By Kailee Austin

COVID-19? More like CHAOS-19! Amid Covid a lot of people have struggled to stay positive. It is completely OK considering we are in a global pandemic. Everyone is struggling to adapt, even our teachers. Doc Hickernell and Mrs. Richards both spoke about how they are finding positivity amid all of the Covid-19 chaos and how students can cope with all the stress.

Doc says, “I think that all of the setbacks I’ve experienced in my life have helped me to improve my coping skills.  It also seems to me that when I attempt to relieve the anxiety, stress, and pain that others are dealing with, I don’t have much time to focus on my problems, especially the ones that I can’t do much about.  That, I suppose, has helped me find positivity.”

Even teachers feel anxiety and stress. Mrs. Richards mentioned that her children “and my students are my source of inspiration.” All teachers are having to learn ways to adapt the new constrictions set in place.

Doc often finds himself asking himself, “How important are each of these things with respect to other things that I now need to do?” This helps him examine the normal things and think about what he needs to prioritize in his normal everyday schedule.

Having a hard time coping with everything? Mrs. Richards notes that “the best coping strategy is one that many students have already embraced and that is finding ways to connect with one another even if you can’t physically spend time with each other.  So many students have shown how they can find the positives in all of this stress.”

Doc says, “Don’t take yourself too seriously. In all of this chaos you are going to have successes, and you are going to have failures. Celebrate your successes, even small ones, and laugh at your failures. Also, forgive yourself for the failures. I know that it’s an old cliche, but it is true that your failures will teach you more than your successes. But also, don’t focus on yourself too much. Recognize that we are all working together through this, and we need each other’s help.”

If you catch yourself feeling stressed, think about these words of wisdom and how you can help yourself and others. Remember to always surround yourself with people who make you happy, find a hobby that you enjoy, and look at the bright side of things.