25 — Quarantine Pro Tips Do these for Your Mental Health in COVID19 Crisis
PLUS Advice from Tony Robbins, Brene Brown, Oprah Winfrey — Proven Strategies for Stress Relief
A Proven Process for Stress ReliefIf we’re not careful we can all drown in a pool of anxiety from negative information surrounding us from the virus itself, to living & working at home in quarantine, to the loss of personal and emotional connections. There is good news, below you’ll find proven information tips and resources to help you navigate this pandemic successfully.
Oprah Winfrey — Super Soul Sunday
Oprah Winfrey — Jon Kabat-Zinn — Recognize a Toxic Thought pattern
Brene Brown, — Get to the Root of your Negative Emotions Be aware of the stories we tell ourselves and that they can spiral out of control
Michael Singer — Lean away from the Noise the Mind is Making= Ask yourself good questions. LIke Is what you feel something you need to solve?
Eckhart Tolle — Resisting the moment that Is will only generate more feelings of upset. Be the observer of your mind.
Jo Hemmings Guardian News —
1. Create a Worry Window — block of time to watch the news and keep up on things. 2 Make sure the information you take in is from a Reliable Source. 3. Give yourself permission — Distract yourself with Books, shows. 4. Share Worries and Symptoms — Recognize exactly what you’re experiencing. 5. Focus on Routine — Keeping a regular schedule brings down anxiety 6. Connect to people — find ways to support someone else.
Tony Robbins — On Stress and Depression
Tony Robbins — Our physicality has an impact on our stress. The key is to make progress, baby steps are key. Hear his story and what caused him to make changes in his life. This instruction is so invaluable, but a bit longer than the others. Secrets to stopping anxiety before it spirals out of control.
Next, let’s look at a Proven Process Mental Anxiety and Stress to Peace and feeling control Identify
Identify & Decide — Acknowledge what your stress habits are identified these call them out. Get real with yourself, this is very important to moving forward, when a stress point is introduced take a moment and think.
A. What and how do you process the stress? At what point does it become overwhelming or an obsession?
B. What does having negative stress prevent you from doing?
C. What habit, if changed, would allow you to begin getting ahead?
Decide — Once you acknowledge your patterns, and what this is preventing in your life. The next step is to decide to change, the next thing to do is to cement your decision making it official so that it’s real for you. Deciding to change the bad habits to improve your life is just like your initial decision you made when you determined that you were done with the pain. It’s critical to start. To move from where you are now with this overwhelming bad stress to where you want to get to a place of joy and pleasure in life there. This article has 7 Proven Ways to easily crush bad stress
Commit to taking immediate action. It’s a worthwhile Process — AND It works, being committed to redirecting your inner dialogue is a process. I’ll be the first to admit that I struggled with working through a process. I used to be really impatient with the process of transformation. That’s what happens when you work in a fast-paced workplace or often our life in general moving from one thing to the other or even now when it feels like the world is changing so fast that it’s dizzying.
In truth when I was advised that something was ‘a process’ or even worse I was told to ‘enjoy the process’ was like a curse word to me. I really didn’t like it, but that’s because I didn’t value it.
Getting from A-Z. I had this notion that if there was a way to do something then if I applied the basic principles to make the change the results should appear. Much like taking a class, if I followed the syllabus and completed the course then I should get the grade. In life it’s true, you do gain the education, BUT until you apply the principles of the class regularly (throughout the process) you won’t have the experience and become truly changed, which is just as important as finishing the course, some say more so. In school, the kids I thought were the smartest were the ones who didn’t study, flew through the tests and got a great grade.
Not so for me. I had to study my butt off to get good grades. You are worth it. You must be committed to getting out of the mental trash can. I cannot emphasize enough just how important this is to you and your success. Results of our Immediate Action stick when we are committed to the process after we put the initial steps in place. Yes, we will get results right away. The principles work, so we cannot help but to get positive stress-relieving results. However, our ongoing daily commitment is the real way to develop better mental habits
Limit the Impact — it can feel overwhelming. But in truth, we can stop it dead in its tracks. We have the power even when it feels like our job is to make others or keep others happy. This important compartmentalization that we are good at can be applied here as well. Separate the segments of stress you’re feeling. Identify what they are and what they are not.
