Storytelling at Work
March 31, 2020
ONCE UPON A CORONAVIRUS: Telling Stories Calms Anxieties

mark-zamora-mFqAeaZgWO8-unsplash.jpg

Here is a wonderful, timely, wise, and practical blog post for parents from the folks who wrote How to Tell Stories to Children. If you are experiencing the challenges of self-isolation, lock down, or quarantining with your young kids, this one's for you!

AN EXCERPT: "As coronavirus spreads and schools close their doors, parents are feeling anxious. Social distancing and empty shelves have us gasping for normalcy. We need skills for handling the disease, but we also need tools for managing the anxiety that treads in its footsteps. Storytelling is a time-tested way to do that, and scientists have collected many of the reasons why.

Stories help us redirect and center our attention -- something that is especially useful in the wake of media reports. As politicians and journalists battle for the narrative of the coronavirus, parents are engaged in a different battle -- the narrative in our children's hearts. By telling a story, we provide a common narrative for the whole family, something that young children especially need."

How storytelling builds attachment

Helping children understand the moral of a story
Ditch the grammar and start teaching storytelling
Storytelling for big kids -- like YOU, for example

Photo: Mark Zamora, Unsplash

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at March 31, 2020 01:34 AM

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ABOUT THE BLOG

Storytelling at Work is a blog about the power of personal storytelling – why it matters and what you can do to more effectively communicate your stories – on or off the job. Inspired by the book of the same name, the blog features "moment of truth" stories by the author, Mitch Ditkoff, plus inspired rants, quotes, and guest submissions by readers.

Order the book:

Storytelling for the Revolution
Storytelling for the Revolution is Mitch Ditkoff's newly published book about the power of personal storytelling to elevate the conversation on planet Earth. Provocative. Evocative. And fun. YOU have stories to tell. This book will help you tell them.
Storytelling at Work
"The world is not made of atoms," wrote the poet, Muriel Rukeyser. "It's made of stories." Learn how to discover, honor, and unpack the stories of yours that show up "on the job" in Mitch Ditkoff's award-winning 2015 book, Storytelling at Work.
FAQ
Do you want to know more about the book before buying it? Click here for Mitch's response to frequently asked questions about Storytelling at Work – the perfect book for people who think they have no time to read.
The Workshop
Storytelling is an "unconscious competency" – an ability we all have that all too often remains inaccessible to us. Enter the Storytelling at Work workshop – a simple way to activate this powerful, innate skill.
Wisdom Circles
Want to establish a culture of storytelling in your organization or community? Looking for a simple way to help people to share their meaningful, memorable stories with each other? Here's how.
Podcasts & Videos
Click here to view and listen to a series of interviews with the author of this blog. Go beyond the written word. Listen. Feel. Elevate the conversation. Understand what the big deal is about personal storytelling.
Blogs 'R Us
If you like this blog, you might also like Mitch's other two blogs: The Heart of Innovation and The Heart of the Matter. Mitch is also a regular contributor to the Huffington Post.
Idea Champions
When Mitch isn't writing, he's captaining the good ship Idea Champions, a leading edge innovation consulting and training company based in Woodstock, NY. What their clients say.
© IDEA CHAMPIONS