38 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • APRIL 2020
FAMILY & EDUCATION
MENTAL HEALTH TIPS FOR PARENTS
continued from page 37
CREATE A PLAN
Worry and anxiety are there to help
us plan and be prepared for potential
threats. The problem occurs when our
mind and body enter a constant state
of worry and rumination rather than
planning.
Create a plan for the day or week that
you’re in. Ask yourself, what can I do
to prepare myself and my family? These
are short-term, attainable goals that
help your mind process what is and isn’t
possible at this moment. In this way, you
harness worry to control the things you
can control.
ACCEPTANCE
Accept that we are in a difficult time,
and we won’t have all the answers for
the foreseeable future. Accept that no
one is perfect, and so many of us are
trying our best. With that acceptance,
you can attune to what you need to be
able to cope with the uncertainty and
the distress that creates.
Acceptance does not mean ignoring
feelings. Instead, it means holding
feelings and still being able to move
forward.
What are some tools to learn to accept
tricky circumstances? One idea is to
make a new reality meaningful. Finding
meaning by learning to explore
the opportunities and possibilities that
come out of a difficult moment can be
deeply purposeful.
LIMIT INFO
We were already inundated with information
before coronavirus. Now it feels
like this is all anyone wants to talk about.
For those with anxiety or developing
anxiety, this can be overwhelming.
With the 24-hour news cycle and social
media, we have so many sources of
information throughout the day that
it becomes easy to stay in an activated
fight or flight response at all times.
Limit your experience to a few trusted
sources. Set aside times to check news and
updates. Set up a buffer before bedtime to
protect healthy sleep. It’s wise to stay informed.
It is also wise to ensure adequate
rest, nutrition, and authentic connection
with your family, partner, or body.
PRACTICE MINDFULNESS
This biggest buzzword of the last few
years is on this list for a reason: It
works.
Mindfulness is such a valuable tool
right now. It allows you to balance and
smooth out that fight or flight activation
with softer, gentler moments that create
a more open, social, or serene feeling.
For many people, mindfulness feels out
of reach in their hectic day-to-day lives.
While creating a meditation practice is
a worthy goal, mindfulness can also be
found in smaller, attainable changes. In
this context, mindfulness refers not to
emptying the mind, but to cueing into
the moment you’re in.
Can you find a moment in your day to tune
into what you’re thinking and feeling for
three minutes? Watch those thoughts go
by without judging them or rushing into
problem-solving. Turn your awareness to
them and take deep breaths to bring your
body into awareness as well.
And overall, fight to stay grateful, calm,
and loving to ourselves so we can keep
showing up for others in this unprecedented
time.
“Stay grateful, calm, and loving to ourselves
so we can keep showing up for others in this
unprecedented time.”
National Book Award Winner talks inspiration,
creative process during SUNY Old Westbury visit
Widely recognized poet Terrance
Hayes read from his latest published
works, offered previews of works still in
progress and offered his thoughts on
writing and the creative process during
a recent visit to the State University of
New York at Old Westbury.
During the visit arranged by the
College’s English Department, Hayes
read a number of pieces from his
latest book, “American Sonnets for
My Past And Future Assassin,” as well
as works from the late American poet
Wanda Coleman.
“I’m searching for definitive answers
to questions that might not be able to
be answered,” he told the audience
of nearly 200. “But I don’t see myself
answering big questions or speaking
for any population in general because
I only know individuals.”
Having won such prestigious honors
as the National Book Award for poetry
and a MacArthur Genius Fellowship,
his writings address issues of race,
gender, politics, and music. He is
currently a professor at New York
University and serves as the Chancellor
of the American Academy of Poets.
During the question-and-answer
period, Hayes, who played Division II
basketball while in college, likened his
writing to his former pursuit.
“I just started thinking about what I
really liked in college was practice,
even more than the games,” he
said. “There is so much more time
in practice, and you need to fail in
practice. I don’t talk about inspiration
– I talk about practice. You need to
work on your form, and some days that
might only mean one sentence, and I’ll
take that because I’m just practicing for
a different kind of game that will come
later when I release my work.”
For more information on academic and
campus life at SUNY Old Westbury, visit
www.oldwestbury.edu.
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
/www.oldwestbury.edu
