How are we supposed to cope with all of these changes? Has someone written a book on this yet?! All of these changes that are happening, not only to our school, but to our world have definitely shaken me quite a bit (and I am a Mental Health Professional!). There is not one specific way that people are expected to deal with all of this, my way will be different than yours, but I do think that it is important that everyone has all of the resources that can assist in fitting the needs of each individual person.
The effects of COVID-19 are sad, tough, and frustrating. For all of the students that were looking forward to their springtime extra-curricular activities, I’m sorry. For all of the Seniors that were just beginning to get a feel for that Senior Slide, I’m sorry. But instead of focusing on what we are missing out on, I wonder if we could try to focus on the positives of this crazy time in our lives. Never again, in your WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE, will you be given the opportunity or TIME to really focus on yourself. Of course you still have school work to complete and chores that your parents will no doubt expect you to do, but I challenge you to make time for yourself. Take advantage of the fact that you are in a way forced to focus on who you are and spend time with yourself (and your family).
Here are some ideas to help you with this:
-Focus on your mental health. Are there some things you need to work through? If so, reach out to me! I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and I am at your service! This is also maybe one of the only times that you have access to a licensed therapist for free. If you aren’t into that, there are a lot of online supports to address your mental health such as the following:
-Spend time in nature and practice mindfulness. Mindfulness helps with awareness and acceptance. There are several ways to practice mindfulness. Here is a helpful resource for practicing mindfulness : https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/what-is-mindfulness/dbt/adolescents
-Create a list of 50 life goals that you have for yourself. These can be simple or big. Did you know that by simply writing down your goals you are 42% more likely to achieve them?? I think that statistic alone makes this something worth doing! Once you have your list, start looking through to see if there are some goals you can start working toward or things that you can achieve during this time!
-Focus on your physical health. Want to start healthier eating habits? Learn and practice making some healthy recipes! Want to increase your weight lifting abilities? Create a daily routine for increasing! Want to be able to run a half-marathon? Start a plan for how you can reach your target distance!
-Practice a new skill. It is totally okay to try something new, in fact, I encourage it! Try something you haven’t before. Even if it feels uncomfortable, put yourself out there, you may find out you like something that you wouldn’t have expected!
-Become an artist. Even if you don’t have the materials that you think you need to achieve this, if you have a paper and pencil, start sketching! If you have a phone with a camera, start taking some photographs of things you find beautiful!
-Journal. There is such power in journaling, trust me. And right now, we have a TON of material to write about. If you can’t think of anything to write about, try one of these journaling prompts: http://selo.diyardent.com/image.php?id=184038
Those are just some ideas for how to make this time worthwhile, but I am sure you have some ideas of your own as well!
This can be a really difficult time, even if we are working hard to focus on the positives. If you are struggling, PLEASE reach out. If not to me, then to one of the resources available. If you are struggling with thoughts of harming yourself, you can contact 1-800-273-8255 or text MN to 741741 (this is a resource that you can remain anonymous).
Take a lesson from my dog, Hank, and relax a little bit and remember this will all pass :)
Mallory