Professor Flo Maätita
What are you doing for self-care?
- To me, the cheapest form of self-care (and therapy) is breathing. Nice deep breaths (inhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5… repeat). I concentrate on my breaths when I’m out for a walk, doing Pilates or just sitting on the couch with my cats. My non-cheap form of self-care is Pilates. I do classes via Zoom, but I have also been going to my local studio. I’ve also cut down my time on social media. I give myself 5 minutes max to check in with my people. When I start to feel/read negativity, I log off.
How are you bringing sociology into your experience?
- We are social beings, and this pandemic has complicated how I connect socially with others (friends, family, students). Sociology allows me to be mindful of how important it is to stay connected with others around me. It is nice to hear voices and see faces on screens or at a safe distance rather than relying on short texts. I do my best to check in with people, and I think I am doing this more now than before COVID-19. I listen to people’s frustrations, but I also encourage people to understand that the hardships they are experiencing are rooted in structural arrangements. My intent is to show people that they are not alone, but also to offer them opportunities to effect change in their communities. COVID-19 has forced more and more people to recognize and take steps to eradicate inequities (health disparities, racism, xenophobia, sexism, stresses on small businesses, stresses on families, etc.). I’d like to think that more people are developing sociological imaginations! If that’s not the case, then I hope people vote!
