Fight Fatigue with Resilience

Zoom fatigue is real. Quarantine fatigue is real. Sometimes we just need to take a beat together.

One of the things that’s difficult about zoom versus real life is that we don’t have unscripted time. There are no conversations in hallways to talk about how we’re REALLY DOING. It’s tempting to perform for the camera and wear ourselves out or tune out altogether.

Sometimes we just need to giggle and play Among Us. That’s valid.

And. 

It's clear we're going to be living like this for longer than any of us wanted. We're going to need one another to get through the next few months. And we're going to need to be able to take care of ourselves.

You may have heard about resilience in your classes and from your teachers and mentors. It seems to help us weather the hard times and the big emotions. But what is it? How do we get it? 

One way to think about resilience is about our access to inner strength and building kind awareness.

Awareness is not about being perfect or perfectly positive or a model of bravery. It’s about cultivating awareness of what is, right now. It’s about slowing down and beginning again. It’s about space for those big feelings in an uncertain world. 

Resilience is a practice. And it can be helpful to practice together.

Mindfulness for Teens is a space where we can practice resilience together, take care of ourselves and one another, and show up exactly as we are. A space where we’ll practice the things that we will need to carry ourselves through the next few months. A space where we can make room for gratitude and acknowledge our shared inner strength.

Here are some questions you might have:

• Do I have to know what mindfulness is? Not at all. We talk about a particular aspect of mindfulness during each session and no prior experience or knowledge is needed.
• Is it a workout? While there is some gentle movement, there are options for all bodies, abilities, and #moods. 
• Do I have to have my camera on? Nope. Cameras go on and off as it feels best to you.
• Do I have to unmute? No. Hanging out in the chat is encouraged, unmuting and sharing is good, too. There’s a theme here - do what works for you.
• Can I bring friends? Yes, please do. Perhaps you have a class or an afterschool group and you’d like to come together? Sounds great. 

As we go into the holiday season, we’re grateful to co-create this space with you. Practicing resilience, not perfection, is how we can get through this together.