I have to be honest. The first two weeks were overwhelming. I felt like I was drinking from a fire hose; every time I solved a problem, another one presented itself. I felt guilty if I could not solve all of the problems. Once I remembered to ask for help, it became manageable. I reacted less and responded more. I hope that if any of you experienced those feelings, you are moving to a place where things are becoming manageable. And if not, ask for help.
- For those of you still doing yoga with Katherine, she will be teaching us via Zoom for the next six (6) Thursdays at 4pm. Here is a link to the call in info. It will be the same number every week until May 14. (I hope to see you today at 4pm!)
- Need some mindfulness? Try Calm on YouTube. My go-to in anxious moments is the 52-second Breathe Bubble.
- More at home exercise ideas from Orangetheory Fitness and Ready, Set, HIIT at Home.
- Here is a Parent/Caregiver Guide from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network on how to talk to children about COVID-19 and tips on Taking Care of your Behavioral Health during an infectious disease outbreak.
You may notice that you are putting in more hours into work/teaching now than you normally did when school was open. It was easier to switch to family/personal mode when you physically walked out the school door. Somehow, you need to find a way to switch to family mode when you are teaching from home, too. It will help if your working/teaching space is different from your living space. If you don't have a home office or other separate area for working, then try setting an alarm that reminds you when to turn off the computer and put "school" away for the day, every day. It also might help to schedule a transition activity like a walk or exercise routine after your work is done.
Another thing I have heard is people feeling like they are losing their sense of purpose, a feeling that is amplified by isolation and social distance. This article from Forbes/Next Generation provides some background as well as suggestions for finding purpose during this pandemic. And, if you are interested and have time, check out this free online course: the Science of Well-Being from Yale.
And don't forget to keep washing your hands.
Be well,
Jaycie
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