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Vagus Nerve Exercises To Rewire Your Brain From Anxiety

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Vagus Nerve Exercises

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Vagus Nerve Exercises To Rewire Your Brain From Anxiety

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How 15 minutes of mental health hygiene can change your whole day

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Daily Mental Hygiene Practice

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April is Stress Awareness Month. Sign up for and learn how to cope. Our six-part mindfulness guide will inform and inspire you to reduce stress while learning how to harness it.

You brush your teeth twice a day to keep plaque from building up and see a dentist regularly for extra maintenance. It's just good hygiene.

But how often are you practicing mental hygiene?

Whether you have a specific concern or are just trying to get through your day a little better, taking about 15 minutes each morning to maintain your mental health is something everyone could benefit from, said Broderick Sawyer, a clinical psychologist in Louisville, Kentucky.

"This is the mental health equivalent of brushing your teeth before you need a root canal," he said.

The hygiene comes in the form of lowering levels of cortisol, the main stress hormone. An intentional daily practice for stress relief not only makes you feel better today - studies suggest it could improve your well-being later in life.

Increased cortisol levels can lead to a number of physical health complications, according to research from 2020. And a study from 2016 found that emotional regulation has been shown to improve health resilience in older age.

Sawyer has culled together a method for mental health hygiene. He explained why it should be part of your routine and how you can build it into your life.

Yes, you do have 15 minutes

If you are stressed and overwhelmed, carving out 15 minutes in your morning for relaxation sounds like just another hurdle on your to-do list. That addition, however, will make the rest of the list easier to get through, Sawyer said.

"It's not about I don't have time, you have time for a lot of things," he said. "If we really can (practice mindfulness) throughout the day, then our mental health needs less of our energy, less of our juice."

Taking time to reset your mental space at the start means that the stressors of the day aren't piling on top of an already overwhelmed system.

And if you start the day stressed, that is often the baseline you come back to the rest of the day, Sawyer said. When you start with a clear, relaxed mind, you have a calm reference point to which you can return.

"Having a practice of mental health hygiene is like cleaning your mirror and looking into it, and you look in it and know what is and is not you," Sawyer said.

That understanding of what a relaxed baseline feels like and what brings you away from that can help you have compassion for yourself and others who may also get anxious or upset, he added.

"When we do these things every day, we essentially 'practice feeling happy,'" Sawyer said. "Then in turn, this can make us feel more confident when stressful life situations come up - because we do a good job nourishing ourselves."

Here's how to build in your daily practice.

1. Try new activities

The first step in improving your mental health hygiene is experimenting with different activities - anything that brings calm and lowers cortisol, Sawyer said.

"It's just learning to treat and cultivate that inner space with awareness," he added.

To start, set aside 15 minutes in the morning every day as time to slow down and intentionally focus on your inner well-being. The things you fill that time with could be ones you do every day anyway but made more relaxing - like drinking your morning coffee slowly with some deep breaths or swapping talk radio for music you enjoy on your commute, Sawyer said.

But it also could help to switch things up, like sitting outside, going for a walk or stretching, he added.

The important thing is to continue trying new activities until you find something that works for you - and don't be discouraged if it takes some time to see the benefit.

2. Track how it makes you feel

An important part of the experimentation is journaling, Sawyer said.

After trying a new activity in your 15 minutes, making note of how you felt afterward and during the rest of the day can help you discern what kind of things work best for you.

Are you calmer throughout the day? More energized? Better able to handle stress? The feeling you are looking for may change, but the aim is to cultivate a baseline feeling that helps you feel better as you go about the day.

Journaling can also help keep a positive attitude if you don't immediately get the results you are hoping for from your practice, he said.

"You just sort of trip onto those things through your own practice of intuitively trying things out. Then if they don't work, that's OK and just write that down," Sawyer said.

3. Pay attention to what you need at different times

No one action will work all the time, Sawyer said. It can make a big difference to keep an eye on what you need in different contexts.

"So, if I have a workday with a lot of meetings, maybe I need to be a little more chipper and buoyant. Maybe I need to be more laser-focused because it is a heavy writing day. Those are different energies," Sawyer said.

That could mean ending your 15 minutes with a shot of espresso on one day or doing a concentration meditation another day, he added.

4. Add through the day as needed

Eventually, that 15 minutes in the morning might not seem like such a chore. In fact, you might start to crave some check-ins with your mental state at more points throughout the day.

At any time that feels good, but at least three days a week, Sawyer suggested adding in some low-impact physical activity, like walking, biking or yoga.

It's also helpful to add in some time to wind down at the end of the day if you can, turning off work notifications, stepping away from screens and taking time to decompress, he added.

"Once we find that tool or collection of tools for ourselves, we then get to master how well we use it," Sawyer said.

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How 15 minutes of mental health hygiene can change your whole day | CNN

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Carving out 15 minutes in an already busy day can sound like a chore, but a clinical psychologist says it's a small investment that can make the rest of your day easier and happier. He explains how to create and implement a mental health hygiene routine.

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Ways to Stop Worrying

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8 Research-Backed Ways to Stop Worrying and Calm Your Mind

A deep dive into recent research shows these are the most effective stress-busting techniques.

Forget the ' hot vax summer' we were all looking forward to back in June. All of a sudden there is a lot to worry about again, from virus variants to uneven economic indicators (and we won't even get into the fact that huge swaths of the planet are literally on fire).

People may be holding up surprisingly well given what a hellish time we've been through, but more personal experience and psychological surveys suggest pandemic stress is also taking a toll on our bodies and minds.

What's the best way to cope if accumulated worries and concerns won't stop replaying in your head? A team of psychologists recently reviewed no less than 36 randomly controlled trials -- the "gold standard" of scientific research -- to figure out which stress reduction strategies actually work best.

The good news is that it is possible to take relatively simple actions that will stop negative thoughts and anxieties from circling your brain, raising your stress levels, and ultimately affecting both your mental and physical health.

"We found that these various psychological interventions reduced participants' worry and rumination (by a medium-sized amount in statistical terms), with corresponding small, but positive, improvements in their health behaviors. This suggests that it's possible to learn to worry (or ruminate) less, and that these changes will in turn trigger healthier lifestyles, which if maintained over time, will help to protect your long-term health," two University of Leeds researchers behind the work reported recently in Psyche.

What are these magic interventions? The researchers list eight.

1. Create a worry budget.

You'll never stop yourself from worrying entirely, but you successfully corral your worries into specific times. "Each day, give yourself a limited number of worry windows during which you allow yourself to think about what is bothering you, or even schedule a specific time of day for challenging your worries," the researchers suggest. This not only keeps your day from being overtaken by worries but also limits the physical toll stress takes on your body by limiting its duration. They recommend you choose a time later in the day but not immediately before bed.

2. Write down your worries

A host of research has shown expressive writing (aka just writing down your thoughts for yourself and no one else) is an excellent way to clear your mind of nagging worries and improve your mental health.

3. Make a list.

Life can feel uncontrollable and your challenges vast. Actually listing them out has a tendency to cut them down to a more manageable size. "Seeing them spelled out will help you to understand which tasks are most important, which are achievable, as well as to identify those that are out of your control. Inevitably, highlighting where to focus your energy and how to best manage the daily hassles in your life means you are less likely to worry about them," explain the scientists.

4. Try some mindfulness

What you can't change, you're just going to have to accept. Mindfulness can help. "Open up to unpleasant feelings, and learn not to overreact to them, and try not to avoid triggering situations. If you feel too overwhelmed, then consider turning your focus on the present moment," the authors recommend.

5. Adopt a personal mantra.

Super achievers like Melinda Gates are big believers in mantras. This science suggests they're on to something. "Consider developing a 'mantra,' or a saying, that you repeat to yourself when you begin to notice yourself worrying. Something like 'Not now, James' or 'Save it for later, Laura' might work well. Or you could use something deeper and more meaningful, such as 'Nothing lasts forever' or 'It will get done.' Whatever your approach, it's important to make your mantra personal," suggests the researchers.

