“Tis the Season: Managing Holiday Stress and the Pandemic”
Christie Dobbins
Community Engagement Specialist
On Saturday November 21st, Alliance for Greater Works™ hosted the final Healing Youth Alliance (HYA) training of 2020. This training teaches pastors, educators, families and young adults to recognize signs of trauma in youth and empowers them to respond in ways that will begin to create a pathway for healing. Trauma is often the result of an overwhelming amount of stress that exceeds one’s ability to cope, and HYA provides tools to help our youth cope.
COVID-19 has altered the way we live, especially for our youth. They have been impacted in a tremendous way. Schools have shifted to virtual-learning, parents have transitioned to working from home and the entire family is living, working and playing together, all day. Our youth are socially distanced from their friends, which leads to social isolation. The added stress of this abrupt life change and the current stress of the holiday season can be overwhelming for many.
During our last HYA training, Dr. David Wang and Dr. Ricky Walter engaged the audience in thought provoking conversations, answered questions, and provided simple solutions to lessen stress for parents, teachers and those who work with youth in any capacity. The practical application and information shared offered hope to those seeking answers. One of the solutions given to reduce stress is to create a routine. The pandemic interrupted our normal routine. Dr. Wang noted that creating a routine for youth, even though they are home, reduces stress for the child and the parent.
In the coming year, we will continue to expand the HYA training to more deeply address the varying forms of trauma that come with living in a racist society as well through a global pandemic. If you have young people in your life, we invite you to join us as we continue to help identify the traumas and offer solutions that do not re-traumatize our youth.