Our Community

Adjusting to Change

Thank you to Karina Churchill for this think-piece

Getting up half an hour later than usual, not all your colleagues are in the office to chat to first thing in the morning, finishing your classes at different times than normal, being home for lunch, or eating lunch with four square metres between you and the next person in the staffroom… Our daily routines are feeling very different as our School Community is working to ‘flatten the curve’ of COVID-19. As we look to support each other during this unprecedented period of rapid change, we share some tips and observations about the ways we are trying to stay productive, healthy, and sane, as we adjust to the new normal.

Joining the ‘Slow Movement’

As a very ‘busy’ person, I’ve had to applaud the irony of being forced to ‘slow down’ life’s pace as a way of engaging in self-care during the societal shift towards self-isolation. In an attempt to prevent the word ‘coronavirus’ invading my thoughts constantly, I’ve deliberately engaged with the purposeful pursuit of Gerard Manly Hopkins in seeking to connect with the natural world and marvelling in God’s creation within it. Choose to be thankful. Choose to be grateful. “The world is charged with the grandeur of God”.

Playing Tetris

Many of us have been shifting chunks of our routines around like puzzle pieces whilst trying to maintain ‘normal’ routines for our children; taking walks at other moments on ‘different’ days and using them for different purposes other than primarily physical fitness such as ‘brain breaks’ or opportunities to have an adult conversation without two sets of little ears listening on in the background; cramming the children’s co-curricular activities into different shifts, sometimes on completely different days than normal; or even supervising two children engaged in Distance Learning whilst trying to juggle our own Google Meet with a class. It can be a little bit hectic as the puzzle pieces fall more quickly and they don’t always land in the right place. Be kind to yourself. Forming new routines and habits takes time.

Hitting the Wall

Hands up if you get to lunch time some days and your brain can’t take any more? It's not uncommon for our brains to be overloaded and experience cognitive fatigue due to the sheer number and nature of the changes that are occurring both at work and at home. It's usually a good sign that we need to reach for some water, take a few deep calming breaths, get up out of our chairs and shake off the tension. Aim to do just one thing, rather than multi-tasking. Even if it's just savouring your lunch for a clear 30 minutes. And if all else fails - have a good cry. It’s cathartic. That discomfort we’re feeling is a form of grief - the loss of what our lives looked like, before. It’s perfectly normal.

Other tips: 

• no more than three cups of coffee per day. The temptation to artificially fuel oneself to power through the changes and challenges is strong in times like these. Just as important is the need for a good night’s sleep.
• tune out with some music or mindfulness. Re-engage with that favourite album or soundtrack again. Tap into the Smiling Minds app. Or recruit a few friends to sing your own version of Les Miserables’ ‘One More Day’ on a Zoom Meeting. Whatever floats your boat.
• find a photo of a place you love or miss the most and make it your desktop or screen saver. May it bring you peace.

The Pets of Friends'

With all of us spending a lot more time at home, it's good to know that our furry (and feathered) friends will be enjoying a bit of extra attention. Here we have collated a gallery of just some of the many pets of Friends', we hope you enjoy!