6. Distract yourself.

You probably use this strategy already, but it's nice to know that science endorses it. Sometimes when you're stressing out, the best approach is simply to distract yourself with music, a good book, or whatever else is likely to give your brain a much needed rest.

7. Focus on your body.

Worries have a tendency to loop back on themselves, creating repetitive negative thoughts that lead to more stress but no solutions. When you notice you're getting stuck in this cycle, the first order of business is breaking out of it. "Spend at least a few minutes paying particular attention to your breathing or giving your toes a wiggle. Pause and reflect - how do they feel? This type of refocusing via your senses can also help," insist the experts.

8. Get active.

This particular study didn't delve into the effects of exercise on stress, but the authors feel compelled to note that a separate mountain of exercise suggests working up a sweat is one of the most effective mood boosters out there. One Harvard researcher even claimed exercis e is like "taking a little bit of Prozac and a little bit of Ritalin."

There's a lot to stress about these days. Thankfully, there are also a lot of research-backed interventions for fighting back. Choose the one that seems best suits you and give it a try the next time you feel worry taking over your mind.

Forget the ' hot vax summer' we were all looking forward to back in June. All of a sudden there is a lot to worry about again, from virus variants to uneven economic indicators (and we won't even get into the fact that huge swaths of the planet are literally on fire).

People may be holding up surprisingly well given what a hellish time we've been through, but more personal experience and psychological surveys suggest pandemic stress is also taking a toll on our bodies and minds.

What's the best way to cope if accumulated worries and concerns won't stop replaying in your head? A team of psychologists recently reviewed no less than 36 randomly controlled trials -- the "gold standard" of scientific research -- to figure out which stress reduction strategies actually work best.

The good news is that it is possible to take relatively simple actions that will stop negative thoughts and anxieties from circling your brain, raising your stress levels, and ultimately affecting both your mental and physical health.

"We found that these various psychological interventions reduced participants' worry and rumination (by a medium-sized amount in statistical terms), with corresponding small, but positive, improvements in their health behaviors. This suggests that it's possible to learn to worry (or ruminate) less, and that these changes will in turn trigger healthier lifestyles, which if maintained over time, will help to protect your long-term health," two University of Leeds researchers behind the work reported recently in Psyche.

What are these magic interventions? The researchers list eight.

1. Create a worry budget.

You'll never stop yourself from worrying entirely, but you successfully corral your worries into specific times. "Each day, give yourself a limited number of worry windows during which you allow yourself to think about what is bothering you, or even schedule a specific time of day for challenging your worries," the researchers suggest. This not only keeps your day from being overtaken by worries but also limits the physical toll stress takes on your body by limiting its duration. They recommend you choose a time later in the day but not immediately before bed.

2. Write down your worries

A host of research has shown expressive writing (aka just writing down your thoughts for yourself and no one else) is an excellent way to clear your mind of nagging worries and improve your mental health.

3. Make a list.

Life can feel uncontrollable and your challenges vast. Actually listing them out has a tendency to cut them down to a more manageable size. "Seeing them spelled out will help you to understand which tasks are most important, which are achievable, as well as to identify those that are out of your control. Inevitably, highlighting where to focus your energy and how to best manage the daily hassles in your life means you are less likely to worry about them," explain the scientists.

4. Try some mindfulness

What you can't change, you're just going to have to accept. Mindfulness can help. "Open up to unpleasant feelings, and learn not to overreact to them, and try not to avoid triggering situations. If you feel too overwhelmed, then consider turning your focus on the present moment," the authors recommend.

5. Adopt a personal mantra.

Super achievers like Melinda Gates are big believers in mantras. This science suggests they're on to something. "Consider developing a 'mantra,' or a saying, that you repeat to yourself when you begin to notice yourself worrying. Something like 'Not now, James' or 'Save it for later, Laura' might work well. Or you could use something deeper and more meaningful, such as 'Nothing lasts forever' or 'It will get done.' Whatever your approach, it's important to make your mantra personal," suggests the researchers.

6. Distract yourself.

You probably use this strategy already, but it's nice to know that science endorses it. Sometimes when you're stressing out, the best approach is simply to distract yourself with music, a good book, or whatever else is likely to give your brain a much needed rest.

7. Focus on your body.

Worries have a tendency to loop back on themselves, creating repetitive negative thoughts that lead to more stress but no solutions. When you notice you're getting stuck in this cycle, the first order of business is breaking out of it. "Spend at least a few minutes paying particular attention to your breathing or giving your toes a wiggle. Pause and reflect - how do they feel? This type of refocusing via your senses can also help," insist the experts.

8. Get active.

This particular study didn't delve into the effects of exercise on stress, but the authors feel compelled to note that a separate mountain of exercise suggests working up a sweat is one of the most effective mood boosters out there. One Harvard researcher even claimed exercis e is like "taking a little bit of Prozac and a little bit of Ritalin."

There's a lot to stress about these days. Thankfully, there are also a lot of research-backed interventions for fighting back. Choose the one that seems best suits you and give it a try the next time you feel worry taking over your mind.

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A New Review of Dozens of Studies Found These Are the 8 Most Effective Ways to Stop Worrying and Calm Your Mind

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Forget the ' hot vax summer' we were all looking forward to back in June. All of a sudden there is a lot to worry about again, from virus variants to uneven economic indicators (and we won't even get into the fact that huge swaths of the planet are literally on fire).

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Back in the fall, Michelle Shiota noticed she wasn't feeling like herself. Her mind felt trapped. "I don't know if you've ever worn a corset, but I had this very tight, straining feeling in my mind," she says. "My mind had shrunk."

Shiota is a psychologist at Arizona State University and an expert on emotions. When the COVID-19 crisis struck, she began working from home and doing one activity, over and over again, all day long.

"I will be honest, for the past 14 months, I have spent most of my waking hours looking at a screen, either my laptop, my phone or a TV screen," she says, often from the same sofa, in the same room in her San Francisco home. All that isolation - and screen time - had taken a toll on Shiota.

During the pandemic, many people have felt their mental health decline. The problem has hit essential workers and young adults, ages 18 to 24, the worst, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported in May. The percentage of adults with signs of anxiety or depression has grown threefold, from about 10% to 30%.

Although some people are starting to test the waters of public life again, planning vacations and socializing more, others may still have lingering signs of what psychologists call languishing. They may feel an emptiness or dissatisfaction in day-to-day life. Or feel like they're stuck in weariness or stagnation.

Luckily, an emerging area of brain science has a new way to help lift yourself out of languishing - and bring more joy into your life. It worked for Shiota.

"I had to expand my consciousness," she says. And she did it by intentionally cultivating a particular emotion.
Explore ways to cultivate well-being with NPR's Joy Generator.
How emotions arise

For thousands of years, there's been a common belief in Western culture about emotions - that they are hard-wired and reflexive, psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett writes in the book How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain. "When something happens in the world ... our emotions come on fast and uncontrollable, as if somebody flipped a switch," she writes.

But when researchers look at what's going on inside the brain and inside the body during specific emotional states, the theory doesn't hold up.

Over the past decade, neuroscientists have begun to shift how they think emotions arise. Rather than being inevitable, hard-coded experiences, researchers now think emotions are malleable, and people have more influence over them than previously thought.

Say for example, you're walking in the woods, and you see a grizzly bear, says neuroscientist Anil Seth at the University of Sussex. "You recognize it's a bear," he says, "and then what happens?"

Previously researchers thought the emotion comes first. "You see a bear and then you feel afraid," Seth says. "Because you're afraid, your brain then jacks up your adrenaline levels."

