Worried about your health and sanity while working and/or teaching from home? Look on the bright side – now that your commute is a thing of the past (along with many of your normal evening and weekend activities), this could be a great opportunity to use that extra time to clean up the house, catch up on your sleep, drink more water, get more exercise, start a mindfulness practice, catch up on your reading, learn a new language, or learn how to sing or play the guitar (or some other instrument).
On the other hand, if you’re not feeling particularly productive during this crisis… then that’s perfectly ok too. It’s important to take care of your health as best you can, however.
Some helpful advice for dealing with your groceries and running essential errands in the age of COVID-19
If you or someone you know in the Atlanta area is food insecure, resources can be found here.
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Tips for Dealing With Isolation, Stress, and Anxiety:
If all of the current disruptions to daily life have you feeling a bit on edge, remember that you’re not alone, and that there are steps you can take to improve your state of mind. Be sure to take care of yourself both physically and mentally during this time; exercise will not only keep you physically healthy, but can help to counter (and prevent) anxiety and depression. Getting enough sleep and staying hydrated will also help to keep you feeling better overall.
Staying in touch with friends and family is important as well – even if you can’t physically get together, you can call or set up regular online video hangouts. Starting a regular mindfulness practice – even if it’s just 5 or 10 minutes a day – can also help to keep you balanced and centered. This could even be a great time to get out of the house and explore some of the Atlanta area’s wilder spaces. It’s fine to go outside – and even meet up with friends (small groups only!) for a walk or a hike – as long as you’re still practicing social distancing and focusing on staying healthy. Update: it looks like there are currently a LOT of people doing this in the Atlanta area, however, so try to go to less popular destinations, and stay safe! If there are a lot of cars in the parking lot, find somewhere else, or just walk in your neighborhood or local park.
Don’t forget that USG offers some great health and wellness resources as well, including the Employee Assistance Program and USG Well-Being websites.
Daily Exercise Tips from USG:
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- Monday: Exercise Break
- Tuesday: Fit in Strength
- Wednesday: Move on the Hour
- Thursday: Sneak in Exercise
- Friday: Stealth Exercises
- Saturday: Walk & Talk
- Sunday: Walk for Fitness
Finally, if you’re already feeling a little stir-crazy, take a look at some of the articles below and the ideas and additional resources in the following sections.
PDF: Georgia COVID-19 Emotional Support Line
Article (GGC): GGC Psychology Professors Share Mental Health Strategies for Coping with the Coronvirus Pandemic
Article (The Atlantic): Dear Therapist’s Guide to Staying Sane During a Pandemic
Article (The Chronicle of Higher Education): Productivity and Happiness Under Sustained Disaster Conditions
Article (EdSurge): Teacher, Interrupted: Leaning Into Social-Emotional Learning Amid the COVID-19 Crisis
Article (Inside Higher Ed): Advice for Faculty Members in a Turbulent Time
Article (Inside Higher Ed): Coping With a Pandemic
Article (Self): What to Do If Your Anxiety About Coronavirus Seems Overwhelming
Article (St. Louis Public Radio): Experts Share Coping Strategies for Stressful Times
PDF: Staying Mentally Healthy While Social Distancing
Website (CDC): Advice on Stress and Coping
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General COVID-19 Information:
Please refer to the GGC public health webpage, alerts and warnings and FAQ webpage for resources and additional updates.
Information about the State of Georgia’s Shelter-in-Place Order (which has now been extended through the end of April)
Free Coronavirus Information from the New York Times (but note that excessive consumption of information about the virus may actually contribute to anxiety about the current situation)
Coronavirus Tips: Frequently Asked Questions and Advice (from the New York Times)
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Mindfulness Resources:
The CTE’s Mindful Mondays mindfulness information page
Mindfulness Resources from the CTE (links in Google Drive)
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Twice-daily live online meditation (from 9:00 – 9:45 a.m. and 7:00 – 7:45 p.m. EST) with Emory’s Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics
Daily live online meditation (from 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. EST) with the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies
Weekly live online meditation (M/W/F from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. EST) from Mindful.org
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Guided meditations from UCLA (in English and Spanish)
An online Ecotherapeutic Mediation in 10 Steps from the New York Times
A short (16:38) audio meditation for those days that you can barely deal
A Steady Heart in Times of Crisis: two guided video meditations from Jack Kornfield (17:53) and Tara Brach (25:43) – or watch both (42:36)
A half-day at-home mindfulness retreat from Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach
A short (5:08) “See the Good” meditation with Craig Hase
A short (11:32) introduction to Tonglen (compassion) meditation from Pema Chödrön
Free online meditation sessions (upcoming and recorded) from Tricyle.org.
