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@lahtisocialdistancing
Thank you for reading our blog!
Hi, this is the last post in our blog. We hope you enjoyed the content that we posted here and that our advice was helpful to you during these hard times. Please stay positive even during the pandemic and take care of yourself! Bye :)
F o o d
Buddha bowl. Really easy to just throw fresh vegetables into a bowl, spice and enjoy :) My mom knows how to plate stuff prettily so the photo is cool.
Savory sandwich cakes that my mom invented! She’s very proud of them, hence the cool photo, and these also taste pretty cool.
A berry (vegan) yogurt bowl. Easy and fun. Also very extra and dramatic plating, but my mom likes to take photos of her food.
This is the pizza that I talk about further down.
This is a savory cheesecake. It was alright, I didn’t like the tomatoes.
Hey! During this pandemic I’ve personally had the chance to spend more time with my family because when my mother had Covid-19 we had to quarantine together. Something we enjoy doing together with our mom is cooking and baking, which is something that has been with my brothers and I since we were little. If at all possible, spending time with loved ones is very good for one’s mental health. I sympathize, of course, that this may not be possible; it was not for me either until we had to quarantine together.
My mom and I have recently been interested in vegetarianism/veganism. I have heard many great things about a plant-based diet that extend not only to one’s personal health but also to the environment, so we decided to try making some foods together.
A website that we enjoyed getting inspiration from is https://www.avantgardevegan.com/recipes/. However, since my mom and I had a bit more time and resources on hand we were able to make perhaps more “diverse” meals than would normally have been possible for me when I live alone, but I think that this might still be beneficial if you needed some motivation or kick to make richer, more nutritious meals for yourself during this time. And also, it’s enough to take small steps regarding your diet in relation to the environment. Not all of these are fully vegan, but all of them are vegetarian.
I’ve attached pictures of some of the foods that we made together but I’ll talk a little more in-depth about the pizza! The photo is from my mom’s Instagram account, and we maybe overcooked it just a little, but it was really tasty. Making the pizza base was simple and we added some pesto into it for extra flavor, and then added many different cheeses on top. The cheese can easily be replaced by vegan cheese, which we tried, and the result was in my opinion equally as tasty. We had read somewhere that apricot adds nice flavor so we added that too, and there are some herbs on top. It was a very satisfying pizza and it made it even more clear to me how easy it is to eat in an environmentally conscious manner. I will be sticking with this thinking style, it makes me feel good to be critical about the things and food I choose to consume.
:- )
StudyStream.live
Hello everyone!
As for many other students, quarantine has made me accustomed to distance learning. In my experience, it has been very challenging to focus and learn without the study environment that I have been used to all my life. And because of quarantine, some students might have to work all alone for long periods of time. Since I have been researching how I could make myself more motivated to study during the pandemic, as well as get energized by others’ company, I ran into StudyStream.
StudyStream is a virtual platform that arranges 24 hour Focus Rooms for students all around the world. In each Focus Room, you have students your age studying and motivating you though out your session. The online service works in over 30 countries and has over 1 million study sessions. And you may be worried about costs, but the Focus Rooms are completely free! Though you may send some support to the workers through StudyStream’s coffee fund according to your own interest ☕️
StudyStream is backed by science, since they use evidence-based practices to help students’ productivity. These methods include the psychology of imitation as well as mindfullness practices, both of which are proven to aid students’ productiveness and are lead by in-house experts.
Covid-19 has affected the city of Lahti to the extent that both high school and university students alike have been learning from home frequently for the past year. As someone who finds it hard to focus, especially during self-isolation, StudyStream has helped my learning drastically. The services they provide make me motivated to schedule my time, as well as try my best to enjoy the last bits of distance learning. That is why I truly recommend using this studying platform.
If you are interested, you can find the free Focus Rooms by clicking here.
Thank you for your attention! And good luck with your studies and finals. This pandemic has been rough, but we’ve got this! 💪
backyard.co
Hi!
