Building upon your innate resilience 

“The human capacity for burden is like bamboo – far more flexible than you'd ever believe at first glance.”

-Jodi Picoult

Sometimes, life can be really challenging. Do you ever feel like your world is falling apart? Have you recently lived through a crisis or a very difficult time? Do you feel like there are too many demands on your time and that everyone wants something from you? Some of us have experienced a difficult loss, an illness, or an unexpected change. Most of us have had to navigate a personal challenge while we continue to meet daily demands and responsibilities. Maybe a child has had a mental health crisis that became a life and death matter. Maybe the stress of socioeconomic uncertainty or job insecurity has taken a toll on your family.

Meg Jay is a clinical psychologist and the author of the book, Supernormal. In an article, she shares practical ways to overcome whatever life throws your way. Dr. Jay starts out by stating that she doesn’t think that people bounce back from adversity. She says that the words “bounce back” do not help people feel understood or seen, in light of all the complexity of their situation. Instead, Dr. Jay likes to describe resilience as a heroic struggle. “It’s really a battle, not a bounce,” she says, “an ongoing process that can last for years.” Dr. Jay has these practical tips for how you can become more resilient:

• Recognize that your struggle is valid, no matter what you are struggling with. Don’t be ashamed of what makes you stressed. Some of the most common adversities are stressors that are chronic. 
• Realize the ways you are already resilient. Think about the three toughest times in your life and how you got through those times. You are already resilient.
• Don’t wait for the situation to fix itself. Resilient people take action. It may not be resolved overnight, but every problem can be approached with even a small step forward.
• Know your strengths and use them. Resilient people tend to use the strengths they have and those are different for each person. If you are not sure what your strengths are, go to the website https://www.viacharacter.org and take a 10-minute survey to discover your top 5 signature strengths. When you leverage your existing strengths to tackle whatever is in front of you, the side effect is joy!
• Don’t try to do it alone. Resilient people seek support, whether it is a partner, a best friend, or a therapist. In order to fare well after adversity, it is best to surround yourself with people who care.
• Don’t feel obligated to share with everyone. Everyone’s support network looks different depending on that person. For some folks, they have two people in the world who really know them, while others may be connected to a larger community. Lean on your own support network of people you can trust.
• Find your favorite way to take a mental break. If your problem can’t be solved overnight, lose yourself in a book, engage in a hobby, or connect with a friend. It’s okay to step back and distract yourself with something you enjoy so you can avoid spiraling into a state of overwhelm. Go out in nature, play with a pet, turn off the news alerts on your phone. Sometimes the world feels overwhelming.
• Be compassionate with yourself and realize all the ways adversity has made you strong. Past struggles and stress have helped you gain confidence and prepared you for future challenges. Try to shift your perspective—if you are seeing yourself as broken, remind yourself that you are strong and resilient. You have experienced tough times in the past and you have come out more resilient on the other side.

WHAT to do if there is a reportable illness at your child care

If you are informed by a family or a staff person of a case of a notifable condition at your child care, you must report that to the Snohomish County Health Department. Our Communicable Disease Nurses will provide you with guidance and next steps. 

Which conditions or illnesses are notifable? What do I need to report? Here is a link to the list of notifable conditions that are reportable to the health department. Some of the more common ones include salmonella, shigella, E. coli (STEC), and COVID-19. Washington State is seeing an increased number of cases of pertussis (or whooping cough) and measles. Those are both reportable as well. If you are unsure, please call us and we will be happy to help.

Who do I report to?   In Snohomish County, you can call the Health Department Communicable Disease Program at 425-339-3503 or the Child Care Health Outreach Program at 425-252-5415.

Do I need to notify families? Please wait until you have spoken to someone from the health department before sending out a notification to families. Our nurses will evaluate the exposure and provide your child care with a letter to share with families and staff that includes information about the illness and how long they should watch for symptoms.

What if I have other questions about reporting illnesses? For non-reportable illnesses, you can find fact sheets on our website. Reach out to the Child Care Health Outreach Program with any other questions. You can call us at 425-252-5415 or email us at mailto:childcarehealth@co.snohomish.wa.us.

FREE SOIL & TOY TESTING

Protect the children you care for from lead poisoning. Lead is a toxic metal that can be found in the soil or in older or imported toys. The Washington State Department of Health Washington Choose Safe Places program will be offering free on-site soil and toy testing at the Federal Way Farmer's Market on May 17th. Bring a sample of soil or some toys and get them tested on the spot for toxic lead. 

Keeping Children Safe: Free Soil and Toy Testing in Federal Way

• Date: Saturday, May 17, 2025
• Location:  Federal Way Farmers Market - 1701 S. 320th, Federal Way 98003

 For more information, email wcsp@doh.wa.gov. 

You can also arrange to have soil and toys tested by Snohomish County Health Department by sending an email to childcarehealth@co.snohomish.wa.us. 

Is your child care on a septic system?

If your child care has an onsite septic system, learning more about your system can help you protect the children in your care and possibly save you from having to make expensive repairs. We have a new class specifically designed for Snohomish County child cares who have an onsite septic system. This class is worth 2 free STARS credits and can be taken online whenever it is convenient for you. You can sign up on our Child Care Class website. Please note that this course is only available for child care providers who have an onsite septic system. If you do not have one, you will not be able to complete the course assignment and will not receive credit.

We also encourage Snohomish County child cares on septic systems to sign up for the Septic Scoop Newsletter. You can do so by visiting www.snohd.org/notifyme. You can find previous editions of the newsletter here.