Be Flexible and Count to Ten

Published: 2020
By Sheila Friedrich

Pandemic... physical distancing... face coverings. All are words we barely uttered at the start of 2020. In an instant that changed. FCS programming in Sheridan County took on a new look to continue to be relevant and far-reaching. Social media and virtual meetings and events became the new normal. Shelter-at-Home Wellness Bursts, a Facebook event, was the first to test a new platform of program delivery. The program encouraged participants to focus on self-care during the Governor’s shelter-at-home directive. Two wellness bursts were posted daily along with a poll to self-report completion. Two hundred forty-six participants completed 688 wellness bursts. Of significance, 205 reported drinking eight, 8-ounce glasses of water a day; 134 participated in stress and mental well-being activities; 22 checked account balances to ensure they weren’t falling victim to COVID-19 scams and 267 completed physical activity challenges. Thirty-five issues of a weekly e-newsletter, Wellness Wednesday, have been published and will continue to be sent to a list of 1218. The newsletter focuses on various aspects of wellness including, emotional, environmental, financial, physical, and social. A recent poll indicates that 83% have accessed resources and/or visited websites featured in Wellness Wednesday and 93% reported the content has provided information they are using in their life. The click-through report indicates that 66 individuals have downloaded MontGuides, registered for online Extension classes, and have accessed websites highlighted in the newsletter for further information. Quarantine Kitchen, a Facebook group, is a place to share ideas and recipes, for tasty, healthy meals and snacks. Recipes are required to follow USDA guidelines for food safety and to be respectful of copyright laws. There are 778 active members who share meal ideas, support one another in their efforts to create healthy foods, and share mouth-watering photographs. To preserve some sense of normalcy, Montana Harvest of the Month and the Arthritis Foundation Exercise programs continue as COVID-19 restrictions permit.