The daily routines of Division I student-athletes are typically both structured and busy. They need to be in order to fit in all the activities that create success in both academics and athletics. But as the COVID-19 global pandemic has impacted every aspect of life, these routines for UMass Lowell student-athletes have changed drastically in the last month.
 
"I think it's really trying," admitted Sara Siteman (Hudson, N.H.), a junior on the River Hawk softball team. "From the mental health aspect of it, when you're not around the people you're used to being around it's hard. The other day I had to take an exam while my dad was trying to clean the kitchen and my sister was playing music. It's a hard situation for everybody and nobody is performing at their peak."
 
What makes this situation even more difficult, as junior Harry Morrill (Hyde Park, Mass.) of the men's lacrosse team points out, although you can normally turn to someone older and more experienced for guidance in a new situation, what we are going through right now is new for everyone. 
 
"This is a first for everyone in the world," said Morrill. "Usually if you bring something up, someone in your life has been through it, but I could say very few people have been through this. Even people who are 100 years old really haven't seen anything like this. But, the River Hawks are a big family, and we are all in this together."
 
Family time, among other remedies, though, is a helpful self-care treatment according to junior men's soccer player Adbi Shariff-Hassan (Lewiston, Maine).
 
"It's different because as student-athletes, we're used to being busy all day. Now with so much free time it's difficult because we don't know what to do. Sometimes I just workout, do my assignment, go outside and do more workouts, and I still have plenty of time. So, I'm just trying to spend as much time with my family as possible. Instead of being in my room working out or doing homework, I try to be in the living room with the family or watching movies with them. Just trying to spend quality time together."
 
And UMass Lowell as a whole, which prides itself on being a big family, has also extended its support system in an effort to aid the entire student body through the changes they are dealing with.
 
"The staff from the Wellness Center has reached out to let us know that they could do phone calls," shared Felicia Korte (Watertown, Mass.) of the women's basketball team. "They've been really good about that. The in-person stuff is really hard to duplicate over the phone, but the fact that it's still available to us is helpful."
 
Other resources for the student-athletes include their coaching staffs and teammates.
 
"I feel like I've been lucky enough to fall back on my teammates and my coaching staff in addition to my family," explained Siteman. "My coaching staff has been phenomenal through this whole thing, scheduling at least once a week meetings with our whole team. We've been staying in touch, and coach has been making sure everyone's mental state is where it needs to be."
 
In addition to leaning on those who are there to listen, several student-athletes have tackled the feelings of being overwhelmed or anxious with breathing exercises.
 
"I actually realized that I do some mediation exercises," Morrill acknowledged. "I really just try to focus on breathing and the reading that I have done. If you slow your breathing down, you can slow your heart rate down and you really let things come to you. I definitely use that in all aspects of life, not just sports."
 
Shariff-Hassan wants his team to be an example for other soccer players and athletes who could be feeling down while not being able to do what they love.
 
"I want the boys to record themselves working out or doing soccer skills so that we can all share on social media and show other kids that you don't have to be in your room sad thinking about the whole situation. You can go out there, be active, and work on your game and fitness. We want our team to be a role model, show that you can still be active and do everything even though you're at home."
 
Besides meditation and staying connected with family and friends, Korte also explained the importance of using this time to focus your energy on something new.
 
"Since I've been home, I've been trying to work on other things. I've taught myself how to sew. I've been trying to become a better cook. I'm trying to focus my energy on positive things and learning to do new things with all this downtime. I think that's been helpful because I'm not just putting my energy into school work or unproductive things. I've been trying to learn and take advantage of the time."
 
Morrill has turned to music as part of his self-care and has begun his journey to become a guitar player.
 
"I've been trying to learn the ukulele in my downtime. Been doing that a little bit, obviously in the works, but I've always said I wanted to play the guitar and feel like the ukulele is a good place to start. It's a little easier on the fingers and good for learning the chords and the strings. Been doing that in my off time a lot and it's coming along, slowly but surely."
 
Hobbies like sewing or playing an instrument can bring joy to new daily lives that may quickly become repetitive and stale. And even watching trendy shows, such as the recent viral Netflix original The Tiger King, can spark moments of community for student-athletes who are thousands of miles apart and serve as a short reprieve from the tough times faced by all.
 
"In the midst of all this, for Netflix to release something like that while everyone has all this free time, I mean that's probably half the reason why it blew up the way that it did," realized Morrill. "I mean it was so entertaining. I watched it in like a day and a half. It definitely kind of made you forget about everything that's going on for a minute."
 
And while shows like this probably contribute to why many admit to staying up too late since being off campus, these student-athletes agree that they are working on keeping a schedule, which can provide some semblance of normalcy.
 
"One thing that helps with my mental health a lot is having a schedule," stated Korte. "It's one of the reasons why I love UMass Lowell so much. Every day, I knew what I was doing for the day. So I've been trying to mimic that at home a little bit. Sticking to a schedule has been most important."
 
While these four River Hawk student-athletes would all much rather be back in Lowell with their teammates, playing the games they are so passionate about, taking the time for self-care during this quarantine has helped them all stay optimistic.
 
"We all just need to recognize that everybody is doing the best they can," insisted Siteman. Forgive yourself. You're not perfect. People just need to cut themselves some slack because as long as you know you're doing the best you can then that's all you can do."
 
And although things may seem tougher than ever before, Shariff-Hassan offered some impactful advice.
 
"I just want everyone to stay positive and live in the moment. Instead of just thinking about what's going to happen in the next two or three weeks, just enjoy your moment and your time with the family. Things will go back to normal soon."