Stress Supports

for Educators

Trying times require new tools. 

We all know that we live in an uncertain world, where everything is constantly changing, from the constant whir of electrons, to the growth and decay of our cells, to social, economic, population growth and flux. Yet none of us would have predicted, in what seems like light years ago now, that between the end of 2019 and the Spring of 2020, the world and life as we have known it, would radically change to such a degree that there will be no return to the culture we shared before coronavirus. We are living in the midst of one of those rare historical times, with a clear demarcation line, before . . . and after. 

This time presents us with great challenges. It also offers great opportunities, if we are in a position to be able to see and engage with those possibilities. Too often, however, the capacities we need to rely on for creative problem solving, innovation, and foresight are being hijacked by survival needs and responses. We may feel overcome by the practicalities of working from home while our children are getting homeschooled, accessing complex and secure documents remotely, organizing meetings, collaborating, and engaging with our colleagues and constituents using technologies we’re not familiar with. Or we may be anxious about our own health, concerned about a loved one, experiencing grief and loss, or feeling the shadow of the economic downturn on our families and, perhaps more acutely, on the constituents we serve. Regardless of the particulars, our bodies, minds, and hearts are churning in a tsunami of stress. While we can’t change the global situation, we can learn how to support ourselves, and in so doing, better support our loved ones, our constituents, and our shared future.