Your heart rate rises. Your breath quickens. Your pupils dilate. And blood rushes to your skeletal muscles. The old theory was that "the fear sets in train all kinds of flight and fight responses so that you are well-prepared to run away and live another day," he adds. In other words, the emotion (i.e., fear) triggers the physiological responses (i.e., an adrenaline rush).

But according to the latest research, the human body probably works the other way around, Seth says. "The brain registers a grizzly bear, and that perception sets in train all the physiological responses." You get an adrenaline rush. Your heart rate goes up. You start breathing faster. Blood rushes to your muscles. And then the emotion comes.

The brain senses these physiological changes and decides which emotion to conjure up. The emotion is an interpretation of what's going on both inside the body (the adrenaline rush) and the outside of the body (the sight of the bear). "The brain has to figure out what caused the sensory signals," Seth says.

The chosen emotion not only helps the brain make sense of these signals, but it also helps the brain predict better the immediate future and how to handle the situation at hand. Which emotion would be most useful? Which emotion will help me survive?

To figure that all out, Seth says, the brain uses one more piece of information - and this part is key. The brain takes into account your past experiences, your memories.

Let's return back to that encounter with the grizzly bear. If your past experiences with bears come largely through news reports of attacks and maulings, then your brain will likely interpret your bodily sensations - raised heart rate, raised blood pressure, sweaty palms - as fear. Lots of fear! And this emotion will help drive you away from the bear. "So you can live another day," Seth says.

But what if your family hunts for a living? And your past encounters with a bear ended in a wonderful feast for you and your neighbors. Then your brain may interpret the adrenaline rush - the heavy breathing and raised heart rate - as excitement. This positive emotion will help drive you forward toward the bear, while all the physiological changes help you bring home dinner.

"Your brain uses memories from the past in order to create the present," says Barrett, who also does neuroscience research. "It's bringing knowledge from the past to make sense of the immediate future, which then becomes your present."

Neuroscientists call this "the predictive brain." Understanding how these predictions work is "very powerful knowledge," Barrett says. It means that emotions aren't hard-wired reactions to particular situations, which are out of your control (i.e., you see a bear and therefore you must feel afraid). But rather it's the opposite. "You can, in fact, modify what you feel in very direct ways," she says.

Emotional muscle memory

It's not about trying to force a happier or less fearful feeling in the moment, Barrett says. But rather, it's all about planning ahead. You can stack the deck in favor of your brain, choosing positive, uplifting emotions in two major ways, she says.

The first one is a no-brainer: You can take care of your body physically. According to this new theory, the brain constructs emotions based largely on physiological signals and other sensations from your body. So by boosting your physical health, you can decrease the chance your body will send unpleasant signals to your brain and, in turn, increase the chance, your brain will construct positive emotions instead of negative ones. "You can get more sleep. You can eat properly and exercise," she says.

The second approach to influencing your emotions may be less familiar but likely just as impactful: You can "cultivate" the emotions you want to have in the future.

"If you know that your brain uses your past in order to make sense [of] and create the present, then you can practice cultivating [positive] emotions today so that your brain can automatically use that knowledge when it's making emotions tomorrow," Barrett says.

By practicing particular emotions, you can "rewire" your brain, she says. "Your brain grows new connections that make it easier for you to automatically cultivate these emotions in the future." So when you start to feel a negative emotion, such as sadness or frustration, you can more easily swap that negative feeling for a positive one, such as awe or gratitude.

"For example, when I am video chatting with somebody in China, I can feel irritated very easily when the connection isn't very good," Barrett says. "Or I can feel awe at the fact that someone can be halfway around the world, and I can see their face and hear their voice, even if it is imperfect, and I can be grateful for that ability."

In this way, emotions are a bit like muscle memory. If you practice the finger patterns for a chord on the piano, a few minutes each day, eventually your fingers can play those chords with little thought. The chords become second nature.

The same goes for emotions. To help pull out of the pandemic blues, it's time to start "practicing" positive emotions - and it won't take as much as learning all the chords.

All you need is about five to 10 minutes, says psychologist Belinda Campos at the University of California, Irvine. "Hopefully it wouldn't take people as much effort as it does to eat healthier or to exercise," she says. "Positive emotions feel good. I think people will find them rewarding enough to return to them and keep doing them."

Scientists say this practice is helpful to prevent or work with everyday doldrums and weariness. It isn't intended as a replacement for treatments, such as counseling and medication, for serious mood disorders or anyone going through intense or prolonged bouts of depression.

The antidote to isolation

A few decades ago, scientists used to lump together all kinds of positive emotions into one concept: happiness. Since then, a group of psychologists, including Campos and Shiota, figured that there is a whole "family tree" of positive emotions, including pride, nurturant love, contentment, nostalgia, flow, gratitude and awe.

One reason these emotions often make us feel good is they shift our focus away from the self - that is "me and my problems" - and onto others, Campos says. "They help put the self in its balanced place, of not being absolutely the highest thing on the to-do list. They help us focus on the joys that relationships can bring."

She adds, "In this way, positive emotions are part of what helps you to put others before the self." And helping others often makes people feel good. "So, for example, people report levels of higher well-being when they're giving to others, and it can feel better to be on the giving end rather than the receiving end," she says. "I think that's more evidence that focusing on others can be really good for us."

The idea of cultivating positive emotions is pretty simple. Choose one of these emotions and then do a specific action regularly that helps evoke it. Psychologists have devised suggestions for how to get started, but it can be as simple as taking time to notice and appreciate the small things around you that uplift you. (Read three tips to get started at the end of this piece.)

Over time, your brain will start to use these emotions more often - and turn to negative emotions less frequently.

Take, for instance, gratitude.

For the past year and a half, Dr. Sriram Shamasunder has been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shamasunder is a physician at the University of California, San Francisco, and he spends about half his time in low-income communities around the world.

To help bring more "light" into his life, Shamasunder started to keep a gratitude journal. It was part of a project for the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley.

Each day, Shamasunder simply jotted down things around him for which he was grateful. "So not necessarily spending a whole lot of time racking my mind, but just everyday occurrences that were powerful or meaningful or just simple and beautiful," Shamasunder told The Science of Happiness podcast. He jotted down the doctors and nurses working on Sunday, "the unseen hands who created a vaccine," "the evening light, magical and orange and blue," and a tree outside that provides refuge to birds, ants and squirrels.

By intentionally cultivating gratitude, for even a short period each day, Shamasunder found it easier to evoke positive feelings throughout the day. "The act of naming the gratitudes carried into the next day and the next, where I became more aware of things in my life that I should cherish in the moment, or I need to cherish."

An awe a day keeps the malaise away

Back in the fall, when Shiota, the Arizona State psychologist, felt her mind shrinking, she knew exactly which emotion she needed to cultivate.

She got up off the couch, drove West from her San Francisco home and ended up at the edge of the ocean. "I am trying to reconnect with the vast natural world, with the universe beyond my professional and personal responsibilities, and beyond this moment in time," Shiota writes in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. "I am searching for awe."

Shiota is a world expert on awe. She says the emotion is difficult to define, "but I think that what we are dealing with is a change that happens in our mind - and in our bodies and in our feelings - when we encounter something so extraordinary that we can't explain it."

That encounter can be with something grand, such as a panoramic view of a red sun dipping into the Pacific Ocean. It can be with something minuscule, such as the black spots on a ladybug. (How did they get so perfectly round?) It can be a scent, a taste or sound. "It can be a very complex and powerful song that you've never heard before or even a scene in a TV show," Shiota says.

Whatever it is, the extraordinariness of the event makes you pause, for a bit, Shiota says, and try to figure it out. How does a rose smell like a lemon? Why does a perfectly ripened peach taste so good? "We simply slow down our body, slow down," Shiota says.

And this pause calms your body. "I've found evidence that the activation of our fight-flight sympathetic nervous system dials back a little bit."