I.e. if it’s work, acknowledge that it’s related to work and not your personal life even if you’re working from home. Carve out specific times to deal with work and specific times to deal with home responsibilities. Identify what the stressor is not impacting.
Change the Channel — there is a famous pastor and motivational speaker who is a proponent of helping millions get out of their mental trash can. He has a simple solution that is very useful and practical when we want to improve our mental habits. Change the channel of what’s ‘playing’ in your mind, if the picture in your mind is playing out what you see as your shortcomings, then change the channel, think about your favorite things.
Encourage Yourself — Good things about you, encourage yourself and be sure to Laugh. If you have no one else who is encouraging you. Encourage yourself What do you do well? What is your favorite thing about yourself? Think about your favorite happy memory.
What is your favorite funny memory? Think about these whenever the wrong thoughts come to mind. This pastor is a huge advocate that you have to encourage yourself. You cannot always count on others to encourage you. You must encourage yourself. Then take the next step. Think of the things you do well, or you like about yourself, jot down 5 positive things about yourself, and put these as your screensaver for your computer, your phone or tablet. Or do it the old school way and put it on a post-it and stick it on your bathroom mirror or somewhere you’ll see it every day. Check out the full article — 5 Easy Steps Immediately Stop Stress in its Tracks! Without Stressing the ‘How’
Breathe — Of course, we all know that Breathing is critical for life. This seems obvious but one thing we tend to do when we feel a certain level of stress is to breathe very shallow or even stop breathing for up to a minute or so at a time. I know I’ve been guilty of this!! Perhaps you are like me in this. I’m also someone who feels the need to understand the ‘how’ for the ‘what’ to make sense, so I started researching,
Understanding the ‘what’. The impact breath has from a scientific point of view and why breathing the right way impacts our stress relief, really helped me to implement a solution. When I understood how and why something worked it was much easier for me to relax my mind with each exercise. This article will cover several powerful bio-hacks that I’ve learned researching this topic. These are simple, easy to learn processes that you can even do sitting at your desk.
25 Tips Advice from an Anonymous Psychologist -
The Psychologist stated that ‘After having thirty-one sessions this week with patients where the singular focus was COVID-19 and how to cope, I decided to consolidate my advice and make a list that I hope is helpful to all. I can’t control a lot of what is going on right now, but I can contribute to this.
Edit: I am surprised and heartened that this has been shared so widely! People have asked me to credential myself, so to that end, I am a doctoral-level Psychologist in NYS with a Psy.D. in the specialties of School and Clinical Psychology.’
Mental Health Tips for Wellness when you’re in Quarantine
1. Create & Stick to a Routine. Go to sleep and wake up at a reasonable time, write a schedule that is varied and includes time for work, taking care of family, and self-care (meditating, exercise, relaxing).
2. Dress for the social life you want, not the social life you have. Dress every day, Shower dress in comfortable clothes (Maintain hygiene, wash your face, brush your teeth. Take the time for a bath or a facial. Put on bright colors.) You’re worth feeling good, Dressing well impacts our mood.
3. Get outside at least once a day- ( recommended for at least thirty minutes). If you are concerned about contact with others, go out when there are fewer people out. First thing in the morning, or later in the evening) Go to a park or, and try less traveled streets and avenues.
NOTE: If you are high risk or living with those who are high risk, open windows, doors (weather permitting of course) and blast a fan. It is amazing how much fresh air can do for spirits.
4. Move it, Move It — (anyone remember that old song?) Make time to move each day, for at least thirty minutes.
Pro Tip — move for 3–5 minutes first thing in the morning to boost your metabolism.
If you don’t feel comfortable going outside, there are so many YouTube videos offering free classes, and if all else fails, turn on the music and have a dance party! Make sure it’s something you want to do and enjoy.
