Welcome to another week of social distancing and staying at home. If you’re like me, the reality of all that’s going on in the world is making it hard to focus on online class and work from home. I’m trying to take time each week both to read the news and be informed about COVID-19, and to disengage from the cacophony and spend time with my family and friends (virtually). While so much is changing, it can be hard to maintain that balance. For me, it’s been helpful to read a book instead of scrolling through Twitter, or to make time to bake instead of toiling over my to do list for the entire day. Below are a few ways that you can step away from the media and the madness of reality to learn and reflect.
Read about social enterprise at causeartist.com
If you enjoyed our recent podcast episodes with Alexis Cook of Unlocked or Connie Tsai of Nisolo, learn more about social enterprise from Cause Artist. This website has tons of information about topics like social responsibility, sustainable travel, and impact investing. They also have an awesome podcast!
Watch Northern Triangle: The Origins of America’s Migrant Crisis
I’m currently writing my honors thesis about immigration from Central America, specifically Guatemala, and came across this documentary about the origins of migration from the Northern Triangle. It’s important to understand the historical context of these issues in order to understand the current humanitarian crisis. This short documentary by the Foreign Policy Association features scholars and experts discussing violence and poverty in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. It’s only 27 minutes–much shorter and more educational than Tiger King.
Make a sustainable living goal
As we slow down and adjust to a new pace of life, it’s a great time to re-evaluate our daily lifestyles and make changes. If you’ve been reading my Zero Waste column, you know I’m trying to live more sustainably this year. One of my goals is to buy higher quality clothes that will last longer, to know where that clothes is made, and to know who is making it. As I learn more about ethical fashion, I want to make sure that I’m making sustainable consumer decisions. Here are some ideas to get started on making sustainable living goals!
Reflect on your impact
As I’m finishing college and transitioning to the next phase of life, I’ve been reflecting a lot on my service during college. I’m grateful for the ways that I was able to serve, and I’m trying to think about how I can continue to help others in the professional world. For a lot of us, serving and making an impact will look different now than it did in college. If you’re moving to a new city, look for nonprofits or other organizations that you can serve with in a topic area that you’re already knowledgeable about. For example, I’ve enjoyed serving in the justice system during college, so I want to continue that next year. Self-isolation allows us to take time to reflect and plan for the future–set aside some time to do so!
Seek out mentorship
During this time of social distancing, it can be easy to disconnect and focus on ourselves, or to let our responsibilities and goals fall by the wayside. I’ve found myself struggling to find balance in such an uncertain season. One thing that’s been helpful for me now and in the past is mentoring relationships. It’s important to be mentored by people who are a few steps ahead of us, and to mentor those that we are in a position to help. Even while social distancing, you can reach out to those that you know for advice, or you can offer advice to others.
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That’s all for this week! Novel Hand is continuing to learn and create new content, so watch out for more posts this week.
Check out our previous ‘Five Things’ posts:
- College Football, Ariana Grande, and Water - September 3, 2023
- Livestock and Land Use: How Are We Feeding The Planet? Impactfull April 2022 - April 19, 2022
- What Does Voluntourism Look Like? A Case Study in a Cambodian Orphanage - March 28, 2022