“In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers.”

- Fred Rogers

Administration has encouraged faculty not to hold classes on Election Day. Read more about these resolutions in the Chronicle here.
ELP's anticipated course schedule for Spring 2021 is here. Scroll down to see it!

If you have any announcements that you would like to be included in next week's newsletter, reach out to olivia.griffin@utah.edu.

Managing Election Stress

A crucial part of successful synergistic supervision, is recognizing the importance of holism and implementing holistic approaches throughout our work. To continue to encourage a holistic approach in the GA-Supervisor relationship, we provided resources on balance last week and this week we reflect on and prepare for the continued stressful impact of current events.

According to a new survey by the American Psychological Association, 68% of Americans say the 2020 election is a significant source of stress in their life. This percentage is up from the 2016 election, which found 52% stressed. Similarly, a 2018 study found 25% of college students surveyed exhibiting clinically significant stress symptoms related to the 2016 election.

As Election Day approaches, we must be mindful of the additional stress that students and staff alike might be experiencing. Awareness and outreach will hopefully make it easier for those who are stressed to seek help and for all of us to be prepared to act with care and concern for each other. Below are some strategies to consider in that preparation:

APA's Research-based Coping Strategies for Election Stress

Avoid dwelling on things you can’t control.
Try not to obsess over worse case scenarios.
Focus on what you can control.
Make a plan on how you will vote and follow through.
Get involved in issues that are meaningful to you.
Give yourself permission to take a break from the news.
Engage in meaningful activities.
Stay socially connected.
Stay active. Moving helps release the energy experienced when stressed.
Realize that we might not know who won the election on Election Day. If you think this will raise your anxiety, keep busy with things that you enjoy and stay connected to social support so that you aren’t continually checking for what could be viewed as “bad” news.

Supervisor Spotlight

Name: Biko Fisher (He, Him, His)

Hometown: Victoria, Seychelles

Undergraduate: B.A. in Communication, University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Graduate: M.S. in Educational Leadership, Mississippi State University

Position: Resident Director

Hobbies: Basketball, video games, going to the movies, & trying new food places!

Thoughts on Election Stress: The election holds so many implications for so many people, and can really create a drain on our emotional capacity. As Election Day gets closer, I advocate for folx to determine the proverbial balls they are juggling. What tasks or items are glass balls that can't be dropped or else they will break, and what items are rubber balls that can afford to be dropped now and be picked up at a later time. Making room in your emotional inventory for what is to come will hopefully help you at least find the capacity to advocate for your needs, and give you the strength to persevere through what could be a tough time period. Keeping students center to our work is essential of course, but not sacrificing all your needs for others is also crucial.

GA Spotlight

Name: Nathon Taylor (he, him, his)

Hometown: Fort Bridger, Wyoming

Undergraduate: Family & Consumer Sciences Eudcation, Community Based Emphasis, Utah State University

SA Experience: Resident assistant, student alumni association homecoming director, & Utah State President's Cabinet member

Assistantship: Housing & Residential Education

Hobbies: Watching scary movies, going for a run, playing with my nephew, & picking on my partner

Thoughts on Election Stress: This has been a tough year for our students, and the election only exaggerates these. As practitioners, it is important that we support students during this time by giving them grace. They are experiencing an entirely new world right now, full of disease and civil unrest. Their identities are being attacked. Reach out to your students and ask them how they are doing. Interaction is at a minimum right now, and these simple gestures showcase to our students that they are being heard.

ELP Courses Spring 2021

Please feel free to reach out to Sharon.aikenwisniewski@utah.edu if you have further questions about Spring 2021 courses.

FORWARD TO A FRIEND

201 S Presidents Cir
Salt Lake City, UT | 84112 US

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