5. Reach out to others, you guessed it, at least once daily for up to thirty minutes. There are so many tools to facilitate this, Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, phone calls, texting — connect with other people to seek and provide support. Don’t forget to do this for your children as well. Set up virtual playdates with friends daily via FaceTime, Facebook Messenger Kids, Zoom, etc — your kids miss their friends, too!
6. Stay hydrated and eat well. This one may seem obvious, but stress and eating often don’t mix well, and we find ourselves over-indulging, forgetting to eat, and avoiding food. Drink plenty of water, eat some good and nutritious foods, and challenge yourself to learn how to cook something new!
7. Develop a self-care toolkit. This can look different for everyone. A lot of successful self-care strategies involve a sensory component (seven senses: touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell, vestibular (movement) and proprioceptive (comforting pressure).
An idea for each: a soft blanket or stuffed animal, a hot chocolate, photos of vacations, comforting music, lavender or eucalyptus oil, a small swing or rocking chair, a weighted blanket. A journal, an inspirational book, or a mandala coloring book is wonderful, bubbles to blow or blowing watercolor on paper through a straw these are visually appealing as well as work something to help us control our breath. Mint gum, Listerine strips, ginger ale, frozen Starburst, ice packs, and cold are also good for anxiety regulation. For children, it is great to help them create a self-regulation comfort box (often a shoe-box or bin they can decorate) that they can use on the ready for first-aid when overwhelmed.
8. Spend extra time playing with children. Children will rarely communicate how they are feeling, but will often make a bid for attention and communication through play. Don’t be surprised to see therapeutic themes of illness, doctor visits, and isolation play through. Understand that play is cathartic and helpful for children — it is how they process their world and problem solve, and there’s a lot they are seeing and experiencing in the now.
9. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and a wide berth. A lot of cooped up time can bring out the worst in everyone. Each person will have moments when they will not be at their best. It is important to move with grace through blowups, to not show up to every argument you are invited to, and to not hold grudges and continue disagreements. Everyone is doing the best they can to make it through this.
10. Everyone Needs to Find their own retreat space. Space is at a premium, particularly with city living. It is important; People must think through their own separate space for work and relaxation. For children, help them identify a place where they can go to retreat when stressed. You can make this place cozy by using blankets, pillows, cushions, scarves, beanbags, tents, and “forts”. It is good to know that even when we are on top of each other, we have our own special place to go to be alone.
11. Expect behavioral issues in children, and respond gently. We are all struggling with disruption in routine, none more than children, who rely on routines constructed by others to make them feel safe and to know what comes next. Expect increased anxiety, worries, and fears, nightmares, difficulty separating or sleeping, testing limits, and meltdowns. Do not introduce major behavioral plans or consequences at this time — hold stable and focus on emotional connection.
12. Focus on safety and attachment.
We are going to be living for a bit with the unprecedented demand for meeting all work deadlines, homeschooling children, running a sterile household, and making a whole lot of entertainment in confinement. We can get wrapped up in meeting expectations in all domains, but we must remember that these are scary and unpredictable times for children. Focus on strengthening the connection through time spent following their lead, through physical touch, through play, through therapeutic books, and via verbal reassurances that you will be there for them at this time.
13. Lower expectations and practice radical entertainment in confinement. We can get wrapped up in meeting expectations in all domains, but we must remember that these are scary and unpredictable times for children. Focus on strengthening the connection through time spent following their lead, through physical touch, through play, through therapeutic books, and via verbal reassurances that you will be there for them at this time.l self-acceptance. This idea is connected with #12. We are doing too many things at this moment, under fear and stress. This does not make a formula for excellence. Instead, give yourself what psychologists call “radical self-acceptance”: accepting everything about yourself, your current situation, and your life without question, blame, or pushback. You cannot fail at this — there is no roadmap, no precedent for this, and we are all truly doing the best we can in an impossible situation.
