1. Control the Controllable During COVID-19
There are certain things that you simply cannot control right now: who will be impacted by COVID-19, whether it will be you, how things will evolve. But there are some things that you can control: how you spend some of your time, what you choose to prioritize, what types of media you consume (and how frequently) and your mindset, to name a few. By focusing on the things that you can control and prioritizing the ones that are healthy, you can help to put your mental wellness front and center.
2. Carve Out Time for Self-Care to Maintain Your Mental Health
Now, more than ever, we are acutely focused on remote teaching, physical health, and preventing illness– washing hands, social distancing, and engaging in healthy practices. But it is just as important, for maintaining mental health, to try to carve out some time to prioritize the other things that help us feel balanced: for some, it is exercise, for others, it is reading, journaling, meditation, or spending time doing a hobby. And, if you are someone who isn’t sure what you can do for your self-care, simply the act of doing something can help maintain your mental health.
3. Get Your Body Moving to Help Your Mental Wellness
One of the biggest challenges for many educators during this time is how hard it is to be sedentary– you may be used to moving around, physical transitions from one room to another, or even your usual lunchtime walk with a colleague. As you work around your schedule, set a timer or create breaks for you specifically to move around– this might mean moving around your house, or taking a walk around your building or neighborhood– obeying physical distancing recommendations, of course. Anything to get your body moving will help maintain your mental wellness.
4. Model Self-compassion
Now, more than ever, we need to be incredibly kind to ourselves to help maintain mental wellness. We teach students this all of the time– the basics of self-compassion, kind self-talk, and growth mindset. Now is the time to also turn it inwards. In doing so, you’ll benefit your own mental wellness and also be able to model it for others in your life.