Dear Trinity Families,
Covid fatigue is real, and as this pandemic continues to spread and trigger new COVID-19 hot spots across the country, even people who have not gotten sick are feeling mentally fatigued. A recent survey indicates that Americans feel that the coronavirus crisis is harming their mental health. For some, the experience of extended social distancing leaves them feeling lonely, while others are stressed about their health, employment, increased workload, school, and childcare. At Trinity we have been lucky; consider that in many places, students have been remote learners for an entire year!
It is natural and quite normal to feel mentally weary or stressed out at a time like this. An unprecedented and prolonged crisis can trigger stress-related issues for people, even if you have never previously experienced mental health issues. I have heard, “we are all in the same boat," but I don't believe this is entirely accurate. Instead, I would draw the following metaphor: we are all in the same storm, but some have a yacht, some have a canoe, and others are drowning.
Please know that you are not alone. If you are feeling overwhelmed, try these simple tips to minimize the effects of pandemic-related stress:
- Do not overdo it with COVID-19 news. According to research led by UC Irvine’s Roxy Silver, Ph.D., excessive news, and visual images about traumatic events can make us even more anxious. Start by setting limits on how much COVID-19 content you take in. Avoid news that’s not useful and discourage friends and family from sharing unhelpful news or social media reports with you.
- Improve your sleep.It is normal to lose some sleep while trying to cope with the uncertainty of a pandemic. To ensure healthier sleep patterns, unplug devices an hour or two before bed, and replace browsing and video watching with reading or meditating to train your body to relax in preparation for sleep.
- Eat better and exercise. Eating healthier foods and exercising regularly are proven mood boosters. As little as 30 minutes of exercise a day can boost your mental and physical health.
- Stay in touch with important people in your life. Social distancing may make it more challenging, but it is important to keep in touch with family, friends, and loved ones. You can make phone calls, hold video chats, text, and email to maintain your most important relationships.
- Ask for help. If stress and anxiety for any reason are getting in the way of your daily activities, seek help. Your primary care physician or provider is trained to help identify mental health issues, render care, and/or refer you to specialized providers. CLICK HERE for information about free and confidential resources.
As Spring Break approaches, please keep in mind Trinity is following the CDC regulations in place regarding quarantine and COVID-19 testing following international travel. CDC requires negative COVID testing 72 hours prior to flying into the US from an international country. Additionally, if you travel to a country listed as a Risk Assessment Level 2 or higher on the CDC website (majority of destinations including Mexico) your children will need to quarantine for 7 days upon your return and must be tested 3-5 days after travel to be able to return to campus. For the list of destinations & CDC travel recommendations, including risk level, click HERE.
Domestic travel also increases your chance of spreading and getting COVID-19, and the CDC recommends that you do not travel currently. If possible, delay travel and stay home to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
With warm regards,
Mark Ravelli
Head of School