Day: August 15, 2022

Learn to read and write poetry with the New York times

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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/03/learning/lesson-plans/22-ways-to-teach-and-learn-about-poetry-with-the-new-york-times.html

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, The Times celebrated poetry. For instance, in “Broadway Is Closed. Write Poems Instead,” a piece published the same week the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a global pandemic, the playwrite Sarah Ruhl discusses the power of language to heal:

During the 1590s plague, when the theaters were shut, William Shakespeare apparently chose to write poems instead. From his “Venus and Adonis,” penned while the playhouses were closed and writers were essentially quarantined, came this somewhat strange compliment: “The plague is banished by thy breath.” Should we theater people — writers, players and audiences alike — be staying home now and writing and reading poetry as a curative for the next month? Books, unlike group events, carry no germs.

My own children’

How to talk to people again after lockdown etc

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/23/well/small-talk-anxiety-strangers.html

Social anxiety is extremely normal,” said Stefan G. Hofmann, director of the Psychotherapy and Emotion Research Laboratory at Boston University. “As humans, we have a strong need to belong and feel part of a group.”

Still, knowing something is normal doesn’t make it easier. How can you coax yourself out of hermithood and talk to people when your social skills feel blunted by quarantine? Here’s some advice from people whose jobs require them to make friends with strangers every day.

From the website Martin Lewis money saving expert: Lack of heat is dangerous for older people and sometimes affects our mental health

all about how to keep warm if you’re at the point of cutting back on heating. But before you do, there are a few important things to consider:

  • It may be dangerous for older people, or those with asthma and other health conditions. If in doubt, consult your GP and follow their advice. Age UK told us it’s important older people do all they can to stay as warm as possible.
  • Will it impact your mental health? Some say a cold home affects their mental health and motivation.
  • Rent your home? Check what your contract says about heating. Some landlords stipulate you must turn the heating on regularly, or keep the home at a minimum temperature