By Christine M. Bettcher, M.S. Ed ‘08, LMHC
When the COVID-19 Pandemic arrived to our world just over a year ago, the challenges and changes that accompanied it were overwhelming. The rapidly evolving tidal wave of fear, anxiety, panic, and pressure came swiftly, and with great strength. We were suddenly under a national state of emergency. Shelves at the grocery store were emptied. Pandemic pressures were immense, lives were disrupted, there was so much uncertainty, and news was chaotic and devastating. Our families and friends, our campus and community, in fact, everyone in our world was vulnerable, and our sense of safety and security was shattered. Many struggled with serious illness, hospitalizations, and precious lives were lost. We were instructed to shelter in place, isolate, and wear masks. We could no longer turn to the reassuring presence and shelter of each other. My heart went out to all in our world, as this extraordinary time of collective grief, trauma, and suffering began.
In the midst of imminent chaos, just prior to campus closure, I quietly began the first session of a mindfulness series developed for our campus and community, which included evidence-based mindfulness practices and relaxation strategies for stress-relief, mindful movement, springtime walking meditation, a community wellness walk, and a spring picnic under blossoming trees. The series was designed to encourage people to breathe, cherish the present moment, connect with nature, increase gratitude, peace and calm, and encourage compassion. Within days, though, the hurried pace of the world was hushed, along with this series. Our campus faced unprecedented times, and dramatic changes to ensure health and safety, including remote work, closure of campus housing, and virtual learning.
Through these tumultuous days, the peaceful, calming springtime image which accompanied details for the mindfulness series remained on a flyer in the empty hallways around campus. I was heartened to learn that this photo I had taken of my favorite great white trillium blanketing the forest floor along the Big Tree Trail at Bendix Woods, and the quote by Thich Nhat Hanh, “Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity,” brought comfort and tranquility to many during a time of swift, stressful transition. I hope this image might bring peace to all of you who are reading this reflection today. I invite you to consider a visit to Bendix Woods, to enjoy a relaxing walk among the beautiful trillium this spring!
Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity,
Thich Nhat Hanh
With quiet and tender compassion, I hold the stories of suffering, loss, grief, and trauma of so many who have been impacted by this pandemic. As a licensed mental health counselor, it is an honor to spend my days listening, serving, caring for others, and offering hope, encouragement, and healing through evidence-based resources and strategies. Throughout the pandemic, I was concerned for clients who grappled with high levels of stress and anxiety about their futures, for the health and well-being of my family and friends, for our healthcare workers, for teachers and mental health professionals, for small business owners in our community, and for all courageous heroes working on the front lines – including many loved ones serving patients in hospitals around the country.
We were all suffering, and we had to find a way through these challenging times, together. It was important to me as both a counselor and licensed professional educator to acknowledge the stress and suffering unfolding in our community, to offer hope, to be of help to all in my life (especially the most vulnerable), to respond with compassionate support, and encourage a growth mindset and resilience. This was my first pandemic, but this was most certainly not the first time that I had faced grief, trauma, and suffering in my life. I wondered about how to share with others the wisdom and evidence-based tools I had studied and used over time, to navigate adversity with courage, creativity, and resilience. I pondered the following questions, then lived the answers, one moment at a time. For me, hope is an action, a movement towards a goal in daily life. Hope is a small, yet empowered step toward peace.
- How might I help others to envision peace, and move toward it?
- How might I help to create a space for healing?
- How might I invite others to take time for mindfulness, relaxation, and self-care?
- What might help us all to look for hidden silver linings in our midst?
- How might I provide support, and encourage development of strength and persistence, as we together encounter these uncertain times?
- How might I offer a sense of safety and hope to those feeling confronted by fragility?
- How might I bring consolation to those who are suffering, or grieving?
- How might I invite others to find meaning, to foster gratitude, cultivate sources of joy, creativity, and connection, and transform this challenging time into an opportunity to learn and grow?
As a caregiver for elder family members, I noticed how hard social isolation was on them. They felt confined. Routines established long ago were drastically disrupted. They knew everyone in town, but could no longer freely connect with their community, enjoy small talk at the grocery store, find peace at their place of worship, or enjoy the comforting presence of friends and family. My mother missed the joyful smiles and presence of seven of her young grandchildren, who lived across the country. Our family last gathered together for Christmas of 2019. I was especially concerned for the elderly in nursing homes, whose families could not visit. The most terrible poverty is loneliness. I worked hard to find creative ways to safely provide refuge, joy, caring acts of service, home-cooked meals, and unconditional love and acceptance.
As a devoted aunt, Godmother, and licensed elementary school teacher, with thousands of children of heart, I was quite concerned for children and young people in our world. I watched closely as the pandemic changed their little lives, and responded with extra care, encouragement, empathy, support, compassion and joy. “Guess what is not cancelled?” I asked my young nieces, as they tearfully lamented the closing of their school, the cancellation of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and all of their dearly loved weekly activities. “Spring! The coronavirus cannot cancel spring, nor can it stop the woodland wildflowers from blooming! We can continue to enjoy their beauty, just as we always do.”
