Episode 1 - April 9, 2020

Hi Partners, Colleagues & Friends,

The PIEC Team at the University of Maryland’s School of Social Work’s Institute for Innovation and Implementation wanted to reach out with a message of support during this unprecedented time. While classrooms remain closed and parents are feeling the increasing stress of this unprecedented time, we hope the following video will help reinforce how a key principal of infant mental health can ground us all.

Our two resources:

Article: https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief

Harvard Business Review Article by Scott Berinato published on March 23, 2020

Summary: During the global pandemic, a palpable sense of collective grief has emerged. Grief expert David Kessler says that grief is actually multiple feelings that we must manage. In an interview with HBR, he explains how the classic five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, acceptance) apply today, and the practical steps we can take to manage the anxiety. Those include balancing bad thoughts with good; focusing on the present; letting go of things you can’t control; and stocking up on compassion. Kessler also talks about a sixth stage of grief: meaning. After acceptance, he says, we will find meaning in the hard-to-fathom events and we will be stronger for it. Meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihwcw_ofuME

3 Minute Body Scan for Kids and Adults By Fablefy - The Whole Child https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihwcw_ofuME

Able takes you through body scan meditation. Kids love this and so do parents and educators. In Mindfulness for kids, Shamash Alidina describes the body scan as a way to get in touch with the body, let go of feelings of needing to get stuff done, and release pent-up emotions. Just like other forms of meditation, the body scan also trains attention.

As always, please reach out and email us at piec@ssw.umaryland.edu if we can be of support to you, your programs, your communities and your families. Also, visit The Institute’s web page dedicated to COVID resources that is regularly updated: https://theinstitute.umaryland.edu/covid-19/ for a wealth of resources and guidance to support your programs and communities.

Be well and be in touch!

The PIEC Team