Resources for Self-Care during COVID-19

May 5, 2020: Weekly Nature Camp

I have previously written about the essential need for creativity right now, and I have also linked to artist Sarah Jane Wright.

On Sarah Jane’s website, she is currently offering a Weekly (virtual) Nature Camp. Every Monday for 20 weeks, she will send Nature Journal Pages, Video Art Lessons, Craft Activities, Coloring Pages, and Additional Resources & Activities. It’s a wonderful way to explore and connect to nature using creativity and the arts. When everything is unpredictable for the foreseeable future, it can be be reassuring to receive these weekly nature/art projects, and know that the summer will at least contain these activities.

I do not know her and do not benefit from linking to her resources, but I have found creativity to be helpful in giving me and my family structure, expression, and joy. I wish you the same!

May 4, 2020: Breathing

Breathing deeply and mindfully provides numerous benefits to our nervous systems and psychological well-being. We have been isolated for longer than many of us ever predicted, and the losses are mounting. I have posted about breathing exercises before, but here are a few more suggestions that you can do for yourself and with your children, from educator Francesca Cohn.

1.     Smell the roses breathing in; blow out the birthday candles breathing out
2.     Snake Breathing:  deep breath in; hiss out
3.     Buzzing Bee:  deep breath in; let it out slowly making buzzing sound
4.     Belly Breathing (while laying down with hands on belly; breathe in, belly rises; breathe out, belly falls); this is especially helpful for calming down before sleep

May 1, 2020: Feelings

Every day, check-in with how you, your partner, and your children are feeling. Now more than ever, it’s important to nurture our emotional intelligence and empathy for one another. For your children, you can print out the feeling cards here and make a book of feelings, which your child can flip through to choose their feeling of the moment. You can sing If You’re Happy and You Know It
(ex: Happy …clap your hands Sad…say “boo hoo” Mad…stomp your feet Scared…say
“Oh No!” Sleepy …give a yawn Surprised…say “Oh My!”). You can also read books about feelings, such as Sad Monster, Glad Monster and My Many Colored Days. This is a time for remembering and teaching that all feelings are valid, and the better we can express our feelings and have empathy for one another, the better we’ll be able to build our resilience and cope.

April 30, 2020: Opera

If you have never watched opera before, why not try something new? If you love opera, then you’ve likely already heard the good news: The Metropolitan Opera is streaming free performances every night, bringing much-needed light and culture to us all during this isolating time. I watched a 1983 performance by Leontyne Price singing an aria from Verdi’s Aida that moved me to tears, and I had not previously known the singer or the aria.

April 29, 2020: Lessons Learned

In the field of grief counseling and therapy, making meaning out of loss and crisis is a significant part of the grieving and healing process. Here is a prompt from WNYC to end National Poetry Month and to help you start making meaning of your life experiences while expressing yourself, too:

What are your "Lessons learned?"

Big lessons, small ones, societal ones, personal ones. Share your “lessons learned” poem on Twitter/Instagram using #PAUSEpoetry or email mywnyc@gmail.com. They may share your poem on the air or online.

April 28, 2020: Grounding Using Senses

In yesterday’s post, I wrote about the benefits and uses of grounding, especially when we are overwhelmed with many complicated and challenging feelings. Even a previously simple errand like going to the grocery store is now unbelievably complicated, overwhelming, and possibly fear-inducing.

Here is a simple grounding exercise that you could use for yourself, with your children, on a daily basis, or when you need it most.

Working backwards from 5 to 1, use your senses to list things you notice around you:

5 things you hear,

4 things you see,

3 things you can touch or feel,

2 things you can smell,

1 thing you can taste.

Take a deep breath; all will be well.

April 27, 2020: Grounding Using Mediation

When we are overwhelmed with so many different feelings, it can be hard to feel safe enough to feel, without it feeling like a flood. In the face of a pandemic, we are feeling anxiety, sadness, fear, grief, anger, and more. Furthermore, the current trauma can trigger old wounds, worries, and losses in all of us, exacerbating how overwhelmed and flooded we can feel.

Grounding can help us to literally ground ourselves, calming our minds, hearts, and bodies. Before we can feel and heal, we need to ground. Here is a free 7-minute meditation from psychologist Dr. Laura Markham. Try it when and if you feel overwhelmed with feelings and/or memories.