The feeling of awe also widens your perspective, she says - which Shiota desperately needed after spending so much time looking at screens. "I had to consciously force myself to look further away. I had to let my senses - my sight, my sound, take in a broader scope of what was going on around me."

In addition to going to the beach, Shiota also simply walked around her neighborhood, looking for unexpected and inspiring things.

"There was this amazingly elaborate, chalk drawing in recognition of somebody's birthday. There was a couple, in which one person was clearly helping the other learn to roller-skate on the San Francisco hills. And they're clinging on to each other for dear life," she says with a chuckle. "Then the flowers! If you look closely at flowers, in a way that you never take the time to do, you'll see how incredibly intricate they are.

"So the opportunities for awe are there," she says. "Look for what moves you, what pushes your sense of boundaries of what is out there in the world."

It took a little time - and patience - Shiota says, but eventually these "awe walks" helped her recover from her pandemic funk. Practicing awe released her mind from that constraining "corset."

"Then my mind was able to spread out and take up the space that it needs to take to feel OK," she says. And once her mind released, her body followed. "When you take off the corset, your whole body goes, 'Oh, oh! That's much better.' "

Three ways to practice happiness

Psychologists say you can improve your well-being if you recognize moments of positive feelings, value them and seek them out more often. Below, find a few other ideas for cultivating positive emotions and turning happiness into a habit. To explore more ideas, check out NPR's Joy Generator.

1) Share some appreciation: Campos recommends this simple practice. Get together with some friends and write out on cards three things that you're grateful for in the other person. Then share the cards with each other.

"We're using this task right now in my laboratory, and it seems to be very evocative of positive emotion," she says. And though the data is preliminary, she says, "what we see so far is that people enjoy writing what they appreciate in others, and they enjoy sharing it with the other person. It seems to be affirming bonds." Sometimes it even ends in hugs.

2) Take an awe walk: Take a five-minute walk outside each day where you intentionally shift your thoughts outward. Turn off your cellphone or even better don't bring it with you. "Focus your attention on small details of the world around you," psychologist Piercarlo Valdesolo at Claremont McKenna College suggests. Look for things that are unexpected, hard to explain and delightful.

For example, take a moment and find a crack in the sidewalk, where a weed is poking out, Barrett says. And let yourself feel awe at the power of nature. "Practice that feeling over and over again," she says. "Practice feeling awe at colorful clouds, an intricate pattern on a flower or the sight of a full moon."

3) Listen to a calm concert: A recent meta-analysis from the University of Michigan found that sounds of nature, including birdsongs and water sounds, lower stress, promote calmness and improve mood. Find a bench in your neighborhood under a tree or near water. Sit down, close your eyes and consciously listen to the natural sounds around you. Listen for birdsongs, rustling wind or trickling water. Try sitting for at least five minutes whenever you get a chance. Allow and enjoy calm to wash over you.

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Stuck In A Rut? Sometimes Joy Takes A Little Practice

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Back in the fall, Michelle Shiota noticed she wasn't feeling like herself. Her mind felt trapped. "I don't know if you've ever worn a corset, but I had this very tight, straining feeling in my mind," she says. "My mind had shrunk." Shiota is a psychologist at Arizona State University and an expert on emotions.

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Creativity as a Path for Mental Health & Well-Being

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Creativity as a Path for Mental Health & Well-Being

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What does it mean to be creative? Most people tend to think of creativity in the realm of the arts, such as writing, painting, or composing original works. In reality, that's a relatively limited definition.

In his 1953 paper " Creativity and Culture ," psychology professor and creativity expert Dr. Morris Stein defined the "creative work" as "a novel work that is accepted as tenable or useful or satisfying by a group in some point in time." He further explained that a "novel" work is "a creative product that did not exist previously in precisely the same form."

Mental health benefits of creative activities

At the Therapy Group of NYC we believe creativity is a good thing, too. Scientists are continuing to uncover encouraging evidence that engaging in creative activities - from painting to potting plants to planning parties - is beneficial to your mental health and well-being.

In 2015, psychologist and art therapist Dr. Cathy Malchiodi cited multiple studies confirming that being creative can increase positive emotions, lessen depressive symptoms, reduce stress, decrease anxiety, and even improve immune system functioning. A 2016 study in The Journal of Positive Psychology supported these earlier findings, concluding that "spending time on creative goals during a day is associated with higher activated positive affect (PA) on that day."

Creativity at work

When we're young, our lives are full of creative activities. We make shapes with clay, invent lifelike scenarios with dolls and toys, bang on drums or pots and pans, and color regularly. As teens, we may participate in the school band or take a photography or creative writing class as an elective. However, as we get older, creativity is sometimes crowded out by our educational and vocational pursuits, our focus on supporting our partners and families, commuting, and daily chores and errands that we carry out with mindless repetition.

Make more business model changes to realize their strategies

Invite disruptive innovation

Consider previously unheard-of ways to drastically change the enterprise

Are comfortable with ambiguity

Score much higher on innovation

Are courageous and visionary enough to make decisions that alter the status quo

It stands to reason that injecting into the business world creative endeavors such as idea brainstorming, innovation labs, and flexible time for employees to enjoy fun activities would not only help the company thrive but also improve the mental health and well-being of team members.

How creativity works to improve mental health

The way the brain acts during creative activities is similar to the experience during meditation, mindfulness, and yoga exercises. These activities are designed to help you. Like these exercises, find peace, calm, and happiness by blocking out external stimuli creativity can produce a natural "high" or feeling of joy and contentment.

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Creativity is Your Secret Advantage for Mental Health and Well-Being

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Scientists are continuing to uncover encouraging evidence that engaging in creative activities is beneficial to your mental health and well-being.

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Mornings can be rough for many people who tend to feel sleepy pretty regularly, which in turn makes them report feeling irritable a lot of the time. And yes, it's hard to feel cheery when you're overtired and stressed - much of which, alas, is outside of people's control.

But happiness experts say there are simple habits people can practice in the morning that will that have a profound influence on how they feel throughout the day. They're easy tweaks that can help improve overall mental well-being.

Ready to take stock of your general day-to-day happiness and incorporate some new practices that can improve your mood all day long? Here are five strategies to consider:

1. Pick a wellness habit, then link it to an a.m. ritual you already have.

This first tip is pretty broad, and that's on purpose. Because the truth is there are many evidence-backed strategies people can use to try to boost happiness.

So you might take some time to cultivate awareness through meditation. (One simple strategy: Close your eyes and focus on the act of taking 10 breaths.) Or you might be intrigued by the research that shows incorporating exercise into your daily routine can help boost happiness. Maybe you'd like to spend a few seconds every morning simply focusing on whatever nature you see outside your window, whether it's the grass in your yard or the sky over the city.

There really are so many different wellness habits that can help you, according to psychiatrist Murray Zucker, chief medical officer of the health care platform Happify. The key is simply to start with one - whatever it is- then attach it to a routine that you already have. You're linking habit to ritual, he explained.

So maybe every morning you get up, go to the bathroom, then make your bed. Link a moment in that routine (say, the bed making) to the habit you want to cultivate (maybe it's reading 10 pages in a book). By tacking it on to something you already do, you're much more likely to actually stick with it. And consistency really is the key to boosting happiness over time, Zucker said.

"Start slow and build gradually," he added. He encourages people to really just start with one new habit you want to link to your existing routine, then go from there.

2. Get your phone out of your room.

"Do not have your screen in your room," said Allison Task, a career and life coach who said that she insists on this as a non-negotiable with her clients. That's because when you reach for your phone (or tablet, or computer, or click on the TV) first thing in the morning, you're really inviting the outside world to dictate your mood first thing, she said.

And there really is a lot of evidence supporting the idea that screens hamper happiness. Studies have linked frequent social media use to decreased mood over time; other research has shown that a high volume of emails is connected with overall feelings of unhappiness.