And I did just that. I went outside.
With persistent pandemic pressures, my remote work office moved outdoors. Stress was eased by the comfort of warm sunshine, birdsongs, and monarch butterflies. Colleagues, faculty, staff and clients were offered the genuine peace of nature, and an occasional tweet. My Zoom background was real – bright, colorful zinnias lovingly grown from seed in the garden, or the woodland forest scene in the backyard. Many enjoyed the natural beauty, and found the flowers, birds, and trees to be soothing. I shared evidence-based research which supported the benefits of nature with clients, such as an April 2019 study from the University of Michigan, which proved that 20 minutes in nature significantly reduced stress hormone levels by 20% (Hunter, Gillespie, & Chen, 2019). I exuberantly invited all to breathe in the fresh air, and enjoy nature’s beauty.
What could I do safely for self-care and wellness?
I found myself visiting ever more frequently the peaceful, restorative places I had always turned to – well-trodden walking and biking paths along the river, local & regional parks, the woods, the rugged forest trails, and the lakeshore. To find peace during these difficult days, I first created this healing space for myself. Then, I brought close family members, or a specially chosen dear friend from my pandemic pod, to share joy on the trails (always masked and socially-distanced, of course).
The love of nature runs deep in my family. Grandpa was a farmer, and once a trailblazer at Yellowstone. Grandma was a gardener who sustained many with her bountiful harvests. My grandparents and my devoted, tender-hearted, adventurous father helped to weave a luminous thread of appreciation for the beauty, patience, peace and fruitfulness of nature, as well as a spirit of wanderlust, into the fabric of my life as a young child. This is one of my most cherished gifts – one that has brought tremendous peace throughout the days of my life.
It was with great joy and appreciation that I embraced and shared the ephemeral beauty of each springtime woodland wildflower that unfolded along the trails. The trees taught me their wisdom of patient endurance, strength, support, and connection during times of adversity. Along the lakeshore, it brought relief and comfort to enjoy the glorious sunsets, to feel the soothing sand under my feet, to align my breath with the rhythmic waves of Lake Michigan, and allow worries to be washed away.
John James Audubon once said, “The woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang the best.” The world was in need of healing, and we could all do our part, and find small ways to support and care for ourselves and each other. Like the songbirds, I could sing sweet, soothing songs of peace, encouragement, and hope. I was so happy to share the hope and promise of springtime with others.
While on one such nature adventure, with the help of my dear friend, former counseling and human services classmate, and IU South Bend alumna, Stacie Jeffirs, M.S. Ed., global career development facilitator, certified career services provider, and director of the Career Crossings Office at Saint Mary’s College, a series of “Mindful Moments in Nature” videos were created. Other caring friends who also appreciated sharing in the joy of springtime during the pandemic offered to help, as well. These brief, simple, heartfelt videos helped encourage others to enjoy the comfort, beauty, and peace of nature while practicing mindfulness, and evidence-based relaxation and stress-relief strategies. These videos are still relevant now, and I hope they might be helpful to you as you plan new adventures and find your own peace on the trails this spring. Breathe. Pay attention. Walk mindfully. Enjoy the spring blossoms. Look, listen, and use your senses to tune into the present moment. Connect with nature. Acknowledge thoughts. Let them float on water. Focus on compassion and healing for yourself and each other.
As we continue to navigate the stressful challenges of the pandemic, the need for self-care has become ever more critical. It is important for our pandemic stories and experiences to be heard and understood, to come to terms with the changes, challenges, and losses that have occurred, and to find a path forward toward healing and peace. Many find time in nature to be a therapeutic and peaceful source of stress-relief, and research indeed supports this. However, each person is different, with unique interests and enjoyable activities. It’s important to find self-care practices that work well for you. What has helped you to get through the pandemic? What different self-care practices might you be interested in? I have provided a few of my favorite evidence-based resources that may be helpful for you as you create a self-care plan, and begin the process of healing and recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic. Wishing you peace on your journey toward wellness!
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” ~Rachel Carson
Anderson, Brooke. (2020, March 24). Six Daily Questions to Ask Yourself in Quarantine. Greater Good Magazine. The Greater Good Science Center, at the University of California, Berkeley.
- What am I grateful for today?
- Who am I checking in on, or connecting with today?
- What expectations of “normal” am I letting go of today?
- How am I getting outside today?
- How am I moving my body today?
- What beauty am I either creating, cultivating, or inviting in today?
Greater Good. (2020, March 18). Greater Good’s Guide to Well-Being During Coronavirus: Practices, resources and articles for individuals, parents, educators, and health care professionals facing COVID-19. Greater Good Magazine. The Greater Good Science Center, at the University of California, Berkeley.
Hunter, M., Gillespie, B., & Chen, S. (2019, March 15). Urban nature experiences reduce stress in the context of daily life based on salivary biomarkers. Retrieved March 09, 2021, from