A Letter From the Therapists at Resolve: 10 Tips to Take Care of Your Mental Health During COVID-19
With the near-constant coverage of the recent outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it can be easy to get caught up in the frenzy of panic and misinformation. During this time, it is more important than ever to nurture your mental health as well as your physical health.
With that in mind, here is a list of simple ideas to help you cope during this stressful time.
1. Stick to reliable sources of information and set boundaries around your media consumption. Don’t watch or read news sources that make you feel overwhelmed and anxious.
Educating yourself on the extent of the coronavirus is important— and so is the way you seek out and process this information. Stick to reputable sources such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and be sure to set limits around how much time you’re spending researching information. Find the information that is pertinent, but do not allow yourself to obsess over it. It can be helpful to set a time limit around your researching habits and time limits around how often you allow yourself to think about the coronavirus.
2. Focus on what you can control.
During stressful events, we sometimes tend to focus on all the horrible things that are going wrong—usually the things that are out of our control. What we focus on grows—so if we are ruminating over the worst-case scenarios of an event, it can snowball and create even more stress and fear. Rather than focusing on what you cannot control, try to think about what you can control—for example, focus on all the ways you can protect yourself. During this time, handwashing, social distancing, and limiting travel are all encouraged to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Besides these healthy tips, ask yourself what other practices might help you feel safe and implement them.
3. Validate others’ level of concern and be supportive.
Whether you’re talking to a family member or a Facebook friend, it is important to recognize other people’s feelings around the coronavirus and to respect their boundaries. Some may minimize the situation while others may be preparing their post-apocalyptic bunkers. Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. Being aware of our differences, validating concerns, and providing support when needed is a helpful way to contribute during a stressful time.
4. Validate your children’s concerns and remind them that the adults in their lives have plans to protect them. Help children find positive ways to express their personal feelings about the situation.
Children are especially sensitive to our conversations and even our moods and energy. Be especially aware of the way you discuss coronavirus around children so as not to create unnecessary panic. Assuring the kids in our lives that this is an issue for the adults to figure out and not something they need to worry about is one way to begin putting their minds at ease. Look for signs of distress in your children—if you notice changes in eating/sleeping habits, or a regression to younger behaviors such as bedwetting, etc., they are likely feeling extremely overwhelmed. Take time to have age-appropriate conversations about your children’s fears, validate their experiences, and answer any questions they may have.
5. Have a plan in place to help you reduce your own anxiety.
It may help you to examine your own fears around the coronavirus and come up with an emergency plan should your fears come to fruition. This may include thinking of the support systems in your life and recruiting those who can help in a time of need. For example, who can watch your kids if you fall ill? What about your pets? Or you may need a plan to manage your internal state. If you’re worried about an elderly family member, you might make it a point to call that person daily to ease your own concerns. Set up any expectations of others and communicate plans with members of your family so that everyone is aware of what needs to happen should certain situations arise.
6. Self-care, self-care, self-care.
Get plenty of sleep, exercise, and nutrition to keep your body in balance. Taking care of our basic physical needs sets us up to better cope with stress. When we experience prolonged stress, our cortisol levels spike and result in weakened immune system functioning. Being able to manage our stress has very real implications for our ability to prevent and recover from sickness. Cultivate calm by creating a list of self-care activities that can take your mind off the stressors of your life. Pick one thing off of the list anytime you start to feel overwhelmed. Watch a feel-good movie, read a book, hug your pets, and connect with loved ones. Do whatever you need to breathe a little easier.
7. Focus on cases of success involving the coronavirus.
While there will undoubtedly be extensive media coverage of coronavirus-related deaths, the vast majority of those who contract the disease have mild symptoms and recover at home. Seek out the success stories related to the coronavirus rather than simply consuming all the worst-case scenario stories that are readily available on your social media feeds.
8. Be aware of discrimination and bullying related to the coronavirus.
It is important to remove any stigma associated with the coronavirus and any populations facing discrimination and bullying related to it. Reminding ourselves and others that we ultimately face some level of susceptibility regardless of race, ethnicity, or age can help create healthier conversations around the coronavirus.
9. Continue with your everyday life.
That ice cream you’ve been eyeing at the grocery store? Buy it. Continue living your everyday life and enjoy those impulse buys and any other small act you do for yourself to sweeten your day. Whatever you can do to create routine and normality may help you and your family maintain some level of equilibrium in the midst of crisis.
10. Stop and take a deep breath.
Seriously, that’s it. Just breathe.
A Take Home Message from our Team
Only you can decide what you need to feel safe. If you are unsure, try to take extra time each day to get in touch with your mental and emotional state. Sit quietly, listen to your breath, and tune in to what your body needs. Simply pause before acting. Sometimes when we are in “crisis mode” we jump at every opportunity to DO something. Some of us hope that if we can just take care of others or if we over-prepare and armor up for battle, we will somehow be able to control or fix the problem. Instead, many of us end up worrying ourselves sick (pun intended). Take this time to take care of yourself. Do your best to limit any catastrophic or terminalistic thinking and lean on others for support. Most importantly, have compassion for yourself and others as we all do our best to weather this storm.