COVID-19_care

Taking Care of Your Emotional Health During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

• Content on this page will be updated as new resources or information become available.  Please feel free to check back for the latest support available.
• My heart is with everyone affected by COVID-19 and I wish you ease, safety, health and peace as you cope.   Take very good care and I hope some of these resources are of benefit as you navigate these challenging times.
• The contents of this page are available in an easily downloadable handout.  Please feel free to share this with anyone you think might be helped by this information.

 

Tips for Caring For Your Whole Self:

It’s important to note that we are not helpless in light of current events. We can always choose our response to what is happening, and can change our relationship to the moment, befriending ourselves in these difficult times. Here are some things you can do to support yourself and take care of your emotional health in the face of uncertainty:

 

1. Avoid excessive exposure to media coverage of COVID-19. Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories. It can be upsetting to hear about the crisis and see images repeatedly. Limit watching or reading the news to only once per day.
2. Seek out accurate information from reliable sources, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or your local state public health agencies.
3. Make time to unwind and remind yourself that strong feelings will fade. Everything is changing right now, and that includes your feelings. Feelings flow through us like waves. It can help to name your feelings when you recognize them (“oh this is fear,” “irritation is here”), to feel them in the body (there’s a knot in my stomach, restlessness, jittery feelings in the limbs), and to notice them change. It can also help to notice where you are not feeling fear (e.g. my left big toe isn’t feeling fear) as a way of seeing that even when strong feelings are present, there are also parts of you that are feeling more neutral.
4. Try to do activities you enjoy and maintain daily routines – e.g. get up at the same time, take your morning walk, take your evening bath – this can help provide a sense of normalcy and stability amidst the changing circumstances.
5. Take care of and move your body. Take deep breaths, stretch or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep and avoid alcohol and drugs. Even if you are sheltering in place, you can still move – take a yoga or exercise class online, ride a stationary bike, do jumping jacks, toss a ball around with your dog in the backyard, or walk up and down stairs. Exercise helps both your physical and emotional health.
6. Get outside in nature–you can enjoy being outside at a safe distance from others. Take a walk, feel the sun shining, get fresh air. Even if you are sheltering in place, sit on your porch, walk in the backyard, or simply open the window.
7. Challenge yourself to stay in the present. Anxiety is often fueled by future thinking. When you find yourself worrying about something that hasn’t happened, gently bring yourself back to the present moment. Notice the sights, sounds, tastes and other sensory experiences in your immediate moment and name them. You just have to live this moment right here. And often this moment is okay, if not better than okay, even amidst a growing crisis. Engaging in mindfulness activities is one way to help stay grounded when things feel beyond your control. Sometimes it helps to literally drop your awareness from your thoughts down into the soles of your feet. A walking meditation is often easier and more grounding than a sitting meditation in times of anxiety and stress.
8. Maintain a sense of hope and positive thinking. Seek out and savor moments of beauty (the first spring crocus), connection (your cat sleeping in your lap) or humor (reruns of Seinfeld or whatever makes you giggle).
9. Separate what is in your control from what is not. There are things you can do, and it’s helpful to focus on those. Wash your hands. Remind others to wash theirs. Take your vitamins. Limit your consumption of news (Do you really need to know what is happening on a cruise ship you aren’t on?).
10. Do what helps you feel a sense of safety. When we feel overwhelmed, we have to come back to a sense of safety before we can reach out and meet life’s challenges. Connecting with a sense of safety will be different for everyone, and it’s important not to compare yourself to others. Maybe for you safety is curling up with a good book and snuggling your cat or dog. Maybe safety is playing video games…or cooking a good meal…making a cup of tea…taking a nap…calling a friend…having a good cry…There is no right way. What do you need? What works for you?
11. Maintain healthy relationships. Social distancing can foster a sense of isolation, which can be stressful as we are wired to be social beings. Connecting with others by phone, social media, video platforms (e.g. skype, google hangouts, zoom), text or email can be helpful. Share your concerns and how you are feeling with a friend or family member. There are ways to share life even with social distancing in place to slow the spread of disease. For example, have a cup of tea with a neighbor as you each sit on your own front porch, garden in your respective yards with a neighbor across the street, play words with friends, continue your book group via a video platform, or as they did in Italy, have a balcony sing-a-long. Be creative, and stay connected.
12. Take care of your loved ones and your neighbors.  Offering a warm smile to a neighbor, or calling to check on an elderly family member can make someone’s day and soften the sense of isolation.  Those who are most vulnerable among us – the elderly, those with compromised immune systems, the poor – are feeling fear and stress just like you.  Reaching out and offering kindness is good for them, and it also nourishes our own hearts, as we experience our common humanity and our innate goodness.  One of my favorite stories so far is hearing about 2 kids playing a porch concert for their 78 year old neighbor sheltering in place.
13. Reach out if you need more support. If you are feeling particularly anxious or if you are struggling with your emotional health, it’s ok to reach out to a mental health professional for support. You don’t have to be alone with your worry and it can be comforting to share what you are experiencing with those trained to help. Please note that most therapists across the country are offering telehealth video sessions so you don’t have to compromise your sense of physical safety while you are attending to your emotional and mental well-being.

We are in this together, and help is always available. If you’re feeling alone and struggling, you can also reach out to The Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK. Or, locally, Colorado Crisis Services at 844-493-8255.

 

Pandemic
by Lynn Ungar, 3/11/20

 

 

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