May 2021: Spring Into Summer

As the days grow longer and the light gets brighter, we are nearing the end of what can only be described as a year like no other we've known.  We learned remotely, we learned in a hybrid model, and we learned with most of us in the building while still including those remaining remote.  All of us can now measure six feet without a ruler (about the length of a sofa or car), discuss which hand sanitizers are most effective, (I prefer the Bath & Bodyworks Sunshine & Lemons spray) and offer suggestions as to where to find the best, most comfortable face masks (I'm a fan of Athleta Activate brand).  We have washed our hands, eaten outside, and figured out how to unmute ourselves on Zoom.  

Some of us have experienced unbearable loss and grief.  Others of us have experienced physical illness.  Many of us have felt incredibly high levels of anxiety, depression, and lethargy.  Many of us who already had experience with mental health challenges felt even more challenged and many who did not have mental health challenges prior to the pandemic had those experiences for the first time.  We missed our loved ones and our friends and our experiences outside of our "bubbles."  Some of us did not have the ability to isolate and instead went to work and other daily life activities masked and sometimes with the weight of fear and the unknown on our shoulders.  

Outside of the pandemic, our world has seen upheaval politically, socially, and physically.  We have all been impacted in varying ways and in varying intensities.  For some of us, this year challenged us to think differently about ourselves and those around us. Others of us felt unsteady, as what we have always considered universal truth turned out not to be so universal or true.  

All of which is to say, it has been quite a year.  

As we move into summer, my wish for you is that you are given time and space to breathe, to reflect on the last year, and to decide what it is you will take with you from it all.  Maybe it will be the idea that life is unpredictable and short so it is important to listen to your priorities.  Maybe it will be the hand washing habit you've likely developed. Maybe it will be using elbow bumps in place of handshakes.  Maybe it will be the weekly family zooms or the monthly front yard gatherings with close friends.  Whatever it is, my hope is that it will provide you with the support you need to move into the next few months and beyond.  

May you all have a relaxing, healthy, connected summer with an abundance of whatever it is that you need.   I look forward to seeing you all in September!

Be well,

Dr. J 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

February 2022: Access To Mental Health Services

How's your mental health these days? It's a good time to check in with yourself to see where you fall on a scale of "totally fine" to "really not okay." If you're feeling like maybe you could benefit from some mental health treatment and support and you decide that you want to see a therapist, how would you go about finding one? It's a good question, right? Access to mental health treatment varies widely depending on a number of factors. Insurance, geography, socioeconomic status, race, gender, sexual orientation... the list goes on and on. While this should not be the case, like so many things in our country, the more demographic boxes you check off, the less likely you are to be able to easily access treatment. Massachusetts has a mental health parity law which essentially says insurers who provide mental health benefits for the diagnosis and treatment of certain mental disorders must do so to the same extent that they cover the diagnosis and treat
Read more

Welcome To The 2022-23 School Year

For all our returning families, welcome back!  For all our new families, welcome!  We can't wait to get started with you all! The start of a school year usually means that we find more structure than we've had for the previous few weeks.  Even when we're working full time, most summer environments are more casual than in the other months.  Dress codes relax, hours may change, we may all be yearning for more time to linger outside when we're having lunch.  As fall creeps towards us, many of us begin to recommit to earlier bedtimes, more working out, less ice cream, more organization overall.  As we begin to pick up our new (or go back to tried and true) routines and rituals, I invite you to think about what these actions provide for you.  Do your routines include time to ground yourself or psych yourself up for what's to come?  Do your rituals provide you with comfort or help you manage and organize yourself?   One habit I encourage you to create is that of reflectin
Read more

June 2020: End Of The Year and Uncertainty

Here we are, nearing the end of the 2019-2020 school year.  In many ways it has been a year like no other. In the span of a few short months, we've gone to meeting in person to meeting on-line and feeling unsure about our health, our safety, and our country. Between the inequities sharply highlighted by the Covid-19 Pandemic and the recent protests against police brutality and inherent inequity for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), many of us are reeling and wondering what we can do to help.  Many of us are also wondering how to talk to our children about these realities and how we can both protect them and make them active change agents. Rather than telling you what to do, we will remind you that staying connected with each other is an essential component of healthy emotional wellness and isolating yourself has a negative impact on your mental health.  So, please stay connected, check on each other, support each other. There are a number of resources listed belo
Read more