The Foreign Service Journal, May 2020

18 MAY 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL COPING WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING HOW TO BUILD RESILIENCE I n the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Foreign Service families around the world are facing difficult situations and choices, and high stress levels. We turned to resilience expert Beth Payne for advice. She is a retired FSO and a former chair of the FSJ Edito- rial Board. She was the director of FSI’s Center of Excellence in Foreign Affairs Resilience from2016 to 2019, and now runs Payne Resilience Training &Consulting (payneresilience.com) . The following is from a recent blog posting, in which she shares suggestions for ways to build and maintain resilience during this challenging time. S ince resilience affects our immune system, build- ing and maintaining high resilience can help your body defend against viruses and bacteria. Resilience will also help you better manage if you or a loved one is infected. It will help you adapt if there are closures or significant changes in your daily life. And you’ll be more likely to bounce back quickly and fully (and possibly bounce forward) from any negative impact this crisis may have on you. Here are ways you can build andmaintain your resilience: Focus onWhat You Can Control. The coronavirus is unsettling because somuch is out of our control. Ruminating about things you cannot control will erode your resilience. Instead, focus on what you can do. Review the latest CDC information and guidelines and prepare your emergency plan. Seek news and updates only from reliable sources. Take Care of Yourself. Prioritize getting enough sleep, eat- ing well, exercising andmaking time to recover. Use a potential coronavirus outbreak as an opportunity to review your regular routines andmake changes if needed for better self-care. Help Others. Research shows that helping other people will build your resilience. Reach out to your community to see if there are ways you can help with preparations. Donate funds to organizations that support communities hit by the virus. Donate blood to prevent shortages during an outbreak. Seek Out Social Support. While it may be tempting to isolate yourself to prevent infection, it is essential that you maintain your social support. Make sure you can communi- cate with friends and family virtually if necessary. Laugh. Maintaining a positive outlook is a key resilience factor. If you’re binging on Netflix, watch comedies. Seek out friends and family whomake you laugh. Watch funny videos on social media. HELPING KIDS PASS THE TIME The following educational websites are excerpted from a list by an anonymous educator that is making the rounds on social media during the coronavirus pandemic. This abbreviated list offers plenty of great ideas to keep your kids and other family members busy during social distancing. n GeoGuesser — GeoGuesser tests kids’ geography skills. Using images from Google’s Street View, it plops players down in the middle of the street and asks them to figure out where they are. n whatwasthere.com — WhatWasThere allows stu- dents to type in any city, state or country to view an archive of historical photographs and other documents. It’s a unique way to help them learn about history. n artsology.com — Artsology helps kids learn to appreciate the arts by providing them with the opportunity to play games, conduct investigations and explore different forms of art. n highlightskids.com — Find on Highlights Kids fun games, recipes, crafts and activities. n seussville.com — Read, play games and hang out with Dr. Seuss on Seussville. n virtualmusicalinstru ments.com —On Virtual Music Instruments kids can play instruments, including guitar, piano, pan flute, drum and bongos, online. n si.edu/kids — No need to travel to one of the Smith- sonian’s zoos or museums. Smithsonian: Fun Stuff for Kids brings your child every- thing from live video of the National Zoo to the Smith- sonian Learning Lab right to their screen. n coolkidfacts.com — Cool Kid Facts gives your child access to educational videos, pictures, quizzes, downloadable worksheets and infographics to learn about geography, history, science, animals and the human body. n bensguide.gpo.gov — Ben’s Guide, an interactive website hosted by the U.S. Government Publishing Office, allows your child to see the ins and outs of the U.S. government by taking a series of learning adventures with none other than Benja- min Franklin. n climatekids.nasa.gov —A NASA initiative, Climate Kids covers a wide range of topics including weather, climate, atmosphere, water, energy, plants and animals.