How keep yourself active and motivated during the pandemic

The WFWP chapter of Hackensack, New Jersey, has been meeting virtually every two weeks as a way to stay connected and inspire women during this pandemic. Each meeting has a different topic, featuring a guest speaker (see last report with Carol Pobanz here), and aims to empower the participants and present them with fresh ideas. The most recent call, on October 30th, 2020, was based on the theme of “Staying motivated during the pandemic”.

Eight participants engaged in a discussion about this topic and our guest speaker was Elaine Brown, an associate professor and English Department chair at the New York Institute of Technology. Elaine drew from her own experiences and offered us valuable tips on how to practice self-care and remain active in the community, albeit in a virtual setting.

As a widow, Elaine shared how she had already been dealing with the passing of her husband by using various coping strategies, so when everything changed due to the global pandemic and a quarantine was in place, she continued to practice healthy ways to cope with the situation.

She advised us to stay busy and engaged, even if we are restricted to our homes, and seek community through the many opportunities that are available online. To give just a few examples, we could join a book club, participate in virtual museum tours or search for a club that is focused on our particular interests.

Elaine Brown

Elaine shared how she joined an online civil war community club and participated in a weekend virtual conference. She is reading books of different genres. Moreover, she is actively making lesson plans for her classes and stays in contact with family.

In addition to community engagement, Elaine had other suggestions for how we could stay motivated and keep our spirits up. This includes being intentional about everything you do: wake up, make a plan and practice gratitude. She advised us to plan activities that we will look forward to. Encouraging us to practice healthy habits, she said: “Exercise. Declutter your home. Get good rest. Eat with your health in mind. Take care of yourself.”

The participants really enjoyed her presentation and their time together. It was great to see everyone online and keep the sense of community at a time when isolation can take a toll. We look forward to these regular zoom calls and the interesting speakers presented!