Wellness Wednesday Weekly – Volume 7

Volume 1 Issue 7
Wednesday, 10 June 2020

Greetings UWCEA Community,

Last week, we focused on the importance of knowing that joy can come in the morning, which was specifically chosen as we saw the struggle for racial justice and against police brutality become a reality once again. Of course, we did not want to appear as though we were looking past the fact that there were a lot of intense emotions and concerns for the wellbeing of individuals who face racial injustice throughout the world, in order to put forth a message of positivity. On the contrary, we recognize that knowing that “joy comes in the morning” allows people to persevere through even the darkest times. In order to keep fighting for equality, one needs to have hope that this is possible no matter what circumstances you currently find yourself in. A recent book by former school counselor turned author, Julia Cook, is a beautiful way to better understand the importance of hope in dark times.

“A Flicker of Hope”

The story touches upon the fact that it is difficult to have hope when you are suffering from any trauma or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. June is Trauma and PTSD Awareness Month, and there are resources available to help address these life altering issues.  We encourage anyone who is suffering with any type of trauma that is impacting their mental health and wellbeing to reach out for professional help to provide the essential support necessary. In addition, it is important to utilize strategies to address the symptoms when they arise. Some suggestions include:

• Draw, write, create
• Breathe
• Meditation (ie. Compassionate Friend Meditation)
• Mindfulness activities (see image below)

(Image from Alfred Street Baptist Church 7 June 2020)

Also, we recently updated the COVID-19 Counselor Resources document to include resources to support conversations with young people, and each other, about racism. Please take a look, and feel free to share any resources that you have come across that you think will enhance the work we are trying to during this time and as part of the UWC movement.

We are constantly seeking to meet the mental health needs of our community members, and desire to be more proactive and preventative in our approach. We are hopeful that you will provide some feedback to us as we come to the close of this school year that will help us plan for an enhanced approach to mental health and wellbeing in the new school year. Please take a few moments to complete this Google form to provide feedback on any mental health concerns you have about the upcoming school year and reflections on how mental health issues were handled during the school closure. We ask that you complete the survey by Friday, 19 June at 3:00PM EAT. This survey is open to all members of the school community, students, staff, parents, and other vested stakeholders.

As we continue to recognize African American Music Awareness Month, the lyrics from this Whitney Houston song give us hope in what is to come. Our students have been resilient and excellent problem solvers during this time of Distance Learning and sudden changes to life as they know it. We have been impressed with the leadership and problem solving skills that have been exhibited by students across both campuses, including the powerful speeches during the Moshi D2 Graduation and the M5 Ceremonies last Friday on both campuses. These students still see a brighter future in spite of current circumstances, and, for that, we have no reason but to remain hopeful.

As always, we encourage you to continue to work on strategies to maintain your mental health and wellbeing so that you are able to deal with challenges that life will bring. In the lyrics of this beautiful song by India Arie “There’s Hope” but also remember there is help.

Stay well and stay hopeful,

Your UWCEA Wellbeing Committee