At the beginning of the pandemic, I was ready to crawl out of my own skin. I’m the type who dreads the upheaval of a snow day— I get super rage-y when time I’d planned to write or work on a house project evaporates, and instead I’m refereeing arguments between my kids, fetching snacks and policing screen time. But lately, even with winter looming, the pandemic worsening, and political tension the likes of which I’ve never experienced before… I actually feel pretty good. I’ve been trying to figure out why, and I think it’s partly about resilience—our ability to adapt when life gets hard. I think we sometimes imagine resilience is a characteristic we’re either born with or not, like blue eyes, double-jointed knuckles or the ability to wiggle our ears. But resilience is actually a mental muscle. We have     . . . read more

I’m in a meeting with my colleague in my home office (more accurately coined the “cloffice,” closet/office) and despite the noise-canceling air pods, I can hear both the distinct sound of fussing, turning to yelling as well as the oh-so-pleasant “music” from a recorder. Two kids, two ways to create total havoc.  I would say most days of remote learning crescendo into a loud meltdown right around 2pm. Whomever the parent in charge is at that moment certainly has their hands full, but being in a work meeting at the time is also no picnic.  Never has my life been so chaotic. Usually the stresses of work don’t mix with the stresses of home. But here they are, one big jumbled mess.  It’s exhausting and a bit embarrassing. But there are so many of us right in the thick of     . . . read more

Join us for a 4-week group to work on skills and perspectives for increasing resilience at this time of collective stress and uncertainty.  Many of us are feeling a vague exhaustion and a general sense of dread. This is a chance to explore these feelings and also look for opportunities to grow in our sense of self, connection to others, and clarity on our purpose.  This group is for anyone craving some space and structure for using discussion, reflection, and writing as tools to build awareness and resilience.  Facilitated by Hannah Curtis, LCSW and writer, Lynn Shattuck, this group will meet online weekly from 10-11am on Thursdays, starting October 8, running through October 29th, 2020. Cost for this pilot program is $99 and it is limited to 8 participants.  For questions or to sign up, email Hannah at [email protected] 

If you feel that COVID-19 is a threat to your mental health as well as your physical health, you are not alone. Your mental health requires real attention. Being intentional about your mental health strategy can help you get through this strange and stressful time. The big changes we are making to help our collective well-being as we confront COVID-19 present new challenges to our mental health. Change, especially on this massive scale, is likely to feel difficult and daunting, manifesting feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and hopelessness.  Certainty, familiarity and a sense of control are elements of our world that maintain a sense of safety and security. Typically, we feel best when these things are in place.  Therefore, it’s natural to feel unsettled during this time of scary news and unprecedented social distancing. This current change is unanticipated and experienced at such     . . . read more

If you believe there is nothing you can do about your burnout, you are making the problem worse for yourself. Many people throw their hands up when I ask them about their work stress and potential burnout. They say there is nothing to be done. It’s a staffing issue. It’s a systemic problem. It’s not their job, it’s the “other stuff” like interpersonal dynamics workplace culture “the way things are right now” These mindsets are a major contribution to burnout. Last year, the World Health Organization declared that burnout is a health problem. It’s defined by the symptoms of: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job reduced professional efficacy I believe that one core feeling underpins all three of these symptoms clusters: powerlessness. So yes,     . . . read more