Furthermore, screens can get in the way of sleep, which is deeply connected to people's overall sense of well-being.

"Sleep is just a game changer," Task said. You might not be able to control what time your toddler shuffles into your room in the morning or what time your alarm starts to blare, but you can at least try to protect your sleeping hours by keeping screens out of your room.

3. Talk to yourself...

Zucker noted that people tend to spend a lot of time talking to themselves in their own heads, particularly in the morning when feeling frazzled or stressed about what's to come. He is a big fan of noticing self-talk and self-correcting using this simple technique: say your name.

"If you use your own name in your self-talk, you're more likely to follow cognitive advice," Zucker explained.

If, for example, you have a big presentation at work and you notice that you're spending the morning psyching yourself out, telling yourself that you're going to flop, you really can make yourself pretty nervous, Zucker said.

"But if I say: 'Murray. You've done this before. You like doing this,'" you really can take some control over your own thoughts, which can set you up for greater happiness throughout the day.

"Just using your own name can be very helpful," Zucker said.

4. ... and somebody else.

"Make a social contact with somebody you have positive regard for," Zucker said. This could really be anyone - a spouse or child, a friend, an extended family member.

What that "social contact" looks like really depends on your personality and your schedule. "For someone who is busy, it may be a phone call or a text. If you have more time, meeting someone for a cup of coffee to start your day is really a boost," Zucker said.

But research suggests that even if you don't actually meet up with someone or send them an email or text, it can be enough to simply send good thoughts their way. "You can start with a simple appreciation practice," Cortland Dahl, a research scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Center for Healthy Minds, previously told HuffPost. Just bring a friend or loved one into your mind, then consciously focusing on the things you really cherish about them.

5. Incorporate gratitude.

While it's true that there is a huge range of habits that can help boost happiness in the morning, researchers and clinicians tend to return to one again and again because it's so powerful: gratitude.

In research trials, people who journaled about the things they're thankful for during the week scored much higher on measures of happiness than people who instead noted things they'd been irritated by. And a daily gratitude practice may even contribute to improved physical health - which, in turn, contributes to overall feelings of happiness.

There are many different ways to work gratitude into your morning routines, but it can (and should!) be simple.

"Many religions do a morning prayer," said Task, who added that spending a moment doing something similar - whether you're religious or not - can be a doable morning habit to cultivate.

"Take that pause to appreciate that you're alive, whatever that means to you," she urged. Say to yourself: "I'm so glad I'm alive, and I get to play with my 2-year-old daughter," Task offered by way of example. Or that you get to go to work. Or you get to walk your dog. Or even that you get to hit the snooze button again - yes, even if experts generally say it's not a great idea.

Just find some way to express some gratitude in the morning, because it truly can be enough to put you in a better frame of mind all day.

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5 Things You Should Do First Thing In The Morning To Be Happier All Day

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Mornings can be rough for many people who tend to feel sleepy pretty regularly, which in turn makes them report feeling irritable a lot of the time. And yes, it's hard to feel cheery when you're overtired and stressed - much of which, alas, is outside of people's control.

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How to reboot your brain after a year of chronic stress

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How to reboot your brain after a year of chronic stress

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While some of us are deliberately trying to forget the entirety of the last 12 months, there's no escaping the subtle and not-so-subtle effects of experiencing a year's worth of unprecedented chronic stress. "Being in a stress state over a long period of time starts putting pressure on the nervous system, because basically stress hijacks your critical thinking and puts you into reactionary thinking-fight or flight," says Patrick K. Porter, PhD, neuroscientist, author, and creator of BrainTap. "I call it 'survivor brain,' and we want to be in the 'thriving brain.'" After a year a chronic stress, what your brain needs is a reboot of sorts.

Survivor brain is causing us all sorts of problems, like anxiety, brain fog, lethargy, apathy, and memory issues, says Dean Sherzai, MD, PhD, behavioral neurologist, neuroscientist, and author of The 30-Day Alzheimer's Solution. "On top of that there's the emotional component, which is that your brain wants relief, your brain wants completion," he says. There are two types of stress: good and bad. Good stress has direction, it has a point at which it will be relieved (think: running a marathon or taking the SATs). Bad stress has no direction, or clear path forward and out. The pandemic has brought on plenty of the bad kind of stress.

While there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel, our brains are not simply going to return to their pre-pandemic state.For starters, the pandemic is not yet over, but even if we do succeed in significantly neutralizing the risk of COVID-19, some degree of hyper-vigilance may remain. After all, we now know (at least, in the United States) that our lives can be completely upended at any moment by a microscopic threat. And besides, after a year of being consistently amped up, amped up may be our brains' new default state.

All of which is to say that we may need to do a bit of work to help our brains level-set to the extent possible. Fortunately, this is not actually all that difficult to do, according to Dr. Sherzai. "There is no magic needed," he says. And in even more encouraging news, he says we can not only return our brains to a healthy state but improve upon or optimize their functioning in the process. In other words, we can make our brains perform better than they did before the whole mess of a year that was 2020.

How to 'reboot' your brain

1. Exercise daily

The bulk of Dr. Sherzai's recommendations to reboot your brain require time to take effect, but that's not true of one. "The technique that's very blunt, and it's got a direct physiological effect on mood and attention and the brain, is exercise," he says. "It's easy tension relief-a blunt cleansing of your psychology and physiology."

You don't have to commit to an hour at the gym, either. On the contrary, Dr. Sherzai says you can start with 10 minutes if that's what suits you best-you just need to do something strenuous enough to make you short of breath. Both Dr. Sherzai and Dr. Porter recommend getting your 10 (or 60) minutes of exercise in in the morning, if possible, but any exercise is better than none. And it should be done daily.

Dr. Porter offers one caveat to this recommendation, however. "You have to rest afterwards," he says. "You can't just be stressing out [your brain] by working out." Exercise, he explains, drives up your cortisol (the stress hormone) levels, so taking some time to calm then down after is a necessary part of re-balancing your brain.

Start with this 10-minute workout to renew your spirit:

2. Rethink your diet

"Bad food," says Dr. Sherzai, creates tension in the brain. To illustrate this point, he notes that saturated fat and excessive alcohol are triggers for migraines, and says that this effect isn't just present in minor brain ailments but in all brain ailments. "There's a reason they call it a 'food coma'-it's because the brain's been overwhelmed with glucose and therefore goes into a dormant state," he says. "So if you eat well, you're going to allow the brain to settle down and refocus, reframe, rebuild, and reorganize," he says.

As for what qualifies as "bad food," Dr. Sherzai offers a pretty extensive list. Sugar, fried foods (and all foods high in saturated fats), and animal products (even seafood and eggs!). You don't necessarily have to eliminate those foods forever, however; his book recommends a 30-day "reset" if you're not game for a permanent overhaul.

It might be easier to focus on the "good foods," too, of which there are also many. Dr. Sherzai has identified what he calls "the Neuro 9," which include leafy green vegetables, whole grains, seeds, beans, berries, nuts, crucifers, tea, and herbs and spices (hold the salt!). In general, he recommends thinking intuitively about your diet while avoiding processed foods and eating homemade meals whenever possible.

Here's what a dietitian wants you to know about intuitive eating:

3. Identify, categorize, and address your stressors

As mentioned above, Dr. Sherzai says there are good and bad stressors in your life, and that learning how to enhance the good stressors and eliminate the bad stressors is critical to improving the function of your brain.

First, he says, you need to identify all of the good stressors in your life, all of the bad stressors in your life, and then all of the stressors you just can't do anything about. To differentiate between the good and the bad, Dr. Sherzai recommends using the SMART framework. Within it, good stressors are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant (to your overall goals), and Time-Bound (SMART!).

