“How many of you thought we’d still be in school on October 1?” I asked my first class during the break we take in our 100 minute time together; twice as long as usual to minimize passing periods in hopes of managing the spread of coronavirus.
No one raised a hand, and several students slowly shook their heads.
Apparently, not many of us expected we would still be in school. So I asked a second question.
“How many of you started school thinking it would last about two weeks and then you’d be home again?”
Again, no hands went up but several heads nodded.
“Me too. I didn’t think we would make it this far. And I think that’s why we might be feeling a little off. Anyone else feeling bad vibes when they’re here?”
Nodding heads.
And then I told them—I think we all need a paradigm shift.
I know I started the year without my usual plans or excitement. The new protocols are mostly manageable, but are exhausting at times. I told myself I could handle things “until we go remote,” thinking it would happen within the first month.
Yet today, I made folders in my Google Drive for Week 8 of lesson plans.
We’re here, pals. And for what looks like the duration.
September felt incredibly bleak for me. The inconsistent weather, the “will-we-or-won’t-we” undercurrent regarding staying in school, not seeing friends or family because who knows what I’m carrying around on my skin, wondering if every cough or general malaise meant a 14-day quarantine—just bleak.
But there is something about seeing the calendar flip to a new month that always makes me feel some motivation to change. To shift the paradigm set by the previous month.
So that’s what I plan to do.
I think I’ve shared the Action for Happiness people before, but I’m sharing it again. If you’re pulling yourself out of similar doldrums, check out their app or their calendar, which has small things to do every day that might make your October a bit brighter.
Today’s action is write down your most important goals for the month. So here goes.
- Stop waiting for a shut down that might never happen (a.k.a. set up your damn desk finally).
- Revisit the “rewirements” from the Science of Well-Being class. Implement at least 3 a day.
- Do the daily mindfulness challenges from the Educator’s Health Alliance.
And because I didn’t want to lose my initial momentum, I went ahead and set up my damn desk today.
