Hey everyone! Anything new happen in the world lately? Oh yeah, everything is happening and the only thing most of us can do to help is NOTHING AT ALL. If you’re like me, you’re restless, tired, and simultaneously over-whelmed and under-stimulated.
BUT, I’m very grateful that my university is continuing to pay the RAs and supply us with work to do. It’s fun to laugh at, seeing as the ‘Resident’ part of my job has been deleted, but I’m very glad for the opportunity to continue my work in our campus community despite our distance. To my residents, to my campus, and to college students everywhere, we’re in this together. We’re all experiencing the same thing right now, and now is the time to be there for each other. Whether this is by spreading positivity, staying in touch with friends, or checking in on mental health, there are still ways we can do something while we’re “doing nothing”.
SO.
Each week I’m sending out emails of encouragement and ideas to my residents, and I thought I’d bring it to this platform as well. So far…
- Podcasts! March 25th
- A great way to feel less lonely. Even if you’re locked in your room avoiding everyone, the voice of a soothing smart person is sure to make you feel like someone cares. Here are my recommendations for the present times:
- Invisibilia, “An Unlikely Superpower”: My personal favorite podcast. This episode is on how to deal with fear in a smart way by balancing between oblivious optimism and over-alert terror. And this one is about a woman who can smell disease, its wild.
- Hidden Brain, “An Unfinished Lesson”: Hidden Brain is a great podcast examining human behavior. This week’s episode was on the Flu of 1918, the “Spanish” Flu, and the history of how Americans responded to a similar pandemic a little more than a century ago. It puts a really interesting perspective on our situation now.
- Secret Societies: For those of us who need to escape into the realms of conspiracy theories. Each week they give the history of a different group. So far they’ve looked at The Knights Templar, The Skull and Bones, The Triads, and more.
- WEBKINZ March 30th, 2020
- SO, if there are any other RAs working remotely out there who happen to stumble upon this, I HIGHLY recommend doing the thing you’ve always dreamt of: getting a pet for your floor. You can now adopt a pet for free on Webkinz, and set it up with its own little ‘dorm’. I’ve had a lot of fun making the account for my area, and I’ve received positive feedback from my residents as well.
- ALSO, on my personal account I made more than ten years ago, (maggie916, add me, pals) I may or may not have spent my actual money on a new Webkinz bc it was a DRAGON. It was worth it. Me and Penelope have been having a fun time.
- Virtual Tours! April 7th 2020
- So many museums, conservatories, aquariums, and zoos are going virtual to help keep spirits up at home. It’s sweet things like this that have been making me smile the past week. Here’s a few cites to check out:
- Monterey Bay Aquarium: I got to visit this aquarium back when I was in high school, and I was absolutely floored by the conservation work being done as well as their dedication to their marine life. And NOW, they’re live 🙂
- San Diego Zoo: Live feeds from their tigers, polar bears, and koalas!
- Georgia O’Keefe Museum: Santa Fe’s Georgia O’Keefe Museum has put not one but SIX virtual exhibits up now!
- Smithsonian Museum of Natural History: Get ready to virtually explore where Ben Stiller and Amy Adams fought off an ancient army of evil Egyptians. The Museum of Natural History is offering a floor-by-floor 360-degrees virtual tour, LETS GO.
- Broadway Shows: BroadwayHD is a streaming service for recorded Broadway and West End shows! Get a free trial and brush up on your show-tunes.
- So many museums, conservatories, aquariums, and zoos are going virtual to help keep spirits up at home. It’s sweet things like this that have been making me smile the past week. Here’s a few cites to check out:
That’s all for now, I’ll do my best to keep this up-to-date as a way to make access to what I share easier and more available to everyone. Reminder that there are resources available in this time for mental health as well as physical health. Part of my job now is to help you get the help you need, so please reach out if you need someone to support you 🙂 stay as safe and as sane as possible.
Emergency Hotlines:
- The Trevor Project, help for LGBTQA+ youth. Call at 1-866-488-7386
- HopeLine, an organization of trained, anonymous active-listeners to help with anxiety or difficult situations. From there they will get you in tough with a more specific organization as need be. Call at 919-231-4525 or 1-877-235-4525
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, help for people in distress and in crisis. Call at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
- National Alliance on Mental Illness, provides information about mental illness and what you and you can do to seek treatment. Open Monday–Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. Call at 1-800-950-6264
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a 24-hour hotline provide support, information, and connections to mental health treatment. Call at (800) 662-4357
Maggie McGee 