University students' Experiences of Occupational Balance in Response to the Environmental Changes Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic caused universities worldwide, including those in Sweden, to adopt online distance learning as the primary teaching approach. However, there is limited research on how larger environmental changes affect university students' occupational balance. In this study, 15 university students were interviewed, and their responses were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings suggest that the students had to take more responsibility for maintaining their occupational balance, as the pandemic and shift to online learning limited their social and physical environment and altered their daily activities and routines.