We find ourselves in unchartered territory and in very uncertain times. To assist the UP community in navigating the way ahead, colleagues in the ‘psyche’ sciences and helping professions will be sharing thoughts and advice on how to ensure and strengthen mental well-being in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Post 8 in this series is written by Professor Liesel Ebersöhn, Educational Psychologist and Director of the Centre for the Study of Resilience at the University of Pretoria.
Christmas in April.
Here we are.
Doing the things that we usually do over December holidays.
But doing them in the first quarter of the year.
Cleaning out the cobwebs.
Literal cobwebs in the house.
Cleaning all those nooks and crannies in cupboards and rooms which usually remain in the shadows.
Organising shelves.
Putting aside unused clothes and food and books and tools to give to others.
And cleaning cobwebs in our minds.
All those gazillions of ‘important’ lists of things we need to do.
Things we prioritise.
Things crucial to our work lives.
Systematically being the proverbial tortoise.
Patiently doing tasks:
ticking off the reviews we usually have to rush,
conceptualising the proposal for that call which always comes ‘too late’,
drafting that manuscript based on the findings which always shifts to a lower position on the rank of tasks.
And cleaning cobwebs in our relationships.
Making an effort to reach out.
Being creative in how we craft ways to connect.
Considering the thoughts and feelings and well-being of others.
And cleaning the cobwebs in our spirits.
Forcing ourselves to contemplate ‘what matters’.
And how we want to live.
And who we want to be in this world.
And how we can be useful to the well-being of others.
And so, it is Christmas in April as we receive gifts of well-being amidst the cobwebs of uncertainty.
Contributions from UP staff in the helping professions are welcomed and can be sent to Professor Tharina Guse ([email protected]) for consideration. These must not be more than 400 words and should be focused on promoting staff or student well-being in a broad sense.
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