From the Psychologist’s Desk

https://www.usm.my/index.php/covid19/coping-and-thriving-during-covid-19#from-the-psychologist-s-desk

There is nothing normal about pandemic COVID-19, especially when it comes to online teaching and learning and working from home (WFH).

We are operating things very differently, trying to adapt to changes and challenges. Everyone is facing different battles. Yet each of them is equally difficult and can be terrifying.

Psychologists talk about two kinds of responses to stressful events. “Fight-of-flight” or “tend-and-befriend”.

“Fight-of-flight” response is to approach the problem head on, all energy directed at fighting (or fleeing) the threat.

While this response may help you win the battle for a while, “tend-and-befriend” can prepare you for the long haul.

“Tend-and-Befriend” response is associated with caring for yourself and others during stressful situations.

When a disaster strikes, this is the time to take extra care of yourself, making sure you are eating and sleeping well.

It is also the time to extend our support and care to people around us by being extra kind and compassionate.

The same kindness and compassion should be extended to online-teaching-and-learning and working-from-home situation.

One way to be kind and compassionate is to adopt compassionate flexibility approach.

Taking compassionate flexibility approach, rules and the expectations can be relaxed a little and the priority is on support and well-being rather than just goals.

It can be as simple as asking how people are doing before discussing the work/goal for the day. It can also mean allowing extra time for people to complete their work, should they need it.

Compassionate flexibility will not make people slack off. Instead, it will make them feel cared for and become more committed to complete their task.  

Source:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/vitality/202003/our-brains-coronavirus

https://cfch.com.au/2020/10/10/activate-your-tend-and-befriend-response-world-mental-health-day-2020/

https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psychology-teacher-network/introductory-psychology/compassionate-flexibility