SELF-CARE IS KEY - A letter from our school Psychologist 照顾好自己非常重要 — 一封来自学校心理辅导老师的信

SELF-CARE IS KEY – A letter from our school Psychologist
照顾好自己非常重要 — 一封来自学校心理辅导老师的信

As many staff, students, and families are returning to their homes in Qingdao; they are faced with a 14-day quarantine period. This can be a challenging length of time to stay mostly indoors and be isolated from others, whether alone or with a family. Below are some adapted recommendations from the International School Counselor Association to help build resilience during this challenging time.

许多员工、学生和家庭正在返回青岛的家中，他们面临的是需要进行14天的隔离期。无论是单独一人还是与家人一起度过隔离期，长时间待在室内与外界隔离，对于很多人来说可能非常具有挑战性。我们整理了国际学校顾问协会给出的一些建议，希望帮助您度过这段具有挑战的时期。点击链接阅读全文。

International School Counselor Association :

Create a Daily Routine: Create a calm environment in your home by creating a daily routine that involves, enough sleep, healthy meals, and movement. A schedule can be posted for family members to see what will happen in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Each family member can take responsibility for helping the schedule run smoothly. It is important to set a time to wake up in the morning and start one’s day as if one did have to leave the house.

Stay Positive: Remember to keep calm. If you show anxiety or fear, your child will pick up on this and also feel nervous and afraid. Having calm, panic- free discussions can ease emotions around these changes. Check-in on how your child is feeling and acknowledge and address their worries rather than ignore them. Take time to acknowledge your own feelings and worries by journaling or talking with friends.

Stick to the facts: It is important to have thoughtful conversations regarding the coronavirus to distil anxiety, worry or fear. Look at the facts. Discuss that not everything they hear or see is real. Consider your child’s age, processing, and emotions to determine how to frame these conversations to ensure your child understands. Let them know that QAIS is doing everything we can, and you are up to date on current information. If they have additional questions you can look to find the answers. Make sure to only answer questions that your children are asking. Sometimes adults are thinking about more than what children are thinking about. It can also be comforting to be reminded that doctors around the world are looking for ways to address the coronavirus and highlight positive news as well.

Consider Reducing Media Consumption: When looking online, consider the source and fact-check to prevent fake news, and think before you share. Be mindful of how much media you are checking and minimize how often you are reading stories. Try to keep a healthy balance (both online and offline) in your daily routines and lifestyle. If you notice that you mind is racing while watching news stories that is a sign that you need to pull back from how much you are consuming. Be aware that your children are watching what you are doing. They can become more nervous if they see you are all consumed by news stories.

Eliminate stigma: It is important to be aware of how the coronavirus is explained to your children to avoid any person/group being blamed. Communicate to your children that if someone has a fever or cough it does not mean this person has the coronavirus.

Boost Your Coping Strategies: When anyone has change or uncertainty this can create some levels of worry or anxiety. When this occurs, it is important to use positive coping strategies to manage those emotions. As every person is different, so too are our coping strategies. Regardless, it is important to practice positive strategies to calm down or modify our thinking to improve our outlook and overall well-being. Coping strategies can include: positive self-talk, discussing hardships you have lived through in the past, singing, dancing, reading, drawing, music, Netflix/movies, create a gratitude list, meditation, yoga, coloring, exercise, cooking/baking, talking to a friend or family member, or doing other activities that are fun or give you joy and make you feel good.

Set Goals – This can be an excellent time to learn something new that you haven’t had time to learn. You may have wanted to share a skill with your children that you haven’t had time to share. Set a goal and list daily steps to reach that goal within your 14-day quarantined period. Feeling accomplished can be an excellent remedy to anxiety.

If you notice your child or you are still worried or anxious, be assured that this is a normal reaction, and continue conversations and providing care for your child. Below you will find additional resources. If you find that additional support is needed, please reach out to a school nurse or your child’s teacher who can refer you to online counseling resources.

ARTICLES

ENGLISH

Understanding the Mental Health and Social Impact of the Coronavirus: Finding the Middle Path: This is a great article explaining the science behind our reactions to epidemics and practical ways we can find balance.
Supporting Students Experiencing Childhood Trauma: Tips for Parents and Educators from the National Association of School Psychologists.
Anxiety and world news : from Hey Sigmund. This is a great website for parents/caregivers containing the latest psychological news and research.
Managing anxiety age by age: Also from Hey Sigmund. A guide about what to expect age by age around anxiety, strategies and tips on when to get help.