Some examples of good stressors are learning a musical instrument; taking a course that may help you get a raise at work; running a marathon or mini marathon if you are a beginner; planning a wedding; learning a new language; learning a particular dance; leading a book club; writing a book; doing the family genealogy; building that patio or just that desk you always wanted; and volunteering. Dr. Sherzai doesn't just want you to identify these in your life; he also wants you to add more of them to your plate. Then, break them down into small goals you can achieve regularly to make your brain feel its best.

Next, he says, you'll want to identify your bad stressors. You'll know they're bad because they don't fit into the SMART framework-they don't serve your purpose, which is the R (relevant) and they don't have clear timelines for achievement/success, which is the T (time-bound). "Then, start picking them off, one at a time," he says. "See how you can delegate, reduce, and/or eliminate them. They should be small enough that they're achievable-if you're not achieving [this reduction or elimination of bad stressors], either they're not under your control completely or you're not breaking them down into small enough pieces to be manageable and maneuverable."

Dr. Sherzai offers an example to help you visualize what eradicating or reducing bad stressors might look like. If you hate your commute to work, for example, that is specific and measurable, which means you can work towards changing it by trying to work one day per week from home or carpooling with someone. "At home, the stress of not knowing what to make for dinner, or more everyday stress of figuring out the next meal, can be changed to [a feeling] of accomplishment by instituting batch cooking once a week in which you plan and make most of the week's meals," he says. "In this one act you reduce bad stress, increase the good stress of thinking about several meals in an organized way, (and also significantly increase the likelihood that you will be eating healthy)."

And then there are the stressors over which you have no control, which need to be dealt with in their own way. "This is a very important aspect of stress management, because we will all have activities that we just can't get rid of or delegate, and if not addressed they can be micro sources of anxiety and stress," Dr. Sherzai says. "They can become very toxic over time."

Your first step to dealing with these is to have made a plan of attack regarding the good and bad stressors you can control. Once you've created this strategy, you can use it to reframe the things you can't control as potentially serving the greater picture. For example, if you have a long commute and you can't do anything about it, but the commute is to a job that's on the ladder to your dream job, it's serving the greater purpose you've outlined for yourself. "Where the stress is not at all connected to or serving the bigger plan, then you have to start developing a longer plan of eliminating or delegating it over time, and just accepting it for now," he says.

4. Employ breathing techniques

Both neuroscientists recommend breathing techniques to help relieve stress, which can help to reboot your brain not just in the moment you're practicing the techniques but more globally, too. "When you're breathing in, it triggers the sympathetic system, which is your fight or flight, but when you breathe out you trigger your parasympathetic, or your rest relax digest-again, you can call it the thriving and the surviving brain," says Dr. Porter. "And so when you're breathing out, you're basically training your brain to disengage from the sympathetic and turn on the parasympathetic." With regular practice, this becomes quicker and more effective over time.

Dr. Porter likes a technique called box breathing, where you breathe in to the count of four, hold that breath for a count of four, breathe out to the count of four, and then hold the exhale for a count of four, and then repeat the cycle for two, three, or four minutes. "That will shift your brain function," he says.

This experience includes a form of box breathing, yoga, and "good stress" in the form of an ice bath:

5. Keep a journal

Some coping mechanisms show up again and again in professional recommendations, and journaling is among them. "If you can write it down, that's another way to disassociate-you get it out of your head on the paper," says Dr. Porter. "It's very cathartic-people will get a release of stress doing that."

Journaling can be about anything-stream of consciousness is most typical-but Dr. Porter recommends a type specifically designed to help reduce chronic stress. Much stress, he posits, is created by uncertainty; humans are not fond of the unpredictable. To eliminate some of the negative emotions created by uncertainty, he recommends creating a future gratitude journal, wherein you journal about what you would like to have happen. "The best way to predict the future is to create it," he says. "[This type of journaling] will build into your mind the thought of something positive, and you'll start creating those kinds of experiences for yourself."

6. Connect with others

Of course, talking to someone can help-whether that's a friend or a professional. "We all need community," says Porter. Our brains are wired for it. And some people may be stuck to the point where they need an expert's help "to see them through the woods and get them back on the path."

7. Reframe the "worst year ever"

Dr. Sherzai doesn't want to detract from the fact that the past year has been awful in countless ways; however, he does point out that it was hardly the worst year in human history, and it can be helpful to reframe what we've been through with some perspective. He says he's aware that this is an uncomfortable point to make, but he (delicately) makes it because humans tend to be "cognitive misers" who choose to dramatize things in a way that centers themselves in the narrative. Such hyperbolic thinking isn't necessarily productive.

The past year is actually providing you with an opportunity to reboot your brain that may not otherwise exist, says Dr. Sherzai. "We can choose to take the situation we're in, and where we are as far as our knowledge of the brain, and psychology of the brain, to completely reframe that narrative, and start rebuilding the brain at a level that has never been achieved before," he says. "That can only be achieved under these kind of stress states, because the natural state of human beings is to settle to the status quo, to where we feel it's comfortable, and it's in accepting the discomfort and being pushed out of the norm-and understanding where we are with the technology and knowledge of the brain-that we can truly achieve optimal capacity of the brain."

In other words, a year of chronic stress rather rudely disrupted the status quo, making things uncomfortable in ways that will ultimately benefit your efforts to reboot your brain. In fact, he says, we can look at this awful pandemic period as an opportunity to learn and "survive better" in the future, as the strategies he outlines can be used to manage all types of stress moving forward. These strategies, after all, aren't just good crisis management tools; they're evergreen and, if implemented into your life permanently, will make the next crisis (global or personal) far less punishing on your brain.

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How To Reboot Your Brain After a Year of Stress | Well+Good

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While some of us are deliberately trying to forget the entirety of the last 12 months, there's no escaping the subtle and not-so-subtle effects of experiencing a year's worth of unprecedented chronic stress.

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5 ways walking may be a perfect exercise for boosting creativity, health, and mood.

Rain or shine, in sickness and in health, I walk my dog. In cities and on trails, on pavement and on dirt, we walk. Every single day.

But even if I didn't have a dog, I would be out there. Because I enjoy it. Walking clears my mind, brightens my mood, and energizes me.

A neighbour recently commented that maybe he should get a dog so he could walk more. He was joking, sort of. Obviously, having a dog encourages walking, but a dog isn't necessary.

Walking is a worthwhile pursuit, all on its own. It can enhance creativity, mood, health, and longevity.

Plus, walking is simple and easy to do. It might truly be the perfect exercise. Below are a few of the many reasons to make walking a part of your life.

Walking, unlike other forms of exercise, is about as simple as you can get. Almost anyone can walk, almost anywhere. Walking doesn't require special skills, fancy equipment, a team of other players, or an expensive gym membership.

All you need is a comfortable pair of shoes.

You can find endless routes in your hometown. You can ramble through your neighbourhood, take a lunchtime walk near work, or head to a nearby park or trail.

And, you can walk when you're travelling. It's the easiest form of exercise to take on the road, with the added benefit of being a great way to explore and sightsee.

Research from Stanford found that walking increases creative thinking both during and immediately following the activity. Moreover, creativity improves by a significant amount. Researchers found that:

"A person's creative output increased by an average of 60 percent when walking."

A number of famous writers have extolled the virtues of walking, knowing intuitively that the practice enhances creativity. In a wonderful essay titled Walking, Henry David Thoreausaid that, "You must walk like a camel, which is said to be the only beast which ruminates when walking."

Ernest Hemingway would go for a walk along the water in Paris when he was trying to think through something, saying it was easier to think when he was walking.

Charles Dickens was also an avid walker, sometimes getting up at 2 am to walk 30 miles before breakfast. Apparently he had insomnia, and his observations during nighttime wanderings through London helped generate material for his novels.

"All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Whether you are looking for a way to boost your mood or reduce stress, walking can provide real benefits.

According to an article from the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry: "Exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function."

