COVID-19 Considerations

How can we manage the anxiety surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) and changes to our daily lives like social distancing, school closings, and self quarantining?

Understand that we are all in this together. Everyone is facing an uptick in worry and anxiety.
Get productive. Worry can be productive or destructive -- make it the former. Productive worry is actionable but unproductive can paralyze you.
Do not get sucked into the 24-hour news cycle. Limit your sources of information to one or two reliable news sources. Check in the global perspective once in the morning and once in the evening. Focus alerts you receive to local community news -- that is the most critical for you to stay on top of.
Eat well, hydrate, sleep and exercise.
Take time for laughter. Make time for distractions. Do not spend too much time “in your head.” It is important to deal with the requirements of managing your exposure to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and what is going on around you but not to dwell on it.
Connect with your neighbors -- be sure everyone knows how to get in touch with each other if/when someone needs help.
Have you been asked to teach remotely? Connect with uplifting colleagues. Pick up the phone or use video chat. Talk about what is working, share ideas, plan together -- continue to be a support system for each other. Visit all 16 of the Teaching Remotely Wakelet collections TeachersFirst created to support you. Follow us on Wakelet @SFLOK2Ask
Do you have children at home? Remember, our anxiety and fears can easily get projected onto our children. Ask neutral, open-ended questions to establish how they are feeling. Have age-appropriate conversations. One child may not understand what a virus is while another may be most worried about grandma or why he cannot see paw-paw. Listen. Reassure. Limit the amount and depth of information. Once those conversations have taken place GIVE THEM SOME DISTRACTION! Children like to be distracted, active and helpful. Dust off the board games, dig out the playing cards, and start a list of ideas for charades. Finally, be sure that part of the activities incorporate hand-washing, household cleaning, and laughter.

We cannot overemphasize the importance of all of us staying distracted and productive and making FUN a priority.

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