FROM CARRIE C. KUBACKI, POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT EXTENSION EDUCATOR, UW-MADISON DIVISION OF EXTENSION

All of us need support in our lives and not just in times of crisis.  Healthy relationships with family, friends and others are necessary for our overall well-being and resiliency.  When traumatic events occur, they can negatively impact our resiliency—leading us and our children to isolate even more.  One way to counteract this isolation is to focus on prioritizing relationships with people who are trustworthy and compassionate and those that can help to strengthen your emotional health.  While this may seem difficult as we continue to practice social distancing, here are a few tips to get us started:

• Try to build quality family time into every day. This may include eating one meal together, playing a game, walking outdoors or simply talking to one another about daily events.
• Consistently continue your valued connections with others. Maintain safety guidelines while meeting with friends in public, and, remember, phone calls, video chats, virtual group meetings or live streaming religious services can go a long way to building our emotional resiliency while staying safe.
• Help to encourage safe relationships between children and youth. Whether it is maintaining safety during in-person events or supervising virtual chats with friends and family members, we need to remember that our youth need social connections as well.
• Reach out for help as needed. Take time to think about personal and professional relationships that can assist you and your children in building emotional well-being and resiliency.

Riding the waves of life does not mean we need to do so alone.  Finding support in one another is a positive way to stay emotionally safe while strengthening our resiliency.  For more information and activities for building resiliency please visit:  https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/resilient/index.htm, https://www.mindresilience.org/ and langlade.extension.wisc.edu.