As we are well aware, it may not be possible to hangout with your friends face-to-face. Maybe because the restrictions in your area are stricter, or you simply want to stay as safe as possible. Luckily for us, there are so many options online where you can still have a good time with other people.
I’ll be talking about just one, but there are loads of other options available and I might make a post about those later.
backyard.co is the name of the website. It is rather similar to a Zoom call but even more chaotic and fun because of the added features. I’ve played this with a few friends and we had a really awesome time. Although its quite new, and still in beta, it functions very smoothly and it is genuinely such a wonderful opportunity to spend time with people even when you can’t leave your home.
Even though it doesn’t compare to seeing friends in real life, it is still a really good alternative to just spending time alone. It is still a form of contact, and a really interesting one at that. Personal favourites of us were “Word Play”, which mimics the card game “Cards Against Humanity”, which we would normally play in person. There are so many fun options to explore. All you need is a decently functioning computer and some buddies.
I highly recommend you try it out! : )
Taking care of your mental health during social distancing
Hello, everyone! We are back with more tips for you. Today we are going to talk about mental health. During quarantine and distance learning we have all noticed that social distancing can worsen our mental health and cause us to have many negative thoughts. Of course, it’s not like that for everyone. Some of our classmates and friends have experienced an opposite effect. By staying at home and reducing the number of real-life interactions with other people, they were able to relax and recharge themselves. There are some things which we found to be useful in maintaining a positive mindset and in reducing the negative effects of isolation. One of such things is the proper division of space for specific activities. For example, you can make sure that you study or work at your desk, sleep in your bed, eat at the kitchen table, and relax or do your hobbies somewhere else. That way your brain will not get distracted that easily and going on quarantine will not cause a huge change in routine (at least you will not perceive it as such). So, you will procrastinate less and you will spend less time overthinking things. Try not to overwork yourself, though. It is important to have a balanced schedule and to have time for both work/studying and rest. You probably already contact your friends and family often. Remember not to isolate yourself from other people completely. You could talk to people on the phone or videocall them instead of texting, for example. That way you’ll feel more satisfied with socialization and you’ll feel happier. You could make new friends online by finding people who have similar interests (for example on Tumblr!) Another activity that you could try is meditation. We got this recommendation from one of our classmates who has tried it. Meditation can help you feel more in peace with yourself. You could practice it for a few minutes every day or a few times a week to improve your mental health. These small tips are useful (at least we found these to be useful) but it’s important to get help if you need it. You can get therapy online or in real life (depending on your location). Make sure to take care of yourself and to maintain a positive mindset as much as it is possible in your current life situation. If you need to talk to someone you can even contact us. Of course, we aren’t professionals but we’ll try our best to support you :)
Since we recommended visiting Lapakiston luonnonsuojelualue yesterday, here are some photos that one of our classmates took while hiking there last summer :) As you can see it’s a very beautiful place!
Places to visit in Lahti during the pandemic
Social distancing is important but it can be boring and unhealthy to stay at home all the time. So, here are some places in Lahti that you could still visit during the pandemic situation. Our previous post already mentions places like Salpausselkä, Pikku-Vesijärven puisto and the harbor. Today I would like to recommend you more places that are great to spend time at. These places are rather safe because there are few people. However, it’s still important to keep distance from others :) My personal favorite is Launeen Perhepuisto. It is a park that all of you probably know of if you’ve been living in Lahti for some time. Right now you can take a walk there, practice skiing, ice skate at the skate park or do some exercises at the outdoor gym. In the summer, when the weather is warmer, you can see lots of ducks and a big variety of different plants. Since the plants are named, you can learn a lot of new information about them, if that is what interests you. Another place that I could recommend is the area around Lapakisto. It is a bit far from the center of Lahti, but you could travel there by bike or another vehicle. It is a great place to enjoy the nature, go hiking or camping. You could take a friend with you and go spend some time there. There are lots of trails that you can follow as well as the place where you can make a fire. There are some benches where you can sit. You could also have a picnic when it gets warmer (or even now, if that’s your thing). I’ve been to Lapakiston luonnonsuojelualue with one of my friends last year and we enjoyed spending time there. It is the place that has a truly healing and relaxing effect on you. So far, I can recommend mostly parks. We will post more recommendations in the future, so make sure to follow our updates :)
Week 2: Going outside.
