This discussion centered around the intersection of mental and physical health, particularly for athletic communicators who are facing a challenging spring with either a “sprall” (fall, winter and springs sports) all contested this semester, or a heavy winter/spring competition workload, or, for some, the anxiety of not having any competitions at all. The panelists also stressed the mental and emotional fatigue that working in the pandemic has caused SIDs, and offered tips, advice and strategies to fight both the anxieties and stressors associated with COVID-19.Some of the main suggestions and strategies suggested during the webinar include:• Set goals and have a purpose in setting those goals (Jeremy Rosenthal)• Be consistent yet be flexible – realize a busy schedule might interrupt you and just be flexible of when you can walk/run/plan out your daily tasks (Jeremy Rosenthal)• Tackling your fitness/exercise: Make it a point of emphasis to find support & accountability – which makes working out/exercising more fun and more motivating when doing things with people, even remotely• A real talk on anxiety (Amie Canfield, Jay Stancil) and how to combat it during isolation• Participating in CoSIDA Coffee shops (CoSIDA.com/coffeeshops), with the focus of creating a mental health boost to talk and connect to other SIDs and how they are handling things ... this community forum can be such a positive for everyone (all four presenters highly recommended them)• Taking small steps to make a change in your routine can be the difference maker; the importance of of giving yourself grace and acceptance and patience (Amie Canfield)• Participation in the newest CoSIDA Fitness Challenge (which starts week of Feb. 8-15)PresentersAmie Canfield – Vassar College, Assistant Director of Athletics for CommunicationsJeremy Rosenthal – Indiana University Assistant Director of MediaRelationsJay Stancil – Union College (Ky.) Director of Strategic Sports CommunicationsModerator David Gibson – Madonna University, Assistant Director, Athletic Communications & Marketing
