I didn’t publish this post in September 2020 because I thought it might be too soon and we were just going into another lockdown. Sharing some thoughts from my lockdown diary, written about a year ago, moved into a blog post draft some months later and now maybe ready to publish:
Diary came up today as a topic in the Twitterverse. Is it time already to pull out the Lockdown Diaries? Each year Germans vote for the worst word of the year, aptly labelled ‘Unwort’ or none-word–anti-word maybe? September on the doorstep will mark half a year of the ‘Unwort’ era: ‘unprecedented’. Which remains the undefeated champion.
Finding Solace in Gratefulness
During a tweet-chat a fairly innocent question about what people have learned and enjoyed during the first weeks of lock-down caused a bit of controversy from outright aggression to the perception that this question was tone-deaf.
Which is curious: as over this particular period of time, social media, and the virtual communication platforms at work, were alight with things people had learned, found, figured out, struggled with, enjoyed, and wanted to share with others for their learning. So reflection in action and sharing of learning was (and is) very well alive. We are going through a traumatic phase, colleagues and students alike. The worries cover everything from existential fears to literally the fear of dying or loosing loved ones.
Lockdown Diary
Gratefulness as Act of Self-Care?
Now, more than ever, it is important to pause, and be mindful about what gives us joy—a moment of reprieve. Mindfulness about our daily actions and interactions can help us see through this challenging time. From looking at the latest Covid19 memes the internet provides, from going on your daily walk, watering your plants, to actually consciously embracing the elements of your work you love. The engagement with students and colleagues for instance.
Laughing at your cat sticking their bum into the video-camera, enjoying that fresh cup of coffee, having had some meaningful engagement with students, using the need to change and adapt and embracing it to be creative, to experiment, to knowing that now more than any other time people will understand when things go bump.
Lockdown Diary
References and Further Reading
[1] Giving thanks can make you happier – Harvard Health (no date). Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier (Accessed: 23 May 2020).
[2] The Neuroscience of Gratitude and How It Affects Anxiety & Grief (no date). Available at: https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/ (Accessed: 23 May 2020).
[3] How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain (no date). Available at: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain (Accessed: 23 May 2020).
Adventures in Academic Development 