There's an old rap song that goes......

 

"You better check yourself, before you wreck yourself".

 

That's probably not the most straightforward way of telling someone they need to self regulate, and take care of their mental well being, but it's one of my favorite ones. You are welcome to search for the song, it's best not linked in an educational blog!

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The pandemic has changed the way we do basically everything. It has forced us into less face to face interactions, and into more interactions through technology. With that, it's become hard for everyone to find a comfortable balance between how much we should be using technology, and to what ends. With that being said, less face to face time, and more screen time has also got staff, students, support staff, feeling a little less appreciated, and it's even more difficult to get respect from one another when there are less face to face repercussions to face. For staff, and students, peer to peer communication takes on an entirely different light when people feel like they won't have to see anyone in a face to face environment. It's become a difficult process for all involved, and burnout is becoming evident. 

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So, how do we "check ourselves" and maintain a respectful, mentally healthy mindset?

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Here is my list of things I have found to work for me, and a few that I found that I've not tried yet. Keep in mind, my methods for a healthy balance with technology mostly lack using technology. 

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1. Find a Hobby - Try your best to find a hobby that causes you as little stress as possible, that doesn't involve technology. (Watching sports requires a TV, and I feel like that is still a good, healthy hobby). My hobbies include: Music, walking my dogs, playing video games, yelling at the squirrels in my yard to stay away from the bird feeder, and cooking for my wife. 

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2. Disconnect - Simply put, shut it all down and enjoy some silence, REAL silence. It's okay to be totally alone with your thoughts. Our connectedness to the planet makes it so difficult to just sit quietly and enjoy it. I do this for 15 minutes every, single, day. 

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3. Wander around - We are stuck behind screens, or behind our walls for a majority of the day. Simply wandering around and changing your visual perspective can turn a frustrating day into a new one. As a bonus, you'll likely find someone else wandering around your buildings doing the same thing, it's a good time to make conversation! I got this tip from a High School teacher who told me I looked stressed and I should just do a few laps around the inside of the building to burn off some stress. I have been doing it when I can ever since. If you plan on wandering right out of your building and not coming back, HERE are some helpful tips!

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4. Learn to respect yourself (don't go full narcissist though). It's hard to respect others if you don't have respect for yourself. If the days have been getting you down, do something that makes you proud of you. You'll find it easier to show others respect when you feel good about yourself. I end every instructional video I make with the phrase "Go do good things". It's my subtle reminder to people that doing good, makes one feel good. This will translate into better communication with people. Even if they aren't sharing your mindset, you will brush off negativity a little easier. HERE is a little side-list of some best practices for respect in the workplace. 

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5. Last but not least, and this is a tough one. R-E-L-A-X. This is a tough one, especially for me. If you have taken the color code test, you are probably somewhat self aware of the kind of person you are. I am a deep, deep, deep RED, which basically means I am incapable of calming down. My mind never sleeps, and I find it almost impossible to shut it down for any period of time. Through years of practice, and many, many, trial and errors, I have found the list above to be the things that calm me, and help me remain mentally healthy. 

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