April 24, 2020: Social-Distance Socializing

Prioritizing relationships and connecting with others can be helpful for boosting mood and resilience. There are ways to socialize while still adhering to social distance rules. How can you social-distance socialize with others during this pandemic? It might lift your spirits to spend time with people. Aside from all the Zoom, Facetime, and virtual possibilities, here are some ideas for real face-to-face (outdoor) socializing that we’ve done:

• Set up cones or other bright markers in your yard or in an open space that clearly mark safe boundaries. Each person or family can stay in their designated section. With children, there are many games to play that do not involve touching, such as: I-spy, charades, and Simon Says. What else can you or your child think of?

• Our babysitter sat on our lawn and played a game with my children as they rode bikes and scooters on the walkway around the lawn. Each time they passed her, they had to think of a word that started with the subsequent letter in the alphabet. (I sat on the porch and worked on my laptop.)

• We have visited many people on driveways. They sit at their front steps and we socialize while coloring their driveways!

• Drive or walk by someone’s house for a few minutes of an outdoor chat!

What other ways can you social-distance socialize so that you can stay home and stay safe while also staying connected?

April 23, 2020: Resilience

I have been thinking about resilience since this all started six weeks ago. According to this published article by the American Psychological Association, resilience is defined as: “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress…As much as resilience involves ‘bouncing back’ from these difficult experiences, it can also involve profound personal growth.”

How can we cultivate resilience in ourselves, individually and collectively? Among the many excellent and useful suggestion in the aforementioned article, I personally like the ones regarding helping others, being proactive, searching for meaning and self-discovery, and maintaining a positive, hopeful attitude. Remind yourself of what has given you strength and built your resilience in the past. From challenge and adversity come opportunities for profound growth and change.

April 22, 2020: Light

Light emerges from the darkness. This poem by Langston Hughes, entitled “Helen Keller,” gives me hope and courage:

She,
In the dark,
Found light
Brighter than many ever see.

She,
Within herself,
Found loveliness,
Through the soul’s own mastery.

And now the world receives
From her dower:
The message of the strength
Of inner power.

—Langston Hughes

Where can you find light? Where can you find loveliness? How can you harness your strength and inner power? If you would like to, write a poem on the subject of light. Search for your light and give it energy to shine.

April 21, 2020: Evaluate

Ami Kunimura, Founder of The Self-Care Institute, posted self-reflection questions to help individuals nurture and care for themselves during this pandemic. One question is especially helpful, now that we’re in our sixth week of shelter-in-place orders. Ami asks:

“What has not been helpful that I need to stop doing or do less of?”

Take some time to check-in with yourself and evaluate: what has not been helpful thus far? Have you used any coping tools that have not been as helpful as you hoped? Evaluate what has not filled up your bucket. Now is the time to take care of yourself. If endlessly scrolling on Facebook or having infinite virtual get-togethers is starting to feel tiring, take a break and do something more positive for yourself, instead.

April 20, 2020: Kindness

Ami Kunimura, Founder of The Self-Care Institute, wrote: “Self-care is critical right now and kindness is mandatory.” We can find strength during times of stress by having loving kindness in our hearts, minds, and souls. Send peace and gratitude to yourself and those around you. Here is a three-minute loving kindness meditation, led by Ami.

“May you be happy. May you be peaceful. May you be healthy. May you live with ease” (Ami Kunimura).

The Self-Care Institute is hosting a live weekly workshop on Thursday evenings for Managing Stress and Anxiety with Mindfulness, Compassion, and Creativity (pay what you can). There other resources and meditations on her website, as well. Full disclosure: Ami was a wonderful student of mine in a graduate program where I teach. I am grateful to her for all she is offering the world right now. Check out her website for more information.

April 17, 2020: Play

The benefits of play are too great to list here. “Play can add joy to life, relieve stress, supercharge learning, and connect you to others and the world around you.” I played a singing game with friends on zoom last night, and it brought a lot of joy to my life. I felt genuinely connected to a group of people whom I have missed. I also found playing a game less awkward than conversation using a virtual platform, and it was a good distraction from just talking about the quarantine.

Here are ideas of games to play over zoom. You can play Cards Against Humanity, Scrabble, Trivia, Pictionary… the list is endless. Of course, playing with your family at home is great, too.

Have fun!!!

