Today, after one of the most distressing weeks of the century, I present links to three programs. I hope through listening to and attending the upcoming programs you can find a ray of hope amidst the chaos. This week, more than ever, we need to find faith in ourselves and our country.
Here are the programs:
1. From a WEMU segment, Dr. Rob’s shares ways to cope with these increasingly difficult times. Here are a few of the tips.
* Stay connected to others as best as you can through phone calls, video casts, and email or text. We find strength in our relationships with others.
*Continue to work on feeling gratitude for what you do have and what you don’t have. Remember when we hear of the people who have Covid: “There but for fortune (and masks) go you and I .” For more, including my view of Trump, please see Ann Arbor Psychologist Shares Ways To Cope In These Increasingly Difficult Times.
2. This week in honor of Martin Luther King’s birthday on January 15th, I will be presenting a zoomcast with four women addressing the question: What Martin Luther King‘s Teachings Mean to Me: Perspectives from Four Women. The presenters are: Lisa Barry from WEMU, CEO Elke Lipka, University of Michigan professors, Dr. Naomi Andre, and Dr. Leah Robinson. Sign up to attend
3. You can view the past Leaders Connect event on “The Schools and Covid” with superintendents of schools, Jeanice Swift, Nikolai Vitti, Scot Graden, and Amy Dittmar. One of the most powerful things to come out of the session was recognition of how much more difficult it is for families who do not have adequate money or resources to cope while the children are at home. I told a story of a family I knew who have five school-age children at home at and all live in a trailer. The father works making pizza and the mother is a house cleaner. Their income is reduced and they find themselves responsible for the education of their five children.
I just mentioned the story, and while I did not ask for contributions to the family, spontaneously several people asked if they could donate to help the family. I passed the money on to the mother who was in tears over the support.
Sincerely wishing all of you good health, both physically and mentally. It is an unprecedented time where stress has been consistent for almost a full year. Do not be surprised by problems such as sleep deprivation, emotional reactivity, and general anxiety. I encourage you, if you are feeling exceptionally stressed, to seek professional help from a therapist. If you need assistance finding one, please let me know and I will help.