And exercise has even been shown to reduce stress. An article from Harvard describes a neurochemical basis for the mental benefits of aerobic exercise reported that "Exercise reduces levels of the body's stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body's natural painkillers and mood elevators."

"I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least - and it is commonly more than that - sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements..." - Henry David Thoreau, in Walking

We have all heard that exercise is good for us. But, what about walking in particular? How does walking improve our health?

An article from Harvard lists some pretty impressive health benefits associated with walking, including:

Improve cardiac risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, vascular stiffness and inflammation, and mental stress

Help to protect against dementia, peripheral artery disease, obesity, diabetes, depression, colon cancer, and erectile dysfunction

Another article lists additional benefits from walking:

Counteract the effects of weight-promoting genes, reduce cravings for sugary snacks, reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, ease joint pain, and boost immune function

With all these health benefits, the findings related to longevity should come as no surprise.

In the Blue Zones, communities noted for exceptional longevity and good health, people get regular exercise as a natural part of their daily routine. For example, Sardinian shepherds walk five miles or more daily through mountainous terrain, Adventists take nature walks, and Okinawans garden for hours each day.

American Cancer Society guidelines recommend that adults get "at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week (or a combination of these), preferably spread throughout the week."

However, research shows that,

"All levels of walking, even levels below the recommended guidelines, were associated with lower mortality risk."

Bottom line? Walking may help you live longer. Even if you walk less than the recommended amount.

People in the Blue Zones walk regularly because doing so is a part of their lifestyle. Below are a few ideas to make walking a part of your life too:

Start your day with a walk in the early hours, before you get ready for the day. Take your coffee with you in a commuter mug. The fresh air and movement will help to wake you up.

If you commute by car, park further away from your destination.

If you take public transit, get off one stop further away.

Take a walking commute to work, the grocery store, and other errands, if they are within a reasonable distance.

Drive only part of the way if your destination is not fully walkable.

Get up from your work desk and take a 5-minute walk break every hour.

Take a 30-minute walk on your lunch break at work.

Hold walking meetings at work.

While you wait during your children's music and martial arts lessons, go for a walk.

Instead of meeting a friend for coffee and talking in the coffee shop, take your coffee to-go and walk together.

Instead of a movie or brunch with family and friends, go on a hike.

Finish your day with a walk after dinner.

If you have a dog, take longer dog walks or add an additional dog walk to the day. Fido will thank you with whiskery kisses and a happy tail thump.

Whether you go for long hikes or take mini-walks in the corridor at work, every little bit helps. According to this article,

"Evidence shows it doesn't matter how long an exercise session lasts; it's the total volume of activity that counts, even if it's in short bursts."

Walking offers us a delightful way to live better and longer. Improved creativity, mood, health, and longevity - those are huge benefits from such a simple practice. I think I'll put away my computer and go for a walk now.

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The Life-Changing Power of a Daily Walking Habit

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Rain or shine, in sickness and in health, I walk my dog. In cities and on trails, on pavement and on dirt, we walk. Every single day. But even if I didn't have a dog, I would be out there. Because I...

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CNN

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Taking control of stress with the foods we eat can help to counter inflammation in the body, as well as elevated levels of the hormone cortisol, which can otherwise lead to high blood sugar, increased appetite and weight gain. Here are food ideas to help you live in a state of calm in 2021.

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A Simple Switch of Personal Pronouns in Self-Talk has important benefits

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A Simple Switch of Personal Pronouns in Self-Talk has important benefits

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Want to Be More Successful and Less Stressed? Stop Using This Word Inside Your Head

Self-talk is extremely powerful, research shows.

When you're faced with a difficult decision, stressful situation, or an upsetting event, how do you talk to yourself about it? Do you think things like this? "I'm so unhappy," or "I just don't know what to do." If the answer is yes, you can help yourself a lot with a small but significant change to your mental vocabulary. When thinking to yourself about a problem you're facing, stop using the word "I." Using a different word will help you step back, see the big picture, empathize with others, and generally tap into your own emotional intelligence. It can give you the perspective to find solutions to the biggest problems facing you and your business.

This may sound silly but making this simple change has very real benefits backed up by scientific research, explains Noam Shpancer, Ph.D., a psychologist and professor at Otterbein University in Ohio. In a post for Psychology Today, Shpancer reviewed research into "distanced self-talk," that is, the practice of distancing yourself from your own negative emotional reactions by talking to yourself in the second or third person.

It works like this. When faced with a dilemma or an upsetting event, rather than thinking, "How will I ever solve this?" ask yourself, "How will you solve this?" Or, you could put the question in the third person. For example, Shpancer sometimes asks himself, "How is Noam going to solve this problem?" Another approach is to ask yourself how an outside observer would see this problem.

Switching your inner monologue from "I" to "you" or using your own name may seem trivial or even silly. But a surprisingly large number of experiments have demonstrated over and over how powerful it can be. For example, in one study, participants were asked to explore their feelings about worrisome issues in their lives, using either "I" or their own names as they reflected on the problem. Those who used their names had measurably less negative emotions, and were calmer than those who used the word "I."

Become a better public speaker.

Using distanced self-talk doesn't just help you feel better, it actually helps you perform better. In another experiment, researchers prompted some subjects to either explore their feelings in the first person, or using distanced self-talk before a "socially demanding" task such a public speaking. Objective observers found that those who prepped by talking to themselves in the second or third person performed better than those who use "I".

Beyond making you more relaxed and confident, distanced self-talk can also help you make better decisions. This is especially true if something or someone has made you angry. In one experiment, subjects were asked to think about something that had provoked them using distanced self-talk. Those who did got past their anger more quickly, and displayed less aggressive behavior. Yet another experiment showed that those who use distanced self-talk are better able to cooperate with others in stressful situations.

Do you think distanced self-talk could help you next time you face a stressful situation or a tough decision? I know I do. When talking to myself, I already most often use "you" as a default. I tend to think of it as my late mother's voice -- she and I were a lot alike -- that lodged itself in my brain when I was young and has been there ever since. But, reading Shpancer's post, I realize that there are times when I talk to myself using "I" instead of "you." Those are the times that I'm saddest, or angriest, or sinking into despair. They're the times when my problems seem insurmountable and I find myself wishing I were somewhere else, or someone else.

It never occurred to me until I read Shpancer's post to try switching from "I" to "you" in my mind. But next time I find myself overwhelmed with unhappiness or frustration, that's what I'm going to do. Switching to "you" means taking a step back, looking at the bigger picture, and using my analytical mind to find a solution to what seems like an insurmountable problem.

What about you? Will you give it a try?

When you're faced with a difficult decision, stressful situation, or an upsetting event, how do you talk to yourself about it? Do you think things like this? "I'm so unhappy," or "I just don't know what to do." If the answer is yes, you can help yourself a lot with a small but significant change to your mental vocabulary. When thinking to yourself about a problem you're facing, stop using the word "I." Using a different word will help you step back, see the big picture, empathize with others, and generally tap into your own emotional intelligence. It can give you the perspective to find solutions to the biggest problems facing you and your business.

This may sound silly but making this simple change has very real benefits backed up by scientific research, explains Noam Shpancer, Ph.D., a psychologist and professor at Otterbein University in Ohio. In a post for Psychology Today, Shpancer reviewed research into "distanced self-talk," that is, the practice of distancing yourself from your own negative emotional reactions by talking to yourself in the second or third person.

It works like this. When faced with a dilemma or an upsetting event, rather than thinking, "How will I ever solve this?" ask yourself, "How will you solve this?" Or, you could put the question in the third person. For example, Shpancer sometimes asks himself, "How is Noam going to solve this problem?" Another approach is to ask yourself how an outside observer would see this problem.

Switching your inner monologue from "I" to "you" or using your own name may seem trivial or even silly. But a surprisingly large number of experiments have demonstrated over and over how powerful it can be. For example, in one study, participants were asked to explore their feelings about worrisome issues in their lives, using either "I" or their own names as they reflected on the problem. Those who used their names had measurably less negative emotions, and were calmer than those who used the word "I."