April 16, 2020: The Basics

Psychologists and mental health professionals emphasize the use of coping tools to help get through times of crisis and distress. What coping tools do you use? Well, the best way to start is remember: what you have used in the past? How have you gotten through tough times before? What skills do you have that will allow you to get through this time?

It’s also helpful to remember the basics, the basic coping skills that should not be underestimated. Check in with yourself: what might you be able to do more of in order to help yourself cope?

COPING TOOLS – THE BASICS

• Eat well and stay hydrated

• Physical activity

• Bath, do make up and hair, shave

• Sleep well, in a routine

• Connect with others

• Have down time

• Do a purposeful activity

• Spend time outside, in nature

• Take time every day to check in with yourself (what do you need?)

• Limit media and social media

• Help others

April 15, 2020: Love

The losses we are experiencing, individually and collectively, are painfully mounting. This poem by Maya Angelou, Touched By An Angel, is an offer of love to us all.

Touched By An Angel

By Maya Angelou

We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.

Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.

We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free.

April 14, 2020: Gratitude

During a time of crisis, it can be helpful to focus on what we do have, and for what we are grateful.

A Huffington Post article pointed out the psychological benefits of gratitude: “A study conducted by Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, reveals that cultivating gratitude can increase happiness levels by around 25 percent. It can also cause individuals to live happier, more satisfied lives and enjoy increased levels of self-esteem, hope, empathy and optimism.”

Here are a few ideas on how to cultivate daily gratitude to improve your sense of coping and nurture your resilience:

• Create a gratitude box/jar. We used a tissue box and decorated the outside. Fill it up with notes on what you are grateful for. Each day, pull out a note.

• At the end of every day, write 1, 3, or 5 things you are grateful for (you can repeat!) in a journal. You can also focus on things that happened on that particular day for which you are grateful.

• Go around the dinner table and ask each member of your family to say what they are grateful for.

• Write/create thank you cards (to anyone, for any reason!).

April 13, 2020: Talk

The current pandemic has left many of us feeling anxious, stressed, overwhelmed, and sad. As a licensed mental health professional in the state of New York, I have trained as a volunteer for the COVID-19 Emotional Support Helpline.

It can be immensely helpful to just have someone to talk to about how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking (especially someone with whom you are not quarantined). The helpline is a zero-judgement resource that is free, safe, and confidential. All volunteers are trained in crisis counseling. You can get ideas for coping and community resources, or you can just talk and cry for a few minutes. Get the feelings off your chest and your ruminating thoughts to stop.

New York State COVID-19 Emotional Support Helpline

1-844-863-9314

The Office of Mental Health has several other resources available, which I have linked to here.

April 10, 2020: Creativity in Music

“All I really need is a song in my heart
Food in my belly and love in my family” (Raffi).

How can music give you permission to feel and express yourself? How can music give you space to grieve, or a respite from grief? How can music create joy and connection for you, within yourself and with others? Music can change the atmosphere. If you’re feeling like you’ve been stuck in the same scenery for a few weeks and need a change, put on some new music. We have made music part of our daily rituals. Here are some ideas, whether you are a trained musician or not.

• Sing. Sing a song by yourself, sing along with a song, sing a lullaby to your kids, sing happy birthday to a friend by video or Facetime. Re-write the lyrics to a favorite song. Write your own lyrics to your own song. Make up something simple!

• Play. If you have instruments, play them! If you don’t, make some! You can easily make your own maracas. We often play piano and a variety of percussion instruments in my house. We make up music and usually dance around at the same time!

• Listen. What music have you not listened to in a long time that you’d like to remember, or share with your family? What music would bring you comfort, peace, or joy right now? What music would bring some new sound and light into your life?

If you’d like some suggestions, here are three songs that my family listened to today.

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole

“Dance for the Sun” by Kira Willey

“All I Really Need” by Raffi

April 9, 2020: Creativity & Family

Today, I’ll focus on creativity with your family. What creative activities can you do to help each other have fun, express yourselves, relax, and connect? Think outside the box. What taps into your creativity and your family’s creativity so that you are all nurtured and connected? Here are some ideas, from my family to yours:

• Dance! Have daily dance parties! Movement is a great way to get the good hormones flowing.

• Yoga. Try a family yoga class to simultaneously move and ground yourselves.

