Aditi Biswas, Nutrition consultant, Health Check Lab, Kolkata, describes how the shift to online learning has made staying mentally and physically healthy more challenging than ever. Reduced movement, constant screen exposure, and fewer social connections can leave students feeling overwhelmed. By adopting simple, consistent habits, learners can protect their well-being and boost their focus. This passage outlines practical approaches for thriving in a virtual classroom.
I am a holistic nutritionist and have been involved in the wellness industry for a long period of time. I have explored my knowledge in different countries such as the USA, Canada, and across North America. My interest in nutrition developed during my stay in North America, and gradually, I wanted to share with people how essential well-being is for everyone and how we can inculcate good habits into our lives.
As we all know, circumstances have changed significantly since the COVID-19 period, which was completely unexpected. None of us had imagined being confined to a room, having to communicate and interact with the world through digital means. This mode of interaction, however, has been very successful over the years. Now, five years later, we find ourselves in a digital world where we can stay in any part of the globe, remain connected, and gain knowledge through interactive sessions, which can benefit both adults and children. If we are in a virtual classroom and handling small children and even students at high school, we should know how we can start, how to manage, and also be sure of various factors that will contribute to the growth of the child during such sessions.
So, what exactly is well-being?
As a holistic nutritionist, I approach well-being as a holistic state encompassing physical health, mental health, emotional balance, and social connectedness. Physical, mental, emotional, and social factors together define what health balance means in a person’s life. Physical health can be monitored in a variety of ways. Mental health, when approached with focus and discipline, supports emotional balance. Social connectedness is particularly important in today’s world, where many of our interactions occur online through laptops or mobile devices.
Why does this matter in virtual learning? Reduced in-person interaction is now common, meaning we are often not interacting personally due to busy schedules. We are too busy with our work, and yet we need to stay connected with others, too. This has increased screen time and isolation, disrupted routines, and decreased motivation. We should never get into those disruptive routines and motivation where we may not focus much. Therefore, it is essential to maintain focus and motivate ourselves to engage in meaningful conversations on virtual platforms. We should keep talking to each other, interacting, and motivating ourselves by having meaningful conversations.
Key areas of well-being in a virtual classroom include physical well-being, mental and emotional well-being, social well-being, academic well-being, and digital well-being.
Focus on physical health.
Physical well-being can be maintained through several techniques. Regular breaks during sessions are vital. For instance, International Yoga Day reminds us how we can keep active. Taking regular breaks, starting a session with meditation and focusing help maintain a calm mind and body. The Pomodoro Technique is another valuable method; it consists of short breaks of 25-minute study and intervals followed by five-minute breaks. After four pomodoros, a longer break is taken. This approach improves focus, reduces distractions, and prevents burnout by incorporating rest periods into the work schedule. If properly implemented, this can be a structured approach with short breaks and a longer break, and this transition is absolutely helpful. Children can also benefit from stretching between classes and using breakout rooms to interact. Short breaks to drink water, stay hydrated, and eat healthy snacks such as fruits, cheese, dairy products, or nuts help maintain concentration and prevent monotony during virtual classes, as the interaction is between the child and the teacher on virtual level. Proper posture and ergonomics are also critical when children are sitting for extended periods, and nutritious meals support both energy levels and focus. Children can use this break to stay hydrated, have a nutritious meal or snack such as fruits or cheese and dairy products, which will be helpful for their general health. This will help them focus on the class better. This habit can be encouraged among the children and made a daily routine. Parents can assist by using reminder apps to schedule movement and breaks, ensuring children remain active throughout the day. These reminder apps can be downloaded by the parents who can help the child to fix their schedule. This way, the parents can prevent children from accessing it.
Healthy mind, healthy child
Mental and emotional well-being can be supported through practising mindfulness and meditation. Applications such as Headspace and Calm are needed as they keep the mind and body calm. These practices and meditation will help the children develop structured practices to develop concentration on anything they do and develop emotional balance. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule is equally important, especially when following a virtual learning routine as we would do in an in-person session. Eight or more hours of sleep is recommended for children, and this habit should be established early in life. Irregular sleep patterns can cause difficulty in following the lessons. If the parents work late at night, the child also gets involved in the schedule, and his sleep schedule is disturbed. There will be disrupted hormone balance, increased cortisol levels, and a contribution to stress during the class hours and any activities. This can make the child disoriented, irritated even at small things, and not do things well that he would have done better in an in-person schedule. This is not what we want. We should help them in setting realistic goals, which is essential in the present unpredictable situations. Considering each family and individual has a unique lifestyle, a disciplined routine supports these goals, and commitments should only be made when the goals are achievable. Goals can be developed and implemented. If children feel overwhelmed, counselling sessions are arranged by schools that follow virtual platforms. These sessions can provide one-to-one support to address and overcome any distress, focus on issues, social interaction, or adapt to online environments. They can interact with their peers during class hours to cope with the online environment, which is very important. This will help in managing anxiety. Journaling and gratitude logs are excellent tools for children aged eight and above. Writing about daily experiences helps children process their feelings, reflect on their day, and foster connections with teachers, peers, and parents. This is a very transparent method by which the child can get over the anxiety. The gratitude law, which is to thank everyone at the end of the day, may make their day more meaningful.
