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Welcome back to the first summer post of GLAM Gets Mindful — I'm excited to be back! In my last article, "Mitigating Loneliness by Moving Online," I shared with you some of the coolest online exhibitions, digital tours, and museum resources for curing that quarantine loneliness. Two months later, the GLAM sector continues to operate exclusively online. Although many of us are grateful to be able to experience our favourite institutions digitally, the internet is exhausting. How do you balance staying connected to your sector while still being mindful of your well-being?
Social media is just one way we've been able to stay connected in the GLAM sector, especially during times of distancing and isolation. Instagram has been an especially useful tool for many of our favourite institutions, providing a great platform for new online campaigns. For example, you can check out the Royal Ontario Museum's (@romtoronto) Instagram campaign "Ask ROM Anything" where they share expertise from their curators and staff, or Bata Shoe Museum's (@batashoemuseum) Trivia Thursdays. Museum twitter is also especially active and generates some incredible content (we're looking at you, Museum of English Rural Life) that you don't want to miss out on.
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| Told you @TheMERL's twitter was great. Go check it out! |
Unfortunately, as the saying goes, you can have too much of a good thing. Social media can easily exhaust its users and cause them to feel even further away from their community. Social media fatigue results in people visiting social media less because of feelings of anxiety and overstimulation. If you're starting to feel this way, it's okay to take a step back and take a break! Museum Twitter will still be there when you get back, and you might be able to enjoy it more with a rested mind.
Zoom and other video platforms have also become an asset for collaboration during COVID-19. Museums and other GLAM institutions have been implementing webinars and digital talks about professional development, online engagement, and more. The Group of Emerging Museum Professionals has compiled a list of online resources, including an extensive list of webinars, that you can check out here.
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| Learn more about the Group of Emerging Museum Professionals here. |
Although we can learn a lot from the experts in our sector in an online webinar, it's important to consider the impact these calls have on our mental health. Zoom exhaustion is real, and the quality of our attention differs in an online lecture. Often we are multitasking while online, visually over-stimulated, and - quite frankly - that much eye contact is not normal. If you've been feeling Zoom exhausted, simple tricks like turning your camera off or relocating outside while taking a call can help you be more productive, and feel less drained. Give it a shot on your next conference call, it can make a world of a difference.
You can also turn to the GLAM sector for assistance with mindfulness tips and tricks (while keeping the previously mentioned suggestions in mind). The Rubin Museum of Art has been sharing a number of resources on Instagram TV (@rubinmuseum) including guided curatorial object tours, musical performances, and philosophical discussions. The National Museum of Asian Art is offering free online meditation workshops with no previous experience required - take a look at their workshop schedule for the next session. Our own Inforum has also transitioned their Mindful Moments workshops to a digital format, which you can find on their Instagram (@uoftinforum) every Wednesday.
Times may be tough, confusing, and uncertain right now, but two things we know for sure:
1) Pay attention to your well-being, and don't hesitate to take a break or a step back.
2) We sure are lucky to be a part of the GLAM sector. Thanks for reading everyone — until next time!
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