Online classes, loads of modules, household chores, internet access, device availability, health security, uncertainty of the future—the struggle cannot be more real as long-standing educational challenges have been further weighed down by the pandemic. As rates of academic burnout sky-rocketed this pandemic, Rotaract Club of Batangas Midwest (RaC BMW) together with its advocacy partners, initiated the “PADAYON: ACADEMICS THROUGH THE PANDEMIC” webinar series.
Intently launching with the first installation of the Padayon series, themed “Mindemic: I Think To Move Forward”, the session is entirely devoted to mental health awareness and cultivating healthy learning mindsets. It’s an authentic and uncensored discussion where all students were given freedom to share their struggles and be recognized. But it didn’t stop there, we kept moving forward to reach a solution and give a lifeline to our students. Some practical tips were laid out by our esteemed speakers like the 3Rs to fight burnout: Recognize – watch and recognize signs of burnout, Reverse – acknowledge and reverse habits that lead to burnout, and Resilience – create time and pattern for yourself to build resilience. Students were also given mental notes on having a support crew, accepting limitations, designating a study area, making a to-do list, prioritizing, and lastly knowing when to take a break.
Mindemic Session 1: Mental Health Awareness with Kier Aventurado, Co-founder and Director for Happy Hearts Initiative, a mental health coalition; Co-founder for INTROSPECT, a Mental Health initiative that focuses on Social Media Depression; and working as Program Coordinator for Kristiyano-Islam Peace Library Inc. (KRIS Inc.) and Extremely Together – Philippines Panaghiusa. Mindemic Session 2: Cultivating Healthy Learning Mindsets and Habits during Pandemic with Secretary and President- Elect Anna Lado-ing of Rotary Club of Metro Malvar. Currently a working law student, she’s taking up Doctor of Jurisprudence at Arellano University School of Law and works as a Senior Investment Banking Specialist/ Investment Banking Associate at Investment Banking Group, Land Bank of the Philippines.
These times are hard for everyone, we must all learn to take good care of ourselves and of each other. Rest if we must but we won’t allow ourselves to be paralyzed by the pandemic – as the word says, Padayon, grow, move forward, and continue on! We can do this together! Padayon!
You may watch again the three sessions on the link below:
Part 1: Mindemic – https://fb.watch/8tkJVtSX6O/
Part 2: Heartdemic – https://fb.watch/8tkGfJ3_JA/
Part 3: Handemic – https://fb.watch/8tkzHymd2t/
