breaking down at the middle of the night with my hands shaking
and my breaths unsteady, and all I could think of that time was about my future. I was very scared of
the unknown and the online class add up to my uncertainties of my tomorrow. It makes me feel that
I am becoming more incompetent day by day and it is frustrating at times. In every passing days
especially when I feel like I am on a cliff and on the verge of jumping off, I have to remind myself to
always be strong and to turn to God for a helping hand to pull me up.
Moreover, CHED’s webinar about mental health readiness related to limited face-to-face was
enlightening, informative, and relevant to the students especially those who are affected by mental
health issues. I love how the webinar is for the benefit of everyone and was encouraging to maintain
a stable mental wellbeing to prepare the students for the forthcoming of limited face-to-face. On the
other hand, we have to clap hands for ourselves that by little by little, we are adjusting and adapting
to this new mode of learning and what matters most is that we are making progress each day. Thus,
we have to always see the bigger picture of everything and that this too shall pass in God’s time.