• Art. Our new family ritual is starting every morning with art. We create crafts based on books we like (use your imagination!) and also love the printables and ideas from Raising Wonder. We make birthday cards, we draw pictures of us with our friends, and we illustrate story lines to make our own books. We paint, color, cut, and glue. One thing we bought at the start of the quarantine is some construction paper, and that’s been very helpful to have on hand. Have you ever painted seashells or rocks? It makes for wonderfully fulfilling art.

• Stories. Here’s an idea you can try. One person starts telling a story by sharing one line (i.e., “Once upon a time there was a great big castle hidden in a magic forest,” and then the next person continues, and so on and so forth.

April 8, 2020: Creativity in Poetry

On Thursday and Friday of this week, I’ll focus on creativity with your family and music, respectively.

Today, I’d like to point you to WNYC’s Poetry Challenge. April is National Poetry Month, and I’ve written about the benefits of poetry in earlier posts. “Every week WNYC will introduce a new prompt, one that nods to what’s happening in the world but is open to interpretation…It can be whatever you need it to be: a chance to document this moment or to escape from it in a way."

Your first prompt: “What a difference a month makes.” Write a poem of any length that relates to that prompt. Let yourself explore, escape, or express… whatever you need. There is no right or wrong way to write poetry!

If you’d like to submit it to WNYC, here are the instructions: You can share yours on Twitter or Instagram using #PAUSEpoetry or email mywnyc@gmail.com. WNYC may share your poem on the air or online.

April 7, 2020: Creativity & Yourself

How can you use creativity to connect more with yourself? How can you give yourself a break? Today, the ideas focus around quiet creativity, offering yourself a chance for quiet reflection, space, and the creation of something new. Perhaps you could try something new. Express the feelings you cannot always verbally articulate, relax at a deeper level, and nurture yourself. How are you feeling, right now? What do you need, right now? Here are some 15 minute ideas, but creativity is limitless.

• Write a creative story. Do not edit while you’re writing. Use prompts, or try this: Write about a roadtrip. Is your character escaping something? Is your character looking for something? Hint at the thing without telling us while describing what the character sees.

• Sew a blanket. You don’t need a sewing machine or any experience. Just a simple stitch will do. Buy two yards of fabric (don’t need to be the same) and batting. I have been doing this every evening and it is wonderfully relaxing and satisfying.

• Move your body by taking a yoga class online.

• Meditate by taking a class online. You can even do a free mindfulness exercise with your kids to give all of yourselves a break.

April 6, 2020: Creativity & Connection

This week, I’ll be focusing each of my daily posts on creativity. As artist Sarah Jane Wright wrote, “Creativity is no longer ‘nice to have.’ It’s ESSENTIAL.” Creativity fosters self-expression, relaxation, confidence, and a sense of accomplishment. Creativity can also help us connect with others during this time of social distancing. Getting creative allows us to start thinking outside the box, to problem solve using all of our resources, and that’s exactly what we need to get through this challenging time. “For all of us to succeed going forward, it’s going to take a lot of CREATIVITY” (Sarah Jane Wright).

Each day this week, I’ll post a simple idea/resource to help you tap into your creativity, hopefully allowing you to express yourself, de-stress, make something beautiful, and connect with others, all while feeling good about yourself and your creation.

Today, the ideas focus around creative socializing. How can you connect with others in a different way? How can you use art, music, poetry, or any creative activity to feel more attuned and connected to people? What does the world need, right now, and how can you feel more connected to it?

• Make sidewalk chalk art and greetings on your friends’ and neighbors’ driveways. (Ask their permission first). Draw inspiring pictures, like rainbows, and write kind things about them. (My son’s preschool teacher came and left a message on our driveway saying that my son was smart, kind, and sweet). Don’t live in a place with driveways? Leave anonymous messages of hope on any sidewalk! Make art anywhere! We all need it! If someone sees you creating, it’s a chance to socialize. If not, it’s a sweet surprise.

• Make cards for friends, teachers, and family members. You can use paper or blank cards. Decorate using markers, crayons, paint sticks, pencils, cut-out magazine photos…anything! You can deliver the cards in person (leave on the ground 6 feet away) or mail them to those far away.

• Make cards for nurses, doctors, hospital employees, and patients at your local hospital. Write messages of gratitude and encouragement (i.e., You are awesome! We believe in you!).

