What a sad and scary week for our country. I saw a meme yesterday that said something to the effect of, “Hey, 2021, I want my money back…the 7 day trial didn’t work out so well.” As parents, we ourselves are likely struggling with how to cope with the Capitol riots, the political unrest as…
The current pandemic has presented a host of social, emotional, and economic difficulties. With a rise in psychological stressors and perceived threat attached to COVID-19, substance use rates have risen. Nielsen statistics regarding alcohol sales reported a 54% increase in the United States for the week ending March 21, 2020 compared with the year prior. …
As we continue our ongoing adjustment to the restrictions of the current pandemic, we are recognizing that student-athletes are faced with a unique set of challenges and difficulties. Not only did they have to quickly adjust to online learning like all students last March, but also the abrupt cancellation of their season, practices, and games.…
Now that we have weathered several seasons of life in a pandemic, many of us have settled into the anxiety a bit. By now, most of us have given up countless get-togethers, forgone summer vacations or family reunions, and lost all kinds of previously taken-for-granted aspects of our day-to-day work or school lives. We have…
This school year has begun like no other school year in history: online. The majority of students in Northern Virginia, and the rest of the country, are now a few weeks into distance learning. Students have become more accustomed to learning online at this point in the pandemic than they were in March. Still, distance…
In early March (what I have come to refer to as “the before times”), none of us could have imagined that we would be heading into a new school year with social distancing, mask wearing, and limits on travel and other activities still necessary and still in place. As time goes on, it may become…
Cultivating a mindfulness practice where one nurtures being in the present moment with lovingkindness and without judgment can prove to be a valuable coping tool for managing the COVID-19 pandemic. The uncertainty thrust upon us along with the burdensome daily extras inherent in the quarantine and home schooling can serve to increase our personal and…
The stereotype surrounding teens and risky behavior is one that, in this case, is well-founded. Teens often don’t consider the consequences of their actions, even when they are well-informed about the risks. Or if they do consider the possible negative outcomes, somehow those consequences don’t get factored in to their decision making. This trouble with…
In these extraordinary times, many parents are feeling overwhelmed and stretched thin in a way that they have never experienced before. Not only are they navigating their own anxiety about how to care for their family in the midst of a global pandemic, but they are also concerned about the long-term impact that it will…
Since the start of this COVID-19 pandemic, we have all faced an incredible amount of uncertainty about the future. Not knowing what is going to happen, social isolation, and having so many things out of our control increases the risk of experiencing feelings of anxiety and/or depression. We all have a desire for certainty and…
