The COVID-19 Reality

These last few weeks have been abrupt, anxiety-inducing and mind-boggling. As we find our footing for our new normal alongside COVID-19, there are BIG feelings within our homes and SLP communities. I want take some time to acknowledge the foundation of our woes right now. As an SLP, parent of three children (ages 5, 8, and 10) and (now) teacher, let us acknowledge our current roles and responsibilties.

The COVID-19 Schedule

Here was my schedule from Tuesday, March 24th:

7:30am Wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, set up work space (in bedroom)

8:30am Team Meeting

9:30am Clinical Team Meeting, Children wake up

10:15am Teletherapy with 4-year-old (articulation)

11:00am Lunch my 3 kids

11:30am Go on Walk with 2 kids

12:00pm Teletherapy with 7-year-old (articulation and language), my 8-year-old needs me

1:00pm Teletherapy with 13-year-old (AAC, language), my 8-year-old and 4-year old need me

2:30pm Trial Tele-Assessment with my 3 children

4:00pm Teletherapy with 13-year-old (language), my 8-year-old needs me

5:00pm Grocery store run to get essential food items. Still no toilet paper.

6:15pm Dinner

7:00pm Family Meditation (for 4 out of 5 members)

7:48pm I wake up confused. I must have fallen asleep, and my husband took the kids out for a drive.

8:14pm Kids return, family movie, bedtime routine

10:00pm Provide support for SLPs through online platforms

11:11pm Read latest information on COVID-19

12:00am Send out Zoom invitations for sessions for following day

1:12am I cannot sleep. My brain cannot calm.

Emotional Spectrum

I’ll be honest. The emotional range I feel throughout the day is vast. I move from “grateful to have a job” to “overwhelmed to set up teletherapy” to “proactively adjusting to new responsibities” to “utterly exhausted” to “immense love for humanity” to “I. just. simply. can’t.” For my visual learners, I submit Exhibit A:

Thinking of you, SLP.

I shall conclude with the only thing that is bringing me solace at home and at work–which we can all acknowledge is the same setting. Connection is keeping my days buoyed. So, my heart is thinking of you, SLPs. Let us lean on one another during these COVID-19-times. Not as SLPs but as humans staying afloat alongside one another.

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