Living in this time of the Coronavirus can be stressful for many people. Fear and anxiety about the disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in both adults and children. Coping with the stress by implementing skills learned at camp can make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger!
So many things in my own life have changed over the past months because of the virus outbreak. As I nurse, there is so much information to take in and so much to process. What I’ve discovered is that the skills I have learned and taught at F&W are great solutions to the problems we are now facing. Here are some examples of how I am using skills engrained in me from my time at camp to make life right now better.
Simplicity:
Remember “Unplugged and Unforgettable?” This idea that many of you learned at Farm & Wilderness can be done at home too! Unplug! Take a break from media coverage, schoolwork, social media, and engage with the people and environment around you. It is amazing the things you can learn by just stopping and taking a moment to see what has always been there, but you were just too busy to notice. One of my favorite things to do at camp was to stop on the road and watch the little lizards play. I would have missed these sweet little moments if I was walking to fast or was listening to music. You can find wonder in so many things around you.
Talk to each other. I am at home with my 87-year-old mom. She has a suppressed immune system and we are in a self-quarantine. We take time each day to just talk. I will pull out old photos from her childhood and from mine. It is amazing that she still has stories that I have never heard!
Be you:
This is also an amazing time to BE YOU! Create a list of personal care activities you enjoy. Be excited about trying new things. I took this one to heart and have gotten… a cow! Some of these new things you will enjoy. Others you will not. For example, I have found I am not a gifted musician, but it was fun to try!
There are going to be bad days where you become overwhelmed. That is ok. It happens to all of us! Do not hesitate to reach out and ask for help. I am taking two college courses online this semester. One day, I sat with my books and computer in front of me from 10 AM until about 2 PM without turning it on. The only reason I could come up with was, “I don’t wanna.” I reached out to Polly Williams and asked if I could at least count that time as “attendance.” She said “YES!” That small connection and simple laugh were what I needed to get me refocused and I was able to complete my assignments.
Community:
We really are in this together. Just like it takes all our different camps to create Farm & Wilderness, it takes all of us to be part of our own community. Do what you can. If you can play music, play it for someone who cannot. If you can draw, send pieces of your work to someone in isolation. If you are placed in isolation, please stay there. If you like to read, find someone you can read to. You may not realize how small acts can help bring a community together.
I have a friend who lives in the city and is unable to walk her dog due to social distancing. I live in a more isolated area, so I pick up her dog and take him on adventures by my home. It is small simple things that can keep us together and form a wonderful community.
Stay safe! Stay Healthy! And most importantly, WASH YOUR HANDS!
Terri Hunt, Farm & Wilderness Head Nurse