Counseling Corner - It's Okay to Not Feel Okay
“It’s okay to take things slower, to grieve the loss of normalcy, and to embrace the opportunity to rest.
”
We have a special opportunity at Yellow Wood to take things slower, which is very important given the events we are currently living through. There is a constant low-hum of uncertainty and anxiety which runs through every activity we engage in, including school.
Yellow Wood Students have a unique opportunity to talk with their teachers about their questions and concerns. Their fears and struggles. Their hopes and dreams. It is important for students to know that now, even more than ever, it is okay to not feel okay.
It is okay to take things slower, to grieve the loss of normalcy, and to embrace the opportunity to rest. Have conversations with your students concerning how they feel, what they need, and in what ways they think they can best show up during school. Their experiences will vary, and at Yellow Wood, they have the opportunity to discuss their thoughts and feelings with their teachers and make necessary adjustments to make school a source of hope and healing as opposed to a source of unnecessary stress.
RESOURCE LIST:
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/coronavirus-calm.html
https://www.childrensmn.org/2020/06/17/ok-not-ok-coping-strategies-families/
https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/2020/04/08/rest-supports-grieving-grief-rituals/
Jamey Moriarty | Student Well-Being Assistant
Before Yellow Wood I: grew up in Coos Bay, OR and studied theatre at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. After graduating, I spent the next 5 years working in a variety of roles at YMCA Camp Orkila, Orcas Island Elementary School, and the Evergreen School in Shoreline.
I Love Yellow Wood Because: the compassionate, flexible teachers and the wide ranging personalities of the students.
Outside of work, I am energized by: meditation, spending time with friends, going on neighborhood adventure walks, playing tennis, frisbee, and generally being active.
My favorite childhood memory is: building a Lincoln-log style fort with my friends in the vacant lot across the street from my house using the wood from our old deck.