Thriving in Strange Times with Lisa Condrey (E68)

TMI Episcopal Panthercast

In today’s episode, TMI’s Personal and College Counselor, Lisa Condrey, shares her knowledge and expertise in reducing stress and anxiety during social distancing and remote instruction. Below are some recommended tools and resources that she shares during the interview:
Tips for managing stress and feeling overwhelmed:

• Remind ourselves of what is truly important: Big Rocks Covey PDF
• Be as compassionate to ourselves as we are to others, recognizing that our uncertainty & anxiety affects our usual ability to accomplish things & cut ourselves some slack
• Take a breath to recenter & get going again: what's ONE thing you can do right now?
• Remember what you love about each family member & show that love: a hug, a comment, a smile
  

Tips and ideas to separate work life and home life:

• Establish a schedule, especially if you have to share resources & spaces.
• Have work apart & work together times, especially with younger children
• Reduce/eliminate disruptions to your work apart time by establishing how kids can get in touch with you if they really need to instead of coming in & yelling your name: text you their request/question & you answer it on the same time scale as you would if you were at work.
  

Ways to help younger children understand what's happening:

• Older students can talk to parents to agree on how much & what to tell younger siblings
• Emphasize that "stay at home" is temporary, but we need to be patient in the meantime
  

How can our families bring Tranquil Tuesdays into their homes during social distancing:

• Practice the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique together: COPING SKILL SPOTLIGHT: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 GROUNDING TECHNIQUE
• Do a guided meditation together. There are tons on YouTube. Here are a couple that are kid-focused:
  • Guided Mindfulness for Beginners, Kids and Families: Love & Happiness Wishes
  • 3 Minutes Body Scan Meditation - Mindfulness For Kids And Adults
  • For older kids & adults: Mindful Meditation (Body Scan) - Integrative Health and Wellbeing