Talking about world trauma with kids : another great article from Hey Sigmund!
CoronaVirus Anxiety: 4 Ways to cope with Fear – Psych central article
APS article re coronavirus – APS

建立日常生活规范：在家中创建一个平静的环境，包括充足的睡眠、健康的饮食和适当的运动。可以为家庭成员制定一个时间表，明确上午，下午和晚上应该干什么。每个家庭成员都可以互相监督和督促来执行这个时间表。一定要设定一个时间在早上按时起床，开始新的一天，就像我们每天出门上班上学一样。

保持积极的心态：记住要保持冷静。如果您表现出焦虑或恐惧，您的孩子会意识到这一点，也会感到紧张和害怕。冷静、无恐慌的讨论可以缓解这些变化带来的情绪。时刻关注孩子的感受，承认并解决他们的担忧，而不是忽视他们。花点时间，通过写日记或与朋友交谈的方式来了解自己的感受和担忧。

坚持事实：就冠状病毒进行深思熟虑的谈话，以消除焦虑、担忧或恐惧是非常重要的。关注事实。不是他们所听到或看到的一切都是真实的。考虑孩子的年龄、处理能力和情绪，以确定如何安排这些对话并确保孩子理解。让他们知道学校正在尽我们所能，并且你们得到的是最新的信息。如果他们还有其他问题，你可以去寻找答案。确保只回答孩子们提出的问题。有时成年人想的比孩子想的更多。当被提醒全世界的医生都在寻找应对冠状病毒的方法以及强调积极的消息，这也会让人感到欣慰。

考虑减少媒体消费：在网上查找时，考虑来源和核实事实，防止虚假新闻，并在分享前进行思考。注意你查看的媒体数量，尽量减少阅读故事的频率。试着在日常生活和生活方式中保持健康的平衡（在线和离线）。如果你注意到你在看新闻报道的时候想法开始慌乱，那说明你需要从你的媒体消费量中抽身。要知道你的孩子们在看你在做什么。如果他们看到你被新闻故事所吸引，他们会变得更加紧张。

消除歧视：向你孩子解释冠状病毒时，请保持警觉，避免指责任何人/群体。告诉你的孩子，如果有人发烧或咳嗽，并不意味着这个人有冠状病毒。

改善应对问题的策略：任何人在有变化或不确定性时，都会有一定程度的担忧或焦虑。当这种情况发生时，使用积极的应对策略来管理这些情绪是很重要的。因为每个人都不一样，我们的应对策略也不一样。不管怎样，重要的是要实践积极的策略，冷静下来，或改变我们的思维方式，来改善我们的看法和整体的幸福感。应对策略可以包括：积极的自我对话、讨论你过去经历的困难、唱歌、跳舞、阅读、绘画、音乐、电影、制作感恩清单、冥想、瑜伽、上色、运动、烹饪/烘焙、与朋友或家人交谈，或者做其他有趣的，能给你带来快乐并让你感觉良好的活动。

设定目标：充分利用这段时间，去学习一些你之前没有时间去学习的新东西。你可以和你的孩子分享一项你之前没有时间去分享的技能。设定一个目标，列出在14天隔离期内达到该目标的每日步骤。成就感是消除焦虑的很好的方法。

如果您注意到您或您的孩子现在仍然感到担心或焦虑，请理解这是正常的反应，请继续照顾您的孩子并和孩子进行良好的沟通。下面的链接为您提供了一些可以参考的文章资源。如果您需要额外的帮助和支持，请联系学校的指导顾问Emily Hinman或您孩子的老师，他们可以为您提供在线咨询资源。

相关文章：

英语文章

Understanding the Mental Health and Social Impact of the Coronavirus: Finding the Middle Path:

了解冠状病毒下的心理健康和社会影响：寻找中间路径

这是一篇很好的文章，解释了我们对流行病反应背后的科学解释和我们可以找到平衡的实际方法。

Supporting Students Experiencing Childhood Trauma: Tips for Parents and Educators

·支持经历童年创伤的学生：全国学校心理学家协会为家长和教育工作者提供的建议。

Anxiety and world news : from Hey Sigmund.

·Hey Sigmund：焦虑与世界新闻，这是一个非常不错的网站，为父母/监护人提供最新的心理新闻和研究。

Managing anxiety age by age: