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In this third video, “What Can We Do About It?” Andi will offer some concrete practices that you can do to build that resilience muscle and keep yourself in that resilience zone.

In this first video of this four-part series, Andi talks about what we are all feeling and why during this COVID-19 (aka coronavirus) pandemic. Using the foundational concepts to a trauma-informed approach that are outlined in The Basics, she explains the impact of the collective stress we are experiencing. Adapting an analogy used by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, Andi talks about the tigers that are lurking around in all our lives right now. She discusses how we adapt and how each of us may respond differently to them. Some of us may react with a fight or flight response; others with a freeze or fawn response--all normal responses to an abnormal situation. She also talks about some of the common ways we might be adapting to these challenging times. (Over-consuming media anyone?)

Costco is out of toilet paper and CVS is out of cough syrup. Your group fitness class and your favorite restaurant are closed. Your cousin keeps posting memes on instagram about some conspiracy theory and your co-worker brags on about how she hasn’t been sick in years so she’s not worried about germs. This is not a nightmare. This is real life in 2020 thanks to COVID-19, aka the coronavirus.

I remember my enthusiasm when I first stumbled upon the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study. Coming from a healthcare background and frustrated by the lack of focus on upstream prevention, I remember how excited I was to learn about this “new” way of thinking about health and behavior--a way that focuses on root causes.

The recent appointment of Nadine Burke Harris as California’s first Surgeon General represents exciting opportunities for increased leadership and momentum around issues related to ACEs and toxic stress. But you don’t have to be a surgeon general to be a Resilience Champion.