Silver linings and lessons learned in the pandemic
Kyle Jarencio, in the selfie above, graduated from Ryerson when the pandemic began. Today, he works at the Ryerson Leadership Lab and says he’s found peace in regular walks.
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, suddenly, lockdowns, quarantines and ‘bubbles’ became part of our daily lives. Gone was the chance to see family and friends, and so many of the activities that bring us joy.
To survive, we’ve sought out new sources of happiness and inspiration. Our wellbeing has depended on it.
And so, amid the stress and challenges, we’ve learned. Whether it’s how to stay motivated on the bleakest of days, or how to be grateful for life’s simple pleasures – the pandemic has taught us many valuable lessons for the future.
Below, three Ryerson community members share some of these lessons and “silver linings” from the past year.
Marina Maltese
Marina recently completed her fourth-year of business technology management at TRSM. She says many of her new habits and sources of gratitude are in part thanks to the course Personal Growth and Positive Psychology (PSY 706).
- This year, I decided to start gratitude journaling – and I recommend it to everyone. Journaling allows you to see the good in yourself and in those around you.
- Mindfulness meditation has also taught me to find balance between my personal and academic life. I have realized how crucial it is to give your mind a break between your studies to mentally recharge. As a result, I’ve completely changed my study routine – and my daily routine – so I can clear my mind and ground my spirit.
- This year, I’ve learned the value of spending time outdoors. I used to spend a lot of time commuting to and from school, and whenever I was home, I was always busy with my schoolwork. Now that we’re online, I’ve been able to spend more time in nature and have a greater appreciation for our planet.
- As a very social person, initially, it was very difficult. But I learned to adapt and use technology to stay connected. I’ve been so grateful for phone calls and video calls with friends, online study groups and collaborating with my peers via Zoom or Skype. Connecting this way has been so needed.
Kyle Jarencio
Kyle graduated from RTA media production in the spring of 2020. Today he works as a creative content specialist at the Ryerson Leadership Lab (external link) .
- I’m grateful for the network of friends and peers I made at Ryerson. Sharing stories and resources within a community of people who understand the frustrations of graduating during COVID has been healing. I feel immense gratitude to my peers.
- You are more than your undergrad. I used to believe that what you chose to study locked you into one particular path. But you have the right to expand the scope of your goals beyond the box of your major. This year, I was able to use my video-making skills in roles with Inside Out LGBTQ Film Festival as well as DemocracyXChange, Canada's Democracy Summit. Currently, I work with the Ryerson Leadership Lab and am using my learnings from all of my media theory classes to produce a podcast about second-gen Asian & Queer identity called Influx (external link) .
- I find a lot of peace in taking walks. It’s my tiny resistance to burn-out culture that I was so willing to participate in during my undergrad. I’m finding that when your workspace and leisure space is your bedroom, it’s easy to disregard boundaries of when to be “on” or “off.” I’ve learned to give myself permission to give my body and mind what it needs: a break.
Smiksha Singla
Smiksha recently completed her second year of FCAD’s creative industries program. When the pandemic began, the international student returned home to live with her family in Dubai. This past year, she often finished class at 4 a.m. and work at 2 a.m. (she was also communications assistant for OVPECI). She says her family’s support helped her persevere, along with learnings from Ryerson’s Personal Growth and Positive Psychology course.
- This year, I learned how important my relationships are to me. Isolation would have been hard if it was not for my friends and family checking up on me. I'm especially grateful to my family who has stayed awake – many times up until 4 a.m. – to support me as I was functioning in a time zone that is nine hours ahead of Toronto.
- Most of the time, the situation is not as bad as it is in your head. For me, the pandemic has led to a lot of self-reflection, and I've realized that sometimes you need to let things go and let them take their course.
- You only get for what you ask for. With physical contact decreasing, I found it extremely difficult to communicate what I wanted, be it at work, school, or even from friends and family. I had to just step up and ask for it. This saved me hours of overthinking.
- This past year, I've learned to meditate, and the change is beyond exhilarating. Meditation helps you reason with intrusive thoughts in your brain that are unnecessary. Meditation has also made me smile more.
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