Resilience strategies during COVID-19

We are all facing a stressful time with changing lifestyles and routines.  Our community must remain positive even in these difficult situations.  Mental Health of parents and children is vital!  Our parents are carrying a heavy load, as are our staff.  We must all strive as a community to help each other.

Here are some tips for parents and staff to practise regularly:

  1. Focus on the positives each day no matter how small; talk to your children about the good things they have and that have occurred in their day.
  2. Check for negative thoughts.  It is extremely easy to fall into a downward spiral, which leads us all into a depressed and anxious mood .
  3. Practise telling each family member 5 great things you have observed about each individual in the family.
  4. Find 5 things to laugh about each day: a movie you watched, a trick you play on each other etc .
  5. Surround yourself with positive friends.  Both positive and negative talk is contagious, and it changes our biochemistry to produce either more positive or negative thoughts.
  6. Imagine all the great things you will do after this period.  Make a list.
  7. Develop a positive vocabulary, such as “we can do this “, “great work”, “fantastic try”.

Parents and staff, Skype each other with your champagne glasses full, give encouragement, empathy and “buckets of care and love ” to each other.  WE CAN DO THIS !!!

Warmest regards

Robyn Taylor

BA(Macq), MA(Syd), Dip Clinical Psychology(Syd)