Keeping it Together: How I'm dealing with emotional whiplash
This past Sunday was one of the best days I've had in a very long time. This Monday was one of the worst.
On Sunday I conquered one of my major adulthood fears: learning to drive again. I have my driver's license, but after living in cities without a car for about a decade, I had stopped driving entirely. So this Sunday I signed up for a driving lesson, and with the help of a professional I drove for two hours without incident. I've rarely been so proud of myself.
After that my husband and I went over to our vaccinated friends' apartment for a game night and dinner. We came home with that kind of elated exhaustion that comes from good food, good friends and laughing way too much.
On Monday morning, returning to work, and more specifically, returning to the news of the chaos in Afghanistan, the devastation of the earthquake in Haiti and the continued spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, was a slap to the face. I found myself depressed by the tragedies around the world, donating to causes as much as I could, but otherwise feeling helpless.
I know I'm not alone in these feelings, especially after posting on social media about them. It helped to know that others were struggling. It also helped when I gave myself permission to take a break from the news (a hard thing to do, considering my job), go to sleep early and focus the things I can control. I'm still sad, but I am less overwhelmed by despair and more ready to pitch in to help wherever I can.
If any of you are also struggling, feel free to reach out to our email here. The Keeping it Together community has helped each other before and I know we can again. If you are looking for ways to help, we've rounded up resources here and here.
Today's back to school question: Is it time to give up on homework?
It's no secret that kids hate homework. And as students grapple with an ongoing pandemic that has had a wide-range of mental health impacts, is it time schools start listening to their pleas over workloads?
Mental health experts agree heavy work loads have the potential do more harm than good for students, especially when taking into account the impacts of the pandemic. But they also say the answer may not be to eliminate homework altogether.
Emmy Kang, mental health counselor at Humantold, says studies have shown heavy workloads can be "detrimental" for students and cause a "big impact on their mental, physical and emotional health."
"More than half of students say that homework is their primary source of stress, and we know what stress can do on our bodies," she says, adding that staying up late to finish assignments also leads to disrupted sleep and exhaustion.
Cynthia Catchings, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist at Talkspace, says heavy workloads can also cause serious mental health problems in the long run, like anxiety and depression.
The answer may not be to eliminate homework completely, but to be more mindful of the type of work students go home with, suggests Kang, who was a high-school teacher for 10 years.
"I don't think (we) should scrap homework, I think we should scrap meaningless, purposeless busy work-type homework. That's something that needs to be scrapped entirely," she says, encouraging teachers to be thoughtful and consider the amount of time it would take for students to complete assignments.
Read the full story here.
What do you think? Is homework worth it? Send your responses to our email and we may feature you in a future newsletter.
Today's reads
- Why some unvaccinated Americans are changing their tune. Could they help curb latest COVID surge?
- My colleague David Oliver got to achieve a career goal by interviewing Sandra Oh (he is a longtime and very loyal "Grey's Anatomy" fan) for her new Netflix series, "The Chair."
- On the relationship beat, we talked to experts about maintenance sex. Is it healthy?
- Theft from vehicles spiked during the pandemic. Here's how to protect your belongings.
- "Elvis was one of a kind": Priscilla Presley, fans honor the King 44 years after his death.
Today's pet
We received a plea for inclusion directly from this good boy, so how could I refuse? And how could I do anything but include both photos of him?
"Hi I’m Russell," says the email I'm 100% certain came from Russell the Dog. "I’m an 11 year-old rescue. I’ve gone from Portland, Oregon, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Pick me, pick me!"
I'd pick you every time, Russell.
That's all for this Tuesday. Stay safe, stay well, stay grounded. Know that I am thinking of each and every one of you. The newsletter will be back on Saturday. Until then, keep on sending us pet photos (thanks, Russell), coping tips and feedback to our email here. We love hearing from you.
All my very best,
Kelly Lawler