Recently, I have really been up and down with feeling like this whole situation, due to COVID, just stinks. I have days when it just feels like nothing is going to change, or we are going to be limited for a little while longer. Typically, I give my self a day to have the woe as me feeling and then move on. We can’t keep our feeling of hope diminished.
So, I tend to try and readjust my attitude or find something to district me. I want to accept and acknowledge the way I feel, even if it is bad, but I then want to try to make myself feel better to adjust my way of thinking. Have any of you had this same roller coaster of emotions over the last year?
I was looking through some old pictures of classroom samples or best practices and noticed a display board that said, “I am Done”. If this didn’t scream to me what I was feeling, I don’t know what would have at the time. The further I looked at the board, the more I realized this was a display for students to choose something they could do when finished with their work or assessments.
It got me thinking…why don’t we create a literal or figurative board for when we are done? This can mean you are done with your work (which rarely happens) or when you are mentally/physically done. I started creating a list of things that I could do when I either needed a mental break or just wanted to escape from the daily stress and anxiety.
I AM DONE BOARD…
CHOOSE TO TAKE A BREAK OR PIVOT YOUR THINKING:
- Get outside and go for a walk
- Read a book
- Watch videos on your favorite vacation spot or destination
- Call a friend
- Look at pictures of fun memories
Most recently, I started going through my photo gallery on my phone. I focused on the year 2020. [Shutter] At the time, I was feeling down about all of the things that I missed out in life. Guess what? I quickly realized that I had actually done a lot in 2020, even as we strictly quarantined through the majority of it.
LOOK BACK AT 2020 AND RECONGIZE YOUR LIFE LIVED:
- Baked bread and cookies
- DIY house renovations
- Zoom family game night
- Started running again (1,523,916 steps)
- Created a podcast (Teacher Pep Rally)
I am going to make a photo album of all of the things that I did in 2020 so that I always remember that I can make life meaningful even during dark times and societal limits.
Lastly, you all know how much I love Disney. I have really missed going to Orlando and experiencing the magic. In the meantime, my trusted tribe of educators decided it would be fun to have our regular Monday Zoom meeting with a little Disney magic. We dressed as if we were headed to the parks. My good friend, Dave, even wore his magic band. I broke out my park maps, and we reminisced about our favorite restaurants, attractions, and resorts. It was a lot of fun, a great distraction, and reminded me that we will all go back again.
Keep living. It is ok to feel down, but the important thing is to get back up and move forward. We are so close to much better days.
See You Real Soon,
Erin