April 3, 2020: Sleep

Many people have been telling me how this pandemic has been negatively affecting their sleep. Many people are tossing and turning and having anxious dreams, which only makes them more anxious and more sad during the daytime. The usual advice for getting a good night’s sleep remains, and here are some key reminders to help your brain and body relax:

• Get on a consistent schedule and routine.

• Get sunlight, fresh air, and exercise every day.

• Don’t overload your brain with information.

• Leave time before sleeping to wind down, without exposure to a screen (e.g., read a novel).

In addition, try setting aside a dedicated time during your day to worry, while leaving your bed as a dedicated “worry-free” zone. Earlier in the day, set aside a time to acknowledge all your feelings and all that you are doing to actively protect your family. Later, if you’re worrying in bed, get up and do something else to relax.

Lastly, breathing techniques can help you focus on the present and relax your body. Try this technique from a recent Philadelphia Inquirer article: Bring your focus to your breath while breathing normally. Count at the end of each exhalation until you reach 10 and then count from 10 to one.

Sleep well, dear ones!

April 2, 2020: Breathe

There are numerous benefits to breathing fully and deeply. Taking deep breaths physiologically calms our nervous systems and helps us relax during times of stress. Try this technique of box breathing or four-square breathing, not just when you’re stressed, but throughout your day.

1. Breathe in for four seconds.

2. Hold air in your lungs for four seconds.

3. Exhale for four seconds.

4. Hold your breath, lungs emptied, for four seconds.

April 1, 2020: Poetry

Writing poetry can be deeply therapeutic as well as less cumbersome than configuring entire sentences and paragraphs. It can help us gain insight, express our emotions, and explore our thoughts and feelings. If you feel like writing a short poem, try this idea from longtime educator Francesca Cohn: “Choose an object. It becomes the title and last word. Describe it one word or phrase at a time.” Yes, it’s that simple! For example, here is a poem:

Alone

Yet together

Trapped

Yet free

Scared

Yet safe

Quarantined

March 31, 2020: Courage

Social worker and superstar Brene Brown has conducted numerous studies and found that in order to achieve courage, one must experience vulnerability. Courage cannot exist without vulnerability. We are all feeling vulnerable these days, but according to Brown, this would mean that we are all digging deep to find our own courage, as well. Listen to her latest podcast here. As Brown states, vulnerability is showing up and answering the call to courage. I believe that’s what we’re all doing, together, now. Acknowledge your vulnerability and your courage; you are braver than you thought.

“Courage is contagious. Every time we choose courage, we make everyone around us a little better and the world a little braver” (Brene Brown).

March 30, 2020: Blessing

John O'Donohue, a Scottish poet, wrote this beautiful poem. During these uncertain and anxious days, when the weight is heavy on our shoulders, what nourishes you? What balances you? What awakens you? What protects you? What cloaks you with love?

Beannacht (Blessing)

On the day when
The weight deadens
On your shoulders
And you stumble,
May the clay dance
To balance you.

And when your eyes
Freeze behind
The grey window
And the ghost of loss
Gets in to you,
May a flock of colours,
Indigo, red, green,
And azure blue,
Come to awaken in you
A meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
In the currach of thought
And a stain of ocean
Blackens beneath you,
May there come across the waters
A path of yellow moonlight
To bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
May the clarity of light be yours,
May the fluency of the ocean be yours,
May the protection of the ancestors be yours.

And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.

March 27, 2020: Grieve

Psychologist and grief expert David Kessler said, in a recent article from Harvard Business Review, “that discomfort you’re feeling is grief.” An article today from NPR highlighted the same premise: “it’s ok to grieve.” We have lost our routines and our sense of security, for example. The only way to start healing is to acknowledge our grief, feel it, express it, and move through it by being “open to joy.” Let yourself grieve all that we have lost, so suddenly. Joy is waiting for you.

March 26, 2020: Beach

Where I live on Long Island, we are lucky to be right on the Atlantic coast. It’s been a saving grace to enjoy the open air and ocean, to feel the sand on our hands and feet, and to hear the soothing sounds of the waves.

If you live close to a body of water, like the ocean, a bay, or a lake, go for a walk. Research shows there are many mental health benefits to be gained from going to the beach. According to that article, “Recent studies show that the beach is one of the best places to alleviate stress and heal your brain.” It feels wonderful and will help you relax and sleep better.

