By: Lorraine Faherty, Damariscotta-Newcastle RC
As the end of the second year of Covid-19 Pandemic nears, many folks here in Lincoln County, Maine, as well as worldwide, are feeling the effects of Burn Out. There have been many articles published on this topic recently, all with the same thoughts.
“Burn Out” includes both physical and mental stress-induced exhaustion, cynicism about one’s work and self-blame for not coping better. Most folks are dealing with fear and anxiety as well as underlying anger and frustration. Antidotes include breaks (from both place and pace) and restorative activities (physical and mental).
And while there was a lot of community and Rotary club activity in the first few months of the pandemic, such as being instrumental in the formation of the Lincoln County Food Initiative and buying gift cards at local restaurants, donating them to LincolnHealth employees, and distributing masks to police, firefighters and schools via a Rotary Million Mask project, the responses seem to have slowed down.
An ad hoc committee of the D-N Rotary brainstormed ideas for helping, including collaboration with Lincoln County News (LCN) which was running weekly articles about workers, by professionals (mental health counselors and pastors) about coping skills, parents, retirees, etc.
Meeting with LCN Editor Raye Leonard, David Lawrence and Lorraine Faherty discussed how this concept dovetails with LCN’s plans for a November theme of giving thanks, perhaps soliciting responses about giving thanks to be published in The Paper.
While we know there is no easy fix to the problem, no elixir or magic wand to be waved, we feel the need to do something. Or maybe a lot of small somethings, like being kinder to one another. Saying “thank you” for some special reason or for no reason at all.
A community collaboration between LCN and Rotary is acknowledging burnout at all levels, coping skills, and encouraging an appreciative thank you.
Is this sort of collaboration something other clubs in District 7780 could forge with their local newspapers?