Enhancing social interaction
Social well-being is fundamental, as humans are inherently social beings. We would always want to interact with others, discuss, talk, and express our feelings through a proper channel. Virtual study groups allow children to connect with peers through discussion boards or WhatsApp and social platforms to discuss academics or extracurricular interests. They can discuss their interest areas or activities with others in different zones of interest, and also check on their interests. This will make the child feel that they are on a virtual platform. They can constructively develop their thoughts, channelize into a more constructive path to have better productivity. These interactions prevent monotony, stimulate interest, and encourage constructive thought development. Attending optional online meetups or clubs, as well as participating in group projects and discussions, can further support social engagement. Coordinating in-person meetups, when feasible, can also enhance collaboration and understanding among peers. Regular check-ins with friends and family and participation in peer support networks foster a sense of community and belonging, even in a globally connected virtual classroom. This is very helpful for children who are attending online classes. They can focus on group discussions, group projects, and in-person meetups by scheduling a particular time in the day that is convenient to all. If a teacher is connected to this activity, it is very good to get things in a more open form. The interaction can be more effective and useful. Getting acquainted with friends and their families makes the children feel comfortable with them. So joining or creating a peer support group is very much needed now.
Promoting healthy screen use
Digital well-being is equally important for physical and mental well-being. Setting screen time limits outside of study hours ensures children maintain balance. While online study sessions may occupy three to four hours a day, children should transition to outdoor activities afterwards. They should be taught why they should limit the screen time, and how, after some time, they should switch to a more open environment of outdoor activities and then return to work. Using blue light filters reduces eye strain, and organising digital files prevents cognitive clutter. Maintaining folders for assignments, shared platforms such as Canva for collaborative projects, and managing notifications during study periods enhances focus. Schools can support students by integrating these practices into their learning platforms, ensuring academic and digital well-being are maintained simultaneously. The digital well-being should be maintained by the school and its website.
Fostering educational balance
Academic well-being focuses on ensuring children do not fall behind due to virtual learning. Online schooling, though not yet mainstream, is often criticised with concerns, such as why we should opt for online classes when we have a lot of in-person options. But it is a personal choice, and we need to understand the difference it may bring to everyone’s life. It offers flexibility for parents who travel or have demanding schedules. With laptops, eBooks, and organised digital files, learning continues uninterrupted. With study materials available in the files and folders, the physical book and eBooks are available to offer a learning process that is uninterrupted. A distraction-free study space and a consistent daily schedule enhance concentration. Digital planners and to-do lists help manage potential technical issues, and support from teachers or school teams ensures uninterrupted learning. The child should not feel the difference between the in-person learning setup and the digital one. The parents should provide a secluded space without any disturbance for the children to concentrate on their study routine and stick to their daily schedule. If the students face any technical problems, the school should have instructors to help them. This can be prioritised by using time management tools, such as the Eisenhower Matrix allowing students to prioritise tasks based on urgency and importance. This, combined with productive apps like YouTube for educational or exercise content, supports both physical and mental well-being. Attending both the urgency of the issue and the session can be implemented rationally. We can make use of apps and tools such as YouTube, which have lots of videos and workout sessions for the well-being of the students. So well-being is essential for success, and small, consistent actions will help us take care of ourselves, which is necessary.
Educator health and focus
Managing stress for instructors is also crucial. Online teaching is challenging due to multiple sessions and diverse student age groups. Meditation, yoga, workouts, sports, and breathing exercises help instructors remain calm and composed and manage students of various levels and ages. Digital planning can streamline workloads, ensuring instructors maintain both physical and mental balance. They can start meditation and yoga sessions before and after the classes. They can do breathing exercises that suit them and are easy to follow. They need to feel that they are doing the extra work virtually only and can be managed. There are many online platforms where online teaching and teachers are allowed in various fields, such as the technical field. Even universities are following the online platform now. To connect to each other, virtual classroom instructors can foster community and belonging by connecting students through interest-based activities, games, and social platforms. Art, music, or hobby-focused sessions provide additional engagement beyond academic content. Rather than just focusing on games, they can focus on other zones of interest for their sustenance.
Improving online well-being
Evaluating well-being strategies requires attention to technical accessibility and flexibility. Internet issues, time zone differences, and connectivity challenges should be addressed through support systems and flexible scheduling. There should be more flexibility, and the platform should be easy to work on. We need improvement on the technical support system, as we are working on a global platform and cannot access others at the same time. We can send emails in such cases, fix up a time suitable for all, and connect with them. Such connectivity enriches sessions, allowing students to learn from diverse perspectives.
To conclude, well-being is multifaceted and essential for success. Small, consistent actions integrate self-care into daily routines, making health a necessity rather than an option. Physical, mental, emotional, social, academic, and digital well-being all contribute to a balanced life. By eating well, staying hydrated, taking breaks, and engaging in productive activities, both the body and mind remain active and calm. In today’s digital world, prioritising well-being is more important than ever for students, instructors, and families alike.
This is a summary of the talk given by the author on schoolreformer.com
Contact details:
Aditi Biswas
Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant ( C.H.N )
Former Microbiologist with experience in the food industry in the Research and Development field.
Nutrition Writer on a global platform supporting plant-based diet through podcast and social media blogs. Creating health awareness through virtual and in-person sessions collaborating with health professionals.
M: 704442336
E: aditi.biswas79@gmail.com