by Claire Redinger, reporter
OMAHA – For University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) students, “Zooming in” to class has become as common as waiting in line for the shuttle. A quick glance at the Spring 2021 class schedule shows that, next semester, not much will be changing.
UNO senior Teresa Wier said she was disappointed when UNO announced that most classes would again be fully or partially online next semester. She spends an average of five to six hours per day on Zoom and said she is feeling burnt out.
“I’ll watch probably about two hours of recorded lectures, and then have two classes in a row that are about two to three hours each,” she said. “And then, homework after that.”
Wier is not alone in her feelings – UNO licensed mental health practitioner Amanda Murtaugh said students in her office are experiencing similar symptoms of “Zoom Fatigue.”
“…Definitely some burnout, definitely some fatigue in multiple layers,” Murtaugh said. “I think also we’ve seen, kind of, some increase in anxiety and some increase in depressive symptoms, too.”
So, what can students do to cope with and combat the exhaustion and overstimulation that can accompany online classes?
Murtaugh recommends using grounding techniques to stay in the present moment as much as possible.
“There’s a lot of things tomorrow, next week, finals week—looming, kind of coming up,” she said. “I’m not there yet, I can’t act on it. So, right here, right now, what can I do in this moment for my safety, my energy, rejuvenating well-being?”