The Awake Network’s free online meditation resources for times of social distancing / COVID-19
The Awake Network’s free online resources for educators, parents, and kids
Greater Good’s Guide to Well-Being During Coronavirus
Mindfulness instructor Sharon Salzburg’s COVID-19 resources
Additional resources from mindfulness instructors Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach
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Other Online Resources:
CNET: Guide to Free Online Entertainment
Emory: Caring for your mind, body, and spirit while practicing social distancing (another great collection of resources)
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More Ideas for Coping With the Coronavirus:
Art, Music, & Dance:
PBS: How Art Can Soothe Us In Times of Crisis
PBS: Yo-Yo Ma on Encouraging ‘Songs of Comfort’ Amid Global Crisis
Listen to some performances from high school theater students whose shows were cancelled
Enjoy some Broadway plays and musicals from the comfort of your own home
Looking for a different musical? Sign up for a free seven-day trial from Broadway HD
Enjoy some online dance performances
Take part in some virtual experiences from some of your favorite local museums and other attractions
Take an audio tour or a virtual tour of any of a number of museums located around the world (not enough for you? then check out this Ultimate Guide)
Take a virtual tour of some buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
Take a virtual tour of gardens around the world
Take a virtual tour of a 5000-year-old Egyptian tomb, or any of three other Egyptian sites
Enjoy a live virtual concert
Download two free new albums from Nine Inch Nails
Learn how to sing or play the guitar (Fender also has a 30-day free trial of their guitar, bass, or ukelele lessons)
Enjoy an African dance performance / workshop or an African drum performance workshop
Take some free art classes from the MoMA
Download a free coloring book from a museum
In the mood for something a little… different? Try this Call of Cthulhu coloring book
Do some doodling with Mo Willems (weekdays at 1:00 p.m . EST)
Learn how to draw
Watch a documentary (or three) about M. C. Escher
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Education:
Learn a new language
Check out some of these Edchat webinars
Take some online courses from Adobe, Coursera, EdX, or LinkedIn Learning (consider starting with The Science of Well-Being from Coursera, Becoming a More Equitable Educator or The Science and Practice of Yoga from EdX, or Imagineering in a Box or The Art of Storytelling from Pixar and Khan Academy)
Watch some recorded sessions from the free, three-day, 13th annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference (Mar 26 – 28) – if you want to experience a virtual world for yourself, you can create an avatar in Second Life.
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Entertainment:
Enjoy a free 30-day trial of Showtime
Set up a Netflix watch party with your friends
Watch Cirque du Soleil from your living room
Take a virtual stroll through Disneyland
Go on a virtual rollercoaster ride
Do a jigsaw puzzle online
Try out a virtual world
Watch these short films for free
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Fitness:
Join Mark Maroun of the Yoga Source for some free live online classes on Facebook Live (M/W – 9:00 a.m., T/T – 5:00 p.m., Sat – 10:00 a.m.), or watch them later on YouTube
Join Emory yoga instructors for some livestream classes every day (and check out their links to a variety of other yoga resources)
Take part in a live Move More virtual workout with the Red Cross
Get in some free workouts from Pace Fitness Academy or Nerd Fitness
Try out a free guided workout routine from the Nike Training Club and Nike Running Club apps (available on the Apple store and Google Play)
Take some online classes from the YMCA
Enjoy some zombie-apocalypse-themed home workouts, or get out of the house and run for your life!
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Games and Gaming:
Enjoy hundreds of hours of vicarious Dungeons & Dragons storytelling from a group of nerdy voice actors with the hit stream from Critical Role (and if that’s not enough for you, there are other D&D shows that you can binge)
Play Cards Against Humanity with your friends online (please note that this game is definitely NSFW)
Play some video games – you can find some free games on Steam as well
Try out some of these free MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online roleplaying games)
If you’re new to video games, check out this guide for beginners
Download some free tabletop role-playing games to play with the family
Check out the ZoomJam game jam initiative
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For Kids:
The ultimate parents’ guide to education and activity resources (from the Washington Post)
A guided meditation for young children
CHOA’s guide to keeping kids active while practicing social distancing
Five free meditation activities for kids
Learn how to draw Disney characters – from Disney artists!
