As School Begins Again
Image from Molokai January 2017
Hello all. Here we are embarking on another new adventure with schools going back into session. It seems the anxiety and jaw-dropping awe about this year just doesn’t abate. We have school districts in a mad scramble to keep people safe while being true to their mission of educating. We have teachers who are split on what they want to happen and who are stressed by the unpredictability and change they are facing. We have students who are diving back into a social setting where though they are to follow new rules for safety, we all can predict how quickly they will forget. I mean, they are kids after all. So where does this leave us? Well, kind of back where we started in March. Waiting to see what happens. The stress we are feeling is real. And though fatigued by it, we have to remain alert. To let your guard down now and decide that it has been long enough is forgetting we are in a marathon, not a sprint, or even a 5K. We must continue to be wary and cautious and we must take care of ourselves and our families the best we can. The power to manage lies in your hands. I would suggest making time each day to spend 10 minutes or so just clearing your mind and taking yourself to someplace that represents peace for you. In my office we might call this exercise going to your peaceful place. In your daily life, you can call it respite.
Here’s how it works. Sit somewhere where you can close your eyes and be still for a few minutes. Identify a place you feel peaceful. It can be real or it can be fictional, all that is required is that you can imagine yourself there. Once you have your place, BE there for several minutes, feeling the peace, smelling the smells, hearing the sounds, and seeing all the things that are around you there. Use this as a quick break in the action of your day as a way to remember times when you are peaceful and what that feels like. We can’t let go of that.
As an aside, many of us are missing being able to travel. Though this isn’t even close to the same, it is a faint reflection of times when we could plan cool vacations and you can use this to “travel” without leaving. I don’t know about you, but I need that.
Thanks for reading & take care,
AmyZ