Physical activity does not necessarily spark joy in the hearts of all, myself included, but is still important and incredibly beneficial. Especially during a time where it’s more than easy to stay inside all day.
During distance learning I found that I spend most of my time inside, moving between my kitchen and the bed, watching the sun rise and set from the same position. Honestly, at the beginning, this was actually pretty relaxing. But soon my body and mind started feeling the effects, and I was eager to try and change something about my routine. As my mother often likes to preach: the outdoors are healthy. It feels good to breathe. You need to get away from the small space of your room.
I agree!
So, to maintain both my physical and mental health, I made it a goal to go for 2 walks a day. I think this is not only very achievable but actually quite fun. You could walk around an area that you don’t normally hang out around, maybe take some pictures. Personally I’ve also enjoyed spending more time with my dogs outside, and seeing friends individually rather than in groups.
If you have the opportunity to really delve into nature I think walks in the country and in the forests do wonders for your mind. Not only did this help me with the activity section of CAS, I was inspired to experiment with photography, I’ll post some photos on here later.
In Lahti, there are so many opportunities to surround yourself with nature. The most obvious examples range from Pikku-Vesijärven puisto (pikkuvesku!), spending time at the harbour, and there are forest and hiking paths all over. I’ve enjoyed many walks in Salpausselkä, and you can even find short nature in the city center if you know where to look! Go explore a little bit and take a moment to clear your mind :)
Remember to keep a safe distance from other wanderers.
Week 1: Physical health
We decided to start our blog with the advice that will help you maintain a good health during the COVID-19 pandemic and the self-isolation period. Here are some tips which we personally found to be useful and beneficial while dealing with distance learning. 1. Follow the guidelines provided by the government This tip might seem like the most obvious one. However, some people still ignore the regulations that the government sets to control the pandemic situation. Remember: by neglecting the use of mask and going to parties with many people you are putting yourself and others at risk. Some of your friends might have chronic health issues and the possibility of getting COVID-19 can be especially dangerous for them. Try to look out for others and to take the provided guidelines seriously in order to ensure safety of your local community. 2. Create a schedule for yourself Going to sleep late and overall perceiving the distance learning period as a vocation can seem like a tempting idea. However, this will might have a negative impact on your health in the long run. Instead of giving up on the activities that you would normally do and being lazy, try to follow a routine that boosts your productivity and helps you stay in shape. If you are a student just like us, you could start your daily routine by waking up at a reasonable time in order to have breakfast and to get dressed before the beginning of your online lesson. This will put you into the right mindset for studying and help you feel energized throughout the day. 3. Take regular breaks while studying or working Make sure to let your body relax. Take breaks from sitting in front of the computer or TV all day. During these breaks you should let your eyes rest. Avoid looking at the screen for a few minutes at least. Stand up and do some stretching. Drink a glass of water or have a snack. If you are living with someone else, you can have a conversation with that person. It is important to support each other in such times. 4. Make sure to stay in shape By taking care of your physical health you can maintain a good immune system which will make you more resistant to the diseases. This might also decrease the number of complications that COVID-19 causes. (Although we hope that you will not be affected by it!) Seek to do regular exercises. It can be hard to work-out at home for some people. Later this week, we will share useful resources which will help you with this problem. :) 5. Set goals (and work towards achieving them!) Try to set realistic goals the results of which will benefit you. These goals can be related to sports, for example. You could learn a new skill or participate in activity that you have always dreamed to take part in. Even small things like that can create a positive change and help you maintain good health. It is important to take care of your health, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. After all, your physical health affects your mental health and your mood. We hope all of you will stay healthy and will have a positive attitude even in these hard times!
Welcome!
We are a group of IB students from Lahti and this blog is part of our CAS project. Here we are going to share the information about COVID-19, give you tips on how to deal with the issues that self-isolation creates and talk about our own experiences with distance learning. We hope you will enjoy our content! :)