Learn about sea turtles through lessons, activities, and games
Enjoy some read-alouds from authors and celebrities
NASA activities for kids and families
Some fun activities from Harry Potter at Home
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Nature, Science, & Travel:
Log into a PandaCam from the Atlanta Zoo or the National Zoo, or a livestream from the Georgia Aquarium (or check out some other zoos and aquariums)
Take a virtual tour of one of 33 national parks
Go on a virtual dolphin tour (Wednesdays @ 2:00 p.m. EST)
Enjoy some of these nature and wildlife webcams from around the world
Go on a virtual vacation with webcams from Georgia’s Golden Isles (or with this YouTube playlist)
Get out of the house (yes, for reals) and practice some social distancing in the great outdoors
Head to the nearest national park (yes, in the real world) and get in for free
Watch any of 68 free episodes of Aerial America from the Smithsonian
Take a virtual tour of the city of Petra, the Grand Canyon, Mt. Fuji, the Great Barrier Reef, the Everest Base Camp, and many more locations with Google Maps
Take a virtual tour of a national park from Google Earth, or go on a 360-degree virtual tour of a national park from Google Arts and Culture
Gaze at the Aurora Borealis (note that you’ll have to time this one properly – it’s live)
And if virtually wandering the planet isn’t enough for you, then go ahead and explore the universe from the comfort of your own home
Watch all of Mark Rober’s videos
Enjoy 50 hours of relaxing nature sounds from the BBC
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Reading:
Download a book from the New York Public Library
Browse 1.4 million books online from the National Emergency Library
Sign up for Tor.com’s eBook of the Month Club
Let someone read you a book (like Betty White or Levar Burton)
Listen to some free audiobooks from Audible
Download, read, and watch all sorts of stuff from Neil Gaiman (and there are goodies for your little ones too)
Browse through these online sci-fi stories (or these, or these, or these, or these…)
Download the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe (note that Poe is probably NOT the best author to read if you’re experiencing any anxiety about COVID-19…)
Read some horror stories from HP Lovecraft, or watch this animated introduction to his work, or this free documentary on his life and writings (note that Lovecraft is DEFINITELY NOT the best author to read if you’re experiencing any anxiety about COVID-19… or any anxiety at all, for that matter)
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Miscellaneous:
A guide to dealing with new aches and pains while working from home (Washington Post)
A beginner’s guide to growing your own food (Washington Post)
A comprehensive guide to baking substitutions (Washington Post)
A guide to speeding up your internet connection (Washington Post)
A guide to helping others during the Coronavirus outbreak (Washington Post)
What to watch, read, and listen to during your coronavirus self-quarantine (NY Times)
Dedicate some of your unused computer cycles to to research on the SARS-CoV-2 virus
Take an online class about the Coronavirus
Wonder From Home with Atlas Obscura
Enjoy some local live streams
Listen to the Happiness Lab podcast
Watch this dog jump into some leaves (no, really; it’s surprisingly soothing)
Check out this list of additional links from the Social Distancing Festival
Or just fall back on the classics and spend the next few months watching cat videos
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Lighten Up!
Video: Michael Bruening – I Will Survive – Coronavirus Version for Teachers Going Online
Video: Neil Diamond – Hands, Washing Hands (Sweet Caroline Coronavirus Update)
Video: Chris Mann – Hello (from the Inside): An Adele Parody
Video: Chris Mann – My Corona (note: NSFW content)
Video: Chris Mann – Stay Home Vogue (Vogue Coronavirus Parody)
Video: Chris Mann – Thank U Frontline (not a parody, but definitely worth a listen)
Share a #GGConline selfie: Each home set up is unique, from fun home offices to hilarious web filters, and the GGC social media team would love you to share how you’re keeping GGC going from afar. Snap a pic or screenshot and post to any of your social media accounts using the hashtag #GGConline and tagging @GeorgiaGwinnett. We’ll highlight all the innovative ways the GGC community is helping our students learn and succeed online on our main social media channels through the end of the semester. Go Grizzlies!