14. Limit social media and COVID conversation, especially around children. One can find tons of information on COVID-19 to consume, and it changes minute to minute. The information is often sensationalized, negatively skewed, and alarmist. Find a few trusted sources that you can check in with consistently, limit it to a few times a day, and set a time limit for yourself on how much you consume (again 30 minutes tops, 2–3 times daily). Keep news and alarming conversations out of earshot from children — they see and hear everything, and can become very frightened by what they hear.
15. Notice the good in the world, the helpers. There is a lot of scary, negative, and overwhelming information to take in regarding this pandemic. There are also a ton of stories of people sacrificing, donating, and supporting one another in miraculous ways. It is important to counter-balance the heavy information with hopeful information.
16. Help others. Find ways, big and small, to give back to others. Support restaurants offer to grocery shop, check-in with elderly neighbors, write psychological wellness tips for others — helping others gives us a sense of agency when things seem out of control.
17. Find something you can control, and control the heck out of it. In moments of big uncertainty and overwhelm, control your little corner of the world. Organize your bookshelf, purge your closet, put together that furniture, group your toys. It helps to anchor and ground us when the bigger things are chaotic.
18. Find a long-term project to dive into. Now is the time to learn how to play the keyboard, put together a huge jigsaw puzzle, start a 15 hour game of Risk, paint a picture, read the Harry Potter series, binge watch an 8-season show, crochet a blanket, solve a Rubix cube, or develop a new town in Animal Crossing. Find something that will keep you busy, distracted, and engaged to take breaks from what is going on in the outside world.
19. Engage in repetitive movements and left-right movements. Research has shown that repetitive movement (knitting, coloring, painting, clay sculpting, jump roping, etc) especially left-right movement (running, drumming, skating, hopping) can be effective at self-soothing and maintaining self-regulation in moments of distress.
20. Find an expressive art and go for it. Our emotional brain is very receptive to the creative arts, and it is a direct portal for the release of our feelings. Find something creative to do (sculpting, drawing, dancing, music, singing, playing) and give it your all. See how relieved you can feel. It is a very effective way of helping kids to emote and communicate as well!
21. Find lightness and humor in each day. There is a lot to be worried about, and with good reason. Counterbalance this heaviness with something funny each day: cat videos on YouTube, a stand-up show on Netflix, a funny movie — we all need a little comedic relief in our day, every day.
22. Reach out for help — your team is there for you. If you have a therapist or psychiatrist, they are available to you, even at a distance. Keep up your medications and your therapy sessions the best you can. If you are having difficulty coping, seek out help for the first time. There are mental health people at the ready to help you through this crisis. Your children’s teachers and related service providers will do anything within their power to help, especially for those parents tasked with the difficult task of being a whole treatment team to their child with special challenges. Seek support groups of fellow home-schoolers, parents, and neighbors to feel connected. There is help and support out there, any time of the day — although we are physically distant, we can always connect virtually.
23. “Chunk” your quarantine, take it moment by moment. We have no road map for this. We don’t know what this will look like in 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month from now. Often, when I work with patients who have anxiety around overwhelming issues, I suggest that they engage in a strategy called “chunking” — focusing on whatever bite-sized piece of a challenge that feels manageable. Whether that be 5 minutes, a day, or a week at a time — find what feels doable for you, and set a timestamp for how far ahead in the future you will let yourself worry. Take each chunk one at a time, and move through stress in pieces.
24. Remind yourself daily that this is temporary. It seems amid this quarantine that it will never end. It is terrifying to think of the road stretching ahead of us. Please take time to remind yourself that although this is very scary and difficult, and will go on for an undetermined amount of time, it is a season of life and it will pass. We will return to feeling free, safe, busy, and connected in the days ahead.
25. Find the lesson. This whole crisis can seem sad, senseless, and at times, avoidable. When psychologists work with trauma, a key feature to helping someone work through said trauma is to help them find their agency, the potential positive outcomes they can effect, the meaning and construction that can come out of destruction. What can each of us learn here, in big and small ways, from this crisis? What needs to change in ourselves, our homes, our communities, our nation, and our world?
