Mental Health During Covid-19: Olivet College Professors Speak

It is not uncommon in today’s world to find oneself struggling with mental health issues. Whether they be consistent, or come and go irregularly, it is safe to assume everyone has had a low day in the last six months, even the staff here at Olivet.  

Some have experienced personal struggles, such as Media Production Communications Professor Daine Pavloski, who said he experienced a lot of mental health changes since the beginning of the pandemic.

“The most noticeable for me was physical health,” Pavloski said, as he lost one hundred pounds since around the time Covid-19 started to take over. 

A self-proclaimed homebody, Pavloski still struggled with having to stay home for such a long period of time due to social distancing regulations.

“I thought I was always cool with that until this started and it was just my wife, my dog, and I in the same place every single day nonstop. So, I think the biggest mental thing for me was knowing how to turn off work, because work just blended into life,” said Pavloski.

Others, while not experiencing mental hardships personally, did see these changes in the mental health of their loved ones and other people who they are around frequently. KayDee Perry, another Olivet Professor, described seeing such changes in her parents.

“I’ve recognized in others the ebb and flow more. Where they have a really good day and some days you’re down low. And there’s just some bad days where you feel isolated, you feel alone,” Perry said, “And I noticed that in myself where I need to step away because I’m off, so on those days you just have to take your time.” 

Perry also mentioned how the pandemic has made her get into the habit of being aware of her mental health. She has found this helpful, as when she is having a bad mental health day she can try to do something about it.

Photos by Alicia Bullaro