Tag: #COVID19

10 Things that are Helping me Deal with Covid 19

Lately, I’ve been struggling a lot and I’m sure I’m not alone.  It is normal to struggle because things aren’t normal. We’re dealing with a global crisis which many of us have never experienced. Below is a list of 10 things I have found have helped me and might be beneficial to others as well.

1. Contact Family and friends often

Even though we can no longer see each other in person, I have found that I’m reaching out to my family and friends more often that before the pandemic. I have made use of Snap chat, Marco Polo, Zoom, and phone calls. This always makes me feel better and it’s a nice break from isolation. Just think if you’re missing your loved ones they’re probably missing you too, so reach out. : )

2. Turn off the news and stop reading updates constantly

The first week when things went from “we got this under control” to “everything needs to shut down now” I was constantly looking at news updates. The information quickly overwhelmed me and it seemed like everyone and their mother was posting updates. Things were changing by the minute and even now things continue to change daily. There was no way my poor anxiety could handle all of the changes. I finally decided to limit my time on social media and not watch the news as much. I started unfollowing people on my social media who were being overly negative. I understand COVID 19 needs to be taken very seriously, but all of the negativity and abundance of information was causing my head to spin. Life has been a lot better since I started setting limits of my exposure to news.

3. Set Boundaries

Just like setting limits on the news, you might want to consider setting other boundaries. Many people are now working from home so it’s good to be able to differentiate between when is “work time” vs when is “family time” vs. “me time.”  This is especially important if you have children who also need support with school and navigating through what’s going on with the world. If you have flexibility with your work schedule, maybe take more breaks throughout the day. It’s important to be mindful of when you need a break. Self care is extremely important, especially during this time.

4. Make a schedule and set goals, but don’t feel bad if you don’t accomplish them

Schedules are important. Some people might need to write out their whole day, others might just want to make a list of things they want to get done. I think it’s important to try and maintain a consistency in your life. I know this may be hard for some people, but it can make a difference and helps me still find purpose in my day . Goals are exciting because it keeps you motivated. Maybe you have a goal to learn a new hobby or skill? The big thing with goals is don’t get angry or upset if you don’t finish them. I had a goal since March to clean out our guest bedroom and I never touched it until the beginning of April. Things that are not necessary to your health will get done when they need to. Don’t stress about little things.

5. Calm your mind

I don’t know about you, but my mind will often race at night. I will be fine all day but then just as I’m about to go to bed, all of the things that have been stressing me out comes rushing into my brain. I have started using Down Dog which is an awesome personalized Yoga App. It’s been super helpful to get in a better state of mind and just take time to stretch. I’m also trying to not look at my phone an hour before bed to prevent seeing any negative news before trying to sleep. Calm and Headspace are also great Apps for stressful times and meditation.

6. Play a game

The best thing about being in quarantine is things that you’ve never had time for can come back such as playing games. My husband and I have invested in a Nintendo Switch so we can play video games together that we both enjoy. It’s a nice way to spend some time and to get away from reality. I feel like the only time I ever played games before was at family holiday parties, so it’s nice to have an excuse to bust out some old board and card games.

7. Exercise the mind and body

Even though I am still teaching from home, I am not putting out as much energy as I use to during a typical school day. I find if I don’t exercise or do something to challenge my brain, it’s harder to fall asleep at night. Puzzles, crosswords, Sudoku, and other mind challenges can help your brain use some energy if you feel like you’re not getting enough use of it during the day. Taking time to go for walks, run, bike, or home workouts can also help release endorphins to make your body and brain happy.

8. Don’t compare yourself to others

This is just a life rule in general, but don’t feel bad if you aren’t making gourmet meals every night like your neighbor Susie or if you’re not learning a new language like your cousin Fred. Everyone is dealing with this situation differently and if take out and Netflix is how you need to deal with COVID 19, than you do you.

9. Don’t feel guilty about others, but empathize

My husband and I are suppose to go on our Honeymoon in July but I feel like I can’t even be sad if it gets cancelled because I know so many people who are in fear of having to cancel or postpone their wedding. Since I have had lots of time to overthink, I started to feel bad about everything. I feel bad for seniors who are missing momentous occasions such as prom, sporting events, and graduation. I feel bad for those who have loved ones in the hospital that they can’t visit. I feel bad for still having a paycheck when others are off of work. I could continue this list of guilt for days but I realize I can’t feel guilty about all of these things, or I will go insane. Feeling guilty about things that you have that others don’t is just added stress. I have no control over a pandemic but I can reach out and be helpful to those who need it. Which brings me to my last point….

10. Make a list of things you can control

There are times  I feel useless. It seems like every day there’s another thing to add to the list of bad things happening in the world. I have found it’s helpful to make a list of things I can control or positive things. Making a list of things you can control brings back a sense of independence from a situation that has us so dependent on political figures, media, and other people. It then makes me feel less guilty when I can rationalize to myself there are simply things I cannot prevent. It is important to realize these things to gain back control in your life that seems out of control.

This time we’re living in is difficult and your feelings are valid. Remember, you are enough and you’re doing great.

 

What Side of History do you want to be On?

What side of history do you want to be on? I have asked this question to my 5th grade class numerous times this school year. In 5th grade, we have dived deep into some heavy topics such as Revolutionary War, World War II, the Cold War, and before COVID19 hit we had just finished reading Through My Eyes, a memoir by Ruby Bridges.