Last but certainly not least here are valuable resources you can use for mental health and Stress Relief from the Mental Health America Association.
Mental Health Information For Disease Outbreaks
Living With Mental Illness During COVID-19 Outbreak– Preparing For Your Wellness
This webpage provides information and wellness tips for individuals living with mental health conditions during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Medication Access During COVID-19
Changes and uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 can make it difficult to know what to do to make sure you have access to needed medications. Here are some tips and pieces of information to help you prepare and care for yourself or your loved ones
Coronavirus and Emerging Infectious Disease Outbreak Response
These fact sheets provide information and recommendations for healthcare personnel, families, leaders, and businesses to address the psychological and behavioral health impacts of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Coronavirus Anxiety — Helpful Expert Tips and Resources
This page from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America provides COVID-19 resources, including videos, tips, and blogs on managing anxiety and coping.
COVID-19: Potential Implications for Individuals with Substance Use Disorders
This webpage from the National Institute on Drug Abuse provides guidance on special considerations for the health and basic needs of individuals with Substance Use Disorders during Coronavirus.
COVID-19: Accessing Critical Medications for Your Loved One
This webpage from the Partnership for Drug-free Kids provides guidance for those considering or using pharmacotherapy, also known as medication-assisted treatment, to treat their opioid use disorder who might be wondering how COVID-19 will impact their ability to get these critical medications.
COVID-19: Mental health in the age of coronavirus
An article from the United Nations with guidance on promoting mental health among different populations including caretakers, health care workers, leaders, people with children, older adults, and pregnant, breastfeeding women.
COVID-related Mental Health and Recovery Resources
A Guide from Tempest on companies and organizations that offer online support for individuals, including those with eating disorders and alcohol or substance use concerns.
Dermatillomania During COVID-19
Risk of COVID-19 may be anxiety inducing and you may be experiencing a harder time managing your Dermatillomania as a result. The CDC’s encouragement to “not touch your face” can be particularly hard and even triggering if you struggle with Skin Picking Disorder. Here are some ways to cope from the Picking Me Foundation.
Free and Low Cost Support for Individuals Living With Eating Disorders
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) compiled free and low cost support options offer ways to connect with others and provide tools to promote recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions on Mental Health, Mental Illness, and COVID-19
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) created a document to help guide individuals that have specific questions about their mental health situations.
Managing Stress and Anxiety related to COVID-19
This page from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides tips for coping with stress and anxiety, including information focused on parents, first responders, and people who have been released from quarantine.
Mental Health Considerations during COVID-19 Outbreak
These mental health considerations were developed by the WHO Mental Health Department as support for mental and psychological well-being during COVID-19 outbreak.
Mental health and wellness during a public health crisis
Dr. LaGenia Bailey, the former DBSA board member, discusses tips on how to stay well during this public health crisis. In this podcast, she addresses the benefits of mindfulness practice, lifestyle habits, and ways to stay connected with others to avoid isolation.
Protecting Your Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic
A message from Brandon Staglin, President of One Mind, on prioritizing wellbeing during COVID-19.
Resources for the OCD and related disorders community during the COVID-19 outbreak
This page from the International OCD Foundation provides information about COVID-19 for individuals with OCD and related disorders.
People with Disabilities, Medical Conditions & Older Adults
The Southeast ADA Center compiled resources specific for individuals with disabilities.
Shrink Speak: COVID-19 Crisis
In this special three-part COVID-19 Crisis series, Dr. Lieberman of Columbia University speaks with renowned experts who have expertise in relevant disciplines that pertain to this COVID-19 pandemic.
Tips For Social Distancing, Quarantine, And Isolation During An Infectious Disease Outbreak
This document from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides information on the basics of staying safe and taking care of your mental health during infectious disease outbreaks.
When Home Becomes The Workplace: Mental Health And Remote Work
A Forbes article by Garen Staglin, Co-founder and Chairman of One Mind at Work, on how to avoid the common negative mental health effects of working from home.
I hope you find these resources helpful, check back with me frequently I’ll be providing more.
