SUSAN WERK We Got This!

We got this!

You got this! I love hearing this phrase — meaning you can more than meet the challenge facing you — from people of every age and stage.

What confidence this expression conveys; it seeks to boost a can-do attitude as we strive to achieve goals, arrive at wise decisions, and effectively confront the challenges we face. And what challenges! Speaking to parents and grandparents, it’s evident their concerns are centered on the mental and emotional health of young people struggling under the stresses of life today, especially the last three years. How can we help our youth who are grappling with anxiety or mental health issues? Don’t let uncertainty stop you: Seek advice. (Of course, in extreme instances, consult a medical professional.) The Centers for Disease Control website includes a comprehensive listing: “Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress,” which I find highly valuable.

In our Jewish resources, I have methods of support and sound approaches that can help adults enter this arena with some confidence, conveying values that are in harmony with views of the experts. Here’s my own Jewish interpretation of the CDC’s advice:

1. Take breaks from the news; limit use of screens, social media. Such setting of boundaries has been well established with the observance of Shabbat. Our sacred day of rest provides the break we all — adults and youngsters — need from the noise disturbing our peace. Shabbat can serve as a refuge from screens big and small, from incessant emails and texting, a time to disengage from our devices and engage in a meaningful way with our community, friends, family. For those who have participated in our many Shabbat programs — including of course our weekly

Shabbat service and kiddush — you are the biggest advocates for the power of Shabbat as a natural break from the stresses that plague us.

2. Take care of our bodies. “Shmirat Haguf,” “Protecting our Bodies,” is a basic Jewish value. We are taught: “The body is the soul’s house, shouldn’t we therefore take care of our house so that it does not fall into ruin?” (Philo Judaeus) Exercise, adequate sleep, a nutritious diet — all are ways we can ensure healthy, fit bodies.

(Walking outdoors is a great form of exercise — with a bonus: Enjoying and experiencing awe at God’s natural creations is also a great stress reducer. Another great form of exercise is dancing, and here at CAI, Ellen Berkowitz, our gifted Israeli dance instructor, shows us how to move our bodies with vigor and grace and have fun at the same time.)

3. Nurture relationships, connect with others (and here, when there’s no other way, electronic communications can be our friend). One way we connect is by sharing stories — the stories of our lives, our families, our people, stories we are still writing. When we listen to each other’s stories, we learn so many things, joyful, sorrowful, instructive. Knowing stories of survival, of triumph over personal upheavals, helps us find the will and strength to carry on when we are enduring our own burdens and tragedies. Jewish ritual observance offers a model of story-telling that can lift us up. At the Passover seder we are told to relate the dramatic story of how our people went, on a rocky path, from the suffering of slavery to the joys and challenges of freedom. When we hear stories on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, we are taught that even the most egregious hatred does not destroy all and that embracing life is a victory. Our commitment to tell the stories also reinforces our determination to do what we can to prevent such enormous tragedies from happening again.

4. Connecting with a faith-based organization. Following this suggestion — from our health professionals — helps with stress reduction. Finding and focusing on something bigger than oneself — God, peoplehood, mitzvot — creates wellsprings of gratitude, adaptability, joy, wonder, and awe. Doing hands-on mitzvah actions, which our community provides by offering many opportunities to feed the hungry, take care of the sick and needy, give tzedakah, improve the environment, and simply adorn the practices of a giving way of life.

We got this! We can confidently cope with the stresses of life for ourselves and our children by nurturing our traditions to support our souls; embracing Shabbat as a sacred day of rest; eating well, exercising — and dancing— to fortify our bodies and elevate our spirits; and telling stories of courage, resilience, and perseverance to strengthen our own determination. We got this!

Susan Werk, Education Director