Now if you have not read Through My Eyes, it’s an excellent story from Ruby’s own voice of what it was like to be a young black girl going to an all white school in the south. The words themselves are great to read, but the thing that struck my class and me the most are the pictures. This book has photographs of Ruby heading into the school escorted by US Marshalls while white people, mostly white mothers, are screaming and protesting that this young girl be taken away and to never let her set foot into their school. She was spat on, threatened, and there was even a picture of someone holding a black doll in a casket. This was her reality. A reality that today we look at as shameful and horrid. How could people do this to an innocent 6 year old girl? The pictures do not lie. The people in them appear hateful, racists, and evil.

Now as many 10 and 11 year old would, they questioned why did people do this? How could they? Are these people evil? I explained they are definitely not on the right side of history, but did they know better?

We talked about the culture of the south and the history of slavery. Slavery wasn’t that long ago and some people’s attitudes towards African Americans were not going to change over night, especially if their parents raised them to hate and they raised their own children that way as so on and so forth. It’s a cycle. A cycle that lives on today and if someone doesn’t change their mind they will continue to preach hate and think they are not wrong.  I told them it’s easy to judge these people and the photos hold the truth, but what would be really interesting is to see if any of those people in those photos became aware of how horrible their actions were towards Ruby and other African Americans.

Personally, I applaud the people who change and become self aware of how their thoughts and actions might impact others. There was a lot of evil and hate in the photographs of Through my Eyes but I do not doubt someone from those photos realized the mistakes they had make. Can you imagine how hard that might be? If your whole life you had beliefs that were taught to you from a young age, could you change them?

I’m from the North. All throughout my schooling I learned how awful the south was and we were the “good guys” during the Civil War and in the Civil Rights Era. I was raised to treat all people with respect no matter what they looked like. My parents’ values and some of the school’s values became my own and it wasn’t until college, that I was able to make my own values and shape my own understanding of the world, piece by piece and I’m still not done figuring out my values, morals, and beliefs.

If my parents taught me that skin color matters and not to respect people would I still have my current values and beliefs? If my school preached segregation would I believe in integration? I always think back to church. I have nothing but respect for people who convert to Catholicism on their own. There was a few people I knew in college who did it for themselves and not even because they were marrying another Catholic. I can’t honestly say if I would be a Catholic on my own. I’m Catholic because my parents raised me that way, not because I chose this on my own account.  Sure, I still practice Catholicism and attend church. I even recently got married in the Catholic church because it was an expectation. It’s familiar and I, like many others, appreciate familiarity. Change is hard.

It’s easy to judge, especially in today’s world when life is so chaotic and information is so easy to access. I fear that because information is so easy to get, we think people need to be able to change and become molded to fit our ideals. At times my social media is nothing but people bashing each other. I get it. I don’t understand a lot of things either, but there’s always two sides to a coin.

The United States went into a panic when COVID19 became a reality and not just some disease halfway across the globe.  People started to gather supplies and hoard things. This resulted in grocery stores becoming bare and essential items nonexistent. People were angry about such greediness.

I was also angry about the lack of supplies and people taking way more than necessary but when I heard the news of these empty grocery stores, the first thing I told my husband was we needed to get to the store. Did we really need groceries? No, in fact we would have been fine for a few days, but my instincts told me to get things before everything was gone. It became a competition of who could find toilet paper and pasta.

You see most people’s first thoughts were not to go help other people. It was to fend for your family and yourself. We criticize the masses, but gosh I was not the first to think of other people. It wasn’t until I saw all the posts about helping the elderly that I realized my mistake.

It was then that I saw the beauty of this Pandemic. People started to help each other out. People volunteered to make masks, feed students and hospital workers, and pick up items for others who were at the most risk. Teachers started organizing parades and some companies still found a way to pay their employees.

The big buzz word of 2020 is social distancing. We shake our heads at the people we see still gathered in groups but again do they know better? Do they have parents at home to tell them to not go out? I get most of my “Don’t leave the house” information from Facebook. Do they have social media and if they do, do their friends post this information or is it just funny memes and tiktok videos? Do they even have internet access? How are some of our most vulnerable, such as our homeless population getting this information without libraries and other resources? Do we just shake our head and write a post about social distancing or do we inform and help?

This pandemic hasn’t been easy. Half of my family is in the at risk category, including myself. I worry about them and get teary eyed when people suggest we should just continue on with our lives and worry more about the economy than lives.

Yet, maybe these are some of the people who are out of work and aren’t getting paid at this time? They need the economy back to normal in order to thrive. This makes it a little more understandable.

The problem always boils down to what we know and our experiences. If you have no connection to what’s going on it’s going to be hard to empathize. I didn’t empathize with China at first. I literally thought, “Gee that sucks but it’s not my problem.” We need to change our mindset to value all human life. Maybe this is what this virus is trying to teach us? When bad things happen, it’s not just one person or country’s problem it’s all of our problems. However, we can’t just complain at what people are doing or not doing. We have to inform, teach, and reach out, from 6 feet away of course.

I realize not everyone can do this. For some people sitting at home is all they should be asked to do during this time, but some people might have the energy to do more, only they can decide that.

With COVID19, I didn’t realize my students were already going to have to ask themselves  “What side of history do I want to be on?” We can’t change the virus but we can control our actions, our thoughts, and our words. Take time to reflect during this time, be the thread not the scissors that cuts us apart.