Coping During COVID: Mindfulness and Self-Care for Adults and Kids

last updated December 17, 2020 

Photo by August de Richelieu from Pexels

by Catharine Hannay

To make it easier to access the resources you need, I've gathered together all of the Mindful Teachers posts on coping during the coronavirus crisis, along with a selection of useful posts from other sources.  (Update 12/17/20: I've reorganized by topic rather than date.) 

Hang in there, everybody! 

Posts About Mindfulness  

• Five Mindfulness Practices for Challenging Times by Catharine Hannay (10/27/20) 
• A Lesson in Mindfulness and Compassion from the Book of Job by Rev. Deborah Sunoo (9/17/20) 
• Growing Stronger Even in a Crisis Situation: Mindful Practices to Use Throughout the Day, by Ira Rabois, author of Compassionate Critical Thinking (3/17/20)
• Five Senses Worksheets for English and Language Arts Classes: downloadable worksheets for three of the most popular activities for adults and/or kids (Rainbow Walk, Five Senses Mindfulness Chart, and Five Senses Snack), with suggested writing prompts
• 3 Actividades 5 Sentidos: downloadable worksheets in Spanish of the same three activities: Caminata del Arcoíris, Cinco Sentidos Cada Día, and Bocadillo Cinco Sentidos

You may also be interested in the many other activities for exploring the five senses. Any of the five senses can be a good anchor, or point of attention, which can be less problematic for many people than focusing on the breath. (Some people find that focusing on their breath actually increases their anxiety. Do what's best for you, and be sure to give kids options, as well.)

Posts about Self-Care

• Three Tips for Dealing with Anxiety by Catharine Hannay (12/8/20)
• Five Self-Care Tips for Coping During the Pandemic by Catharine Hannay (12/1/20)
• 4 Quick Self-Care Tips for Frazzled Teachers and Students by Catharine Hannay (10/13/20) 
• 4 Tips for Coping with Anxiety and Cabin Fever by Catharine Hannay (3/24/20)
• 6 Tips for Dealing with the Physical Toll of Working from Home by Catharine Hannay (4/14/20)
• Tips for Dealing with the Emotional Toll of Teaching from Home During Coronavirus Quarantine by Catharine Hannay (3/21/20)

You may also be interested in the many other self-care resources here at MindfulTeachers.org.

Posts about Gratitude

• Faculty Meeting Gratitude Bingo by middle school teacher Erin Bryk (9/1/20) 
• Finding 'Small Sparks of Cheer' During the Holidays by Catharine Hannay (12/15/20)
• A Gratitude Practice for Challenging Times by Catharine Hannay (5/8/20); Practicing Gratitude During a Very Sad Thanksgiving (revised post 11/24/20)

Playlists

• Songs About Hope, Resilience, and Compassion 
• Self-Care Video Playlist: Meditation and Yoga for Anxiety 
• At-Home Yoga and Movement Videos for Kids 
• Coronavirus Song and Video Playlist: focusing on empathy, compassion, kindness, and service

You may also be interested in the many other song playlists and video playlists on mindfulness, compassion, gratitude, etc.

Posts about Teaching and Parenting

• Balancing Content with Caring While Teaching During COVID by Catharine Hannay (9/8/20) 
• 4 Tips for Helping Youth During Times of Crisis and Confusion (8/7/20) by Catharine Hannay at the Center for Adolescent Studies blog
• Four Mindfulness Games for One or More Children by Sara Weis of Go Go Yoga for Kids
• Four Ways Parents Can Share Mindful Moments with Kids, by Noah Teitelbaum of Empower Education 

And here's a curated selection of advice and resources for teachers and caregivers:

• How to keep kids active as the weather cools and the pandemic rolls on by Joanna Pearlstein at The Washington Post
• How Teachers Can Support the Social and Emotional WellBeing of Students by Carolyn Curtis at Edutopia
• Helping Hands Need A Break, Too: How To Lend Support Without Burning Out by Juli Fraga and Kelsey Crowe at NPR.org
• Helping Kids Cope with Health Emergencies from Sesame Street in Communities
• Helping Kids Cope with Traumatic Experiences from Sesame Street in Communities
• Supporting Students Through Coronavirus from Teaching Tolerance
• How to Help Children Build Resilience in Uncertain Times by Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg at healthychildren.org
• How to Plan When You Don't Know What to Plan for by Katie Hicks and Sarah Schroeder at Edutopia
• School Reentry Considerations: Supporting Student Social and Emotional Learning and Mental and Behavioral Health Amidst COVID-19  from the American School Counselor Association and the National Association of School Psychiatrists.
• Reunite, Renew, and Thrive: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)Roadmap for Reopening School from The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL).
• Growing Friendships During the Pandemic: A Kid's Guide to Staying Close to Friends While Keeping Apart: free ebook by Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore and Christine McLoughlin.
• 7 Tips for Educators Returning to School During COVID-19 by Anxiety Canada.
• How Children Process Grief and Loss Through Play by Emily Kaplan at Edutopia.

Looking for even more suggestions? There are hundreds of posts here at MindfulTeachers.org on practicing and teaching mindfulness, compassion, gratitude, and social-emotional skills.



About the Author

Catharine Hannay is the founder of MindfulTeachers.org and the author of Being You: A Girl’s Guide to Mindfulness, a workbook for teen girls on mindfulness, compassion, and self-acceptance. (Sales of the book help me continue to run MindfulTeachers.org with no sponsorship or advertising.)

catharinehannay.com