how to take compassionate action during a global pandemic
By now I’m sure you’ve seen the news. #covid19 is spreading and it’s not an easy time. I’m writing today about how to take compassionate action during a global pandemic. we can do hard things (with ease) is an online course I started offering in February 2020. I’ve decided to drastically reduce the price while the planet is facing this threat to our physical and mental well-being as a way of serving my community. It’s filled with tools for overcoming anxiety and cultivating practices for making life more manageable and beautiful. You can check it out here if you’re interested.
do what you can
The course is designed to help you learn to do what you can as a way of taking compassionate action and avoiding overwhelm. In my city, #Seattle, our schools just closed down without notice. This means that a lot of people are scrambling to figure out what to do for childcare and homeless families are struggling even more. Someone created a Facebook group called “Seattle Help for Parents and Caregivers“. What a brilliant example of how to engage! People are sharing ideas, resources, food, and whatever else we can think of. Below was my offering today which I decided to share here with my community here in case you might find it helpful.
As a homeschooling parent and educator, I have a couple of tips for navigating this time:
🌱 If you’re looking for educational resources while schools are closed, I’ve found the Khan Academy to be invaluable. Sal Khan even added some meditations for kids recently!
🌱 Some basic art supplies are helpful. A simple composition book, pens, and some magazines can be used to create a visual journal which is a wonderful and therapeutic way to offload stress for kids and adults. I decided to make this how-to video from a class I’m teaching available for free for this group. http://bit.ly/VisualJournalingVideo
🌱 The Seattle Public Library allows access to Kanopy which has both educational programs, documentaries, and films.
🌱 TED is a great resource for educational content.
🌱 An idea for helping with science and giving them something to care for: Plant easy-growing seeds in some soil in an egg carton. It’s calming and fun to water them and watch them sprout! Here’s a video of my own seeds as inspiration.
🌱 Finally, the great outdoors is always a good place.
In addition to the free visual journaling video I shared above, I’ve also made this meditation available for people who might need some calm but might not have the resources for the class at this time.
engaging creativity
I’ve found that engaging creativity is a powerful way of finding solutions and staying connected to your spirit. Misery seeks an object. Self-expression allows for the concretization of feelings so we can let them pass through us rather than staying stuck. Draw, paint, sing, dance, play a game, or do a free write. If you need some help with that or just need someone to talk to, book a session with me. I’m happy and honored to assist.
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Big love, everyone. We can make it through this! 💖
