Art by Kimothy Joy

Written by Jackson Bird

Well y’all, this month hasn’t exactly gone as expected. As we try to adjust to this new normal, we wanted to share some pieces of wisdom from thought leaders in our orbit that we’ve been particularly uplifted by.

What we’re checking out…

Psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb shared her insight on keeping balance and staying mentally well during a pandemic.

Learn more about “safety signals” and how to use them if you’re feeling distressed.

FRESH Co-Founder Courtney Martin wrote a poignant piece in her newsletter this week about being okay with not being okay. You can also tune into her Instagram Live each evening at 8 PM Pacific during which she reads a poem and then offers a writing prompt.

In case you’re feeling pressure to be super productive now that you’re stuck at home or like you need to channel your fear into art to create your magnum opus, let this article free you from that pressure. It’s ok to be unproductive, especially right now.

Girls’ Night In has a list of games you can play online with friends––from throwbacks like Words With Friends to digital versions of tabletop favorites like Settlers of Catan and Codenames.

And Girls’ Night In intern Jordan Metzman shared some actionable tips for anyone feeling guilt and sadness right now (so, you know, just about all of us).

New to working from home? We like ToDoIst’s guide to best practices because it both myth busts ambitious visions of perfect work-from-home setups while providing practical advice for getting pretty close to that ideal.

For anyone with kids at home, FRESH friend Wendy Mac has been offering live drawing classes on Instagram and illustrator Andrea Pippins is posting daily drawing prompts.

If you want a quick hit of solace and some recommendations to calm your mind, author John Green made a short video about the power of togetherness.

Or if you’re a finding-humor-in-dark-places kind of person, like comedian and motivational speaker Josh Sundquist is, you might enjoy his recent video making jokes about––but not making light of––our current situation.

And if you’re able to help beyond your immediate network, here’s a list of nonprofits working to provide food and medical treatment to the most vulnerable among us.

Our reFRESHing Talk of the Week this week is actually a question, which can sometimes be just as powerful as a full talk. Thanks to Cecilia Vega for holding our president accountable.

The latest from our speakers…

Ai-jen Poo wrote for The New York Times about why it’s crucial that we take care of the people who care for us.

In Refinery 29, Susan McPherson shared some strategies for dealing with loneliness during this period of physical distancing.

Anna Sale and the community surrounding her podcast Death, Sex, and Money have put together this pandemic toolkit with recommendations of things to watch, cook, do with your kids, and more.

Aisha Nyandoro wrote for Market Watch about the cash we need to provide to Americans now.

In his latest for Rolling Stone, Jamil Smith explained why he sees Fox News anchors as a danger to public health.

Whitney Kimball Coe shared in The Daily Yonder what distancing has been like so far in her household––how it’s affecting her marriage and her spirituality.

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