To say it’s been a difficult year and a half would be quite the understatement. Living through a global pandemic (and for Passaic County CASA staff, also a disastrous flood) has made us reflect on resilience. Read on to hear from a few staff members about how they cope when times get tough.
With the past year's challenges, I do more self-talk than ever, reminding myself that this is temporary, and that I've made it through difficult times before. Each day, I try to both reflect inward and reach outward, making sure to have some alone time and also connect with others-- including old friends whom I hadn't talked to for years.
- Marian Golan, Advocacy Supervisor
Nature is my therapy in times of stress - hiking in the woods, burying my toes in sand, wading in a stream, or floating in a lake are among my favorites. I feel better when I take time to step away from my day to day stresses and take a few deep breaths. There's a Japanese concept called "shinrin-yoku" which I can relate to. It roughly translates as "forest bathing" or "taking in the forest atmosphere." I guess that means I'm not the only one who finds comfort in the natural world. Last Friday afternoon, I took a hike at a state park, and I felt peace just looking up above me, at dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. And if you can't escape to deep wilderness, even a quick break to connect with nature helps. Sit in a park and listen to the sounds of birds; feel the warmth of the sun and the wind in your hair. Take a walk at sunset. Watch the moon rise. Try to turn off your daily thoughts and let your senses take over!
- Michelle Schaefer, Director of Strategy & Impact
Here are some thoughts I try to keep in mind when fighting through difficult times:
1. Look back at previous difficulties you have faced and realize that you got through them and that you will get through the current one as well. This is not the end of the line but just a speedbump.
2. Decide to determine the task that will provide the biggest relief, focus on it, and don't stop until you have accomplished it
- Richard Hoffman, Data Analyst
I often remember something my mom said to me after my daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes: "things will look better in the morning.”
I try to remember that when going through a hard time, where the days blur together. The loss of my mom was and continues to be painful. I make the choice to remember the good times, put my face in the sunlight and breathe.
- Julie Ritsema, Administrative Assistant
Managing stress is so important right now. Exercise is one way that I have found effective for burning stress! Involving my son in these activities while he was stuck at home made us laugh and have some fun together.
- Courtney Como, Director of Donor and Community Relations
This saying has helped me throughout every stressful situation I’ve found myself in: “This too shall pass.”
My grandmother used to say this often when I was young and although I didn’t understand the importance of it at the time, the saying stuck and believing in it has carried me through some extremely trying and different things in my life. In the short term, I try to relax by getting outside in nature and enjoying good books as well as the company of my family.
- Erica Fischer-Kaslander, Executive Director
The death of a loved one; a global pandemic; the destruction and chaos of a workplace disaster; the decline of an aging parent; the realization that dreams for a child’s life, or your own, won’t come true; the ramifications of a mistake, a lost umbrella. Life’s losses can stop me in my tracks. A professional development seminar I once attended suggested that you must travel through the five stages of grief and loss – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance – to move past even the smallest setbacks in life. It taught that the quicker you do so, the sooner you can learn from the experience and get on to better things. So, I acknowledge the bad feelings. I hold them in awareness and let myself work through them. Then I refocus on how to move forward with a new perspective.
- Janice Erzmoneit, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer
How do you deal with difficult times? Comment below!
** To learn more about resilience, visit the American Psychological Association and the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. **