March 25, 2020: Color

Coloring can be calming and mindful. It can bring us to the moment, and also be a creative outlet. Try creating your own spontaneous mandala to color (you can even do this with your kids): Close your eyes, put a crayon on the paper, and let your crayon move freely without lifting it off the paper. Then, open your eyes, and color in the spaces of your drawing. Or, choose a free printable coloring page. Use crayons, markers, pencils… anything you have on hand. Put on some relaxing music, make some tea, and you’ve got yourself a peaceful afternoon to calm both mind and spirit.

March 24, 2020: Nature

The entire world is going through the same suffering at the same time. While that can bring us together, it can also start to feel like there is no escape. Instead, try taking a mindful walk outside to bring your attention to other things in life besides the pandemic. Notice everything around you: the daffodils emerging, the magnolias blooming, the angle of the sun. It is surprisingly easy to learn common birdsongs, which can bring your attention to identifying birds and appreciating their beauty instead of dwelling on what is going on in the world. The next time you step outside for a breath of fresh air, try to make it a mindful break from the news cycle by paying close attention to nature.

March 23, 2020: Therapy

There is no shame in reaching out for professional psychotherapeutic and/or psychiatric help. Strong people wisely use their resources in order to keep themselves healthy in mind, body, and spirit. Many people have been asking me how they can reach a therapist (for talk therapy) or psychiatrist (for medication) during this time of social distancing. Luckily, there’s an app for that! Talkspace offers video sessions, as well as unlimited texting and emailing with licensed therapists. It takes only minutes to start, so it’s worth trying if you feel like you could benefit from some additional support.

March 20, 2020: Journal

Our lives have dramatically and suddenly changed. Just one week ago, our children were at school, soccer, and running on the hill with their friends. There is a lot to grieve, as well to honor. Journaling can be a helpful way to process our sudden losses, as well as our gains, and the emotions that come with all of those.

• What are 5 losses that you have experienced in the past week? What do you miss the most from your daily life?

• What are 5 unexpected gains that you have experienced in the past week? What have you cherished the most this week during your daily life?

• What are 5 things for which you are grateful?

I am grateful for you!

March 19, 2020: Mantras

Mantras, or coping statements, are simple affirmations that we can repeat to ourselves or write down to help us get through challenging times and anxious moments. Write your own, or choose one from the list below. What could you say to yourself to affirm that we will get through this?

• This too shall pass.

• I have survived before; I will survive now.

• Keep calm and carry on.

• This is difficult and uncomfortable, but it’s only temporary.

• Stop, breathe.

• This won’t last forever.

• I can take things slowly.

• Stay focused on the present.

• Don’t discount the positives.

  Source: https://dialecticalbehaviortherapy.com/distress-tolerance/radical-acceptance/

March 18, 2020: Music

Music can do so much to help us cope during stressful times. As a music therapist, it is nearly impossible for me to sum it all up in a sentence here. How can music add some light and joy to your day today? What song soothes and uplifts you? What song gives you comfort and hope?

If you need a suggestion or some inspiration, Yo-Yo Ma posted a video of himself playing the Sarabande from Bach’s Cello Suite No. 3.

My wonderful neighbor, Stephanie, told me about The Open Ears Project. “Part mix tape, part sonic love-letter, the Open Ears Project is a daily podcast where people share the classical track that means the most to them. Each episode offers a soulful glimpse into other human lives, helping us to hear this music—and each other—differently.”

Listen, dance, sing, cry; let the music in and the feelings out.

March 17, 2020: Hope

I am posting a favorite poem, “Hope” is the thing with feathers, by Emily Dickinson. Just reading this poem instills hope and calm within me. What is hope to you? What gives you hope? What never asks of you? If you have time, you can write your own (short) poem about hope. “Hope” is….?

“Hope” is the thing with feathers - (314)

By Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

Additional Resource on Social Media and Self-Esteem

The rise of social media can be detrimental to teens and their self-esteem, resulting in cyberbullying, body image issues, and mental health issues. According to an article by TIME, between 2009 and 2017, depression rates increased 60% in teens ages 14 to 17. Additionally, suicide rates have tripled among adolescents aged 10 to 14 and among girls.

D’Amore Mental Health in Orange County, California has recognized this to be a serious issue in our society. They created a fantastic resource page on social media and self-esteem to provide insight for parents on general statistics and ways you can talk to teens about social media. Please visit the site at: https://damorementalhealth.com/social-media-and-self-esteem/