Become a better public speaker.

Using distanced self-talk doesn't just help you feel better, it actually helps you perform better. In another experiment, researchers prompted some subjects to either explore their feelings in the first person, or using distanced self-talk before a "socially demanding" task such a public speaking. Objective observers found that those who prepped by talking to themselves in the second or third person performed better than those who use "I".

Beyond making you more relaxed and confident, distanced self-talk can also help you make better decisions. This is especially true if something or someone has made you angry. In one experiment, subjects were asked to think about something that had provoked them using distanced self-talk. Those who did got past their anger more quickly, and displayed less aggressive behavior. Yet another experiment showed that those who use distanced self-talk are better able to cooperate with others in stressful situations.

Do you think distanced self-talk could help you next time you face a stressful situation or a tough decision? I know I do. When talking to myself, I already most often use "you" as a default. I tend to think of it as my late mother's voice -- she and I were a lot alike -- that lodged itself in my brain when I was young and has been there ever since. But, reading Shpancer's post, I realize that there are times when I talk to myself using "I" instead of "you." Those are the times that I'm saddest, or angriest, or sinking into despair. They're the times when my problems seem insurmountable and I find myself wishing I were somewhere else, or someone else.

It never occurred to me until I read Shpancer's post to try switching from "I" to "you" in my mind. But next time I find myself overwhelmed with unhappiness or frustration, that's what I'm going to do. Switching to "you" means taking a step back, looking at the bigger picture, and using my analytical mind to find a solution to what seems like an insurmountable problem.

What about you? Will you give it a try?

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To Boost Your Emotional Intelligence, Stop Using This Word Inside Your Head

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Lead When you're faced with a difficult decision, stressful situation, or an upsetting event, how do you talk to yourself about it? Do you think things like this? "I'm so unhappy," or "I just don't know what to do." If the answer is yes, you can help yourself a lot with a small but significant change to your mental vocabulary.

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Well&Good

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Wouldn't it be oh-so-delightful if falling asleep were as simple as 1-2-3? Perhaps, but given the stress levels associated with living through unprecedented times like these, many might find conking out to be at least a smidge more difficult. So if you're being kept up by chronic doomscrolling, the fear of pandemic nightmares, the fear of the living nightmares, or anything else, check out the 3-6-5 method for sleep, which is a meditative breathing technique to be used throughout the whole day. It's not as simple as 1-2-3, but it's pretty damn close.

According to Stephanie Gailing, an astrologer and wellness consultant who shares information about the 3-6-5 method in her book The Complete Book of Dreams, many of us rapidly inhale and exhale, with more than 12 breaths per minute-and that's not necessarily helping our ability to drift off peacefully come bedtime. " It's been found that slower, more mindful breathing can have impacts on the nervous system, helping to tamp down the activity of sympathetic nervous system, which is often associated with being in [a state of] hyperarousal and fight-or-flight [mode] and activating parasympathetic nervous-system activity," she says. To wit, the 3-6-5 method uses mindful, slowed-down breathing to basically help the the body chill out throughout the course of the day.

To practice it, commit to doing the practice three times per day, taking six full breaths per minute, and for a total of five minutes. If this sounds similar in spirit to the tranquilizing 4-7-8 technique, that's fair; the endgame of achieving better sleep by way of reducing stress is the same. But 3-6-5 can be a better option for those who'd rather treat breathwork for sleep as ongoing interval training rather than a right-before-bed sprint. That is, instead of one long session, this method takes three rounds at different levels.

"For many people, doing practices like paced breathing is easier to do in short stints than in longer-duration practices," Gailing says. "So doing it three times a day, for five minutes may be easier for some people than doing it for a longer period of time. The 3-6-5 reflects the ideal of doing it every day [of the year], and the benefits that having it be part of your self-care routine may yield."

How to practice the 3-6-5 method of meditative breathing for better sleep

1. Find a comfortable position

"You want to be as relaxed as you can be, since not only is that the aim of this practice, but also, in the beginning, taking longer breathes may take some getting used to," Gailing says. "Find a comfy chair, or sit on your bed or meditation cushion. Some people do like to lie down, as they feel more relaxed that way."

2. Have a method for tracking your breaths

"You can use a breathing app for pacing, or just count the seconds on your own," Gailing says. "Some people find it less stressful to set a timer for five minutes rather than counting their breaths. Yet if you find that counting enhances your mindfulness, you can take that approach."

3. Breathe slowly and deeply into your diaphragm for five seconds, and then exhale slowly for five seconds

So again, if math's not your strong suit, this step ultimately leads you to doing six full breaths a minute. Do this for five full minutes, and you're golden!

4. Repeat two more times at different in your day

And there you have it! The rule of threes helps you essentially punctuate your day with the practice. You can start it after waking up, fit in a round of breaths after lunch, and end your day with one, right before your head hits the pillow. The benefits don't end at the technique being a sedative: Breathwork meditations offer a host of physical- and mental-health benefits, too. "Any practice-such as paced breathing-that helps us to rebalance the nervous system...will help us become more resilient to stress," says Gailing.

So, why not give it a shot? If easier days and restful nights are on the table, might as well carve out some time to 3-6-5 yourself to sleep.
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Use the 3-6-5 Method for Meditative Breathing To Help You Sleep Better Every Night of the Year

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Wouldn't it be oh-so-delightful if falling asleep were as simple as 1-2-3? Perhaps, but given the stress levels associated with living through unprecedented times like these, many might find conking out to be at least a smidge more difficult.

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NPR

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Accepting your feelings (The Mighty)

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It's been several months since we've been living in the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the pandemic, have come insurmountable changes in our lives. Too many lives have been lost, millions of people have lost their jobs, many of us are lonely from social distancing and struggling to navigate the virtual world, we've had a resurgence of the Black Lives Matter matter movement due to police brutality and white supremacy, we went through the tumultuous 2020 presidential election and there's still likely more to come.

It's more than safe to say a lot has happened in 2020, and the pandemic has been a contributing factor in many of these monumental events in our lives this year. Most of us are still adjusting to the changes that have happened this year thus far. This will be the first time in our lives the winter holidays will take place during a pandemic, and these holidays will be celebrated (if celebrated) in different ways than usual. And, for those of us who are still able to work or are studying in school, navigating these dynamics virtually or socially distancing poses several challenges. This has, in no shape or form, been a normal or easy year.

There's a push to stay motivated during this time. You can find countless articles on tips for how to be productive during the pandemic, how to manage your mental health and how to still socialize, albeit differently. Maybe someone in your life is telling you that bit of advice themselves. There's a push for us to operate our lives as usual, working toward the same or near-same goals as we had prior to the pandemic. People want a sense of normalcy in their lives, and with the pandemic lasting as long as it has with no certain end date, this is more than understandable. Taking control of what you can in your life is an empowering feeling that can tremendously help your sense of well-being, which is especially crucial during this time.

But the push to return to our "normal" lives and adjust to our new challenges with ease is not realistic. For people fortunate enough to still have jobs or school, a safe place to live and access to technology, things may not be as dire as they could be, but we don't have that kind of insight into each person's life. While one person may find staying at home a good way for them to get more done, others live in self-isolation and struggle to get through the day.

For people who previously had mental health issues, this time is likely harder than the previous years because we can't combat feelings of loneliness as easily as we could in the past, where we could safely hang out in person. Everyone is in a different situation right now: financially, emotionally, physically and in other areas of their lives. Expecting other people, or in more cases than not, yourself, to simply function as you did before we lived in a pandemic is unrealistic and puts unnecessary, stressful expectations on ourselves.

There's so much going on already outside of our control that the last thing we need is to self-impose stress on ourselves. The world is stressed out right now, and likely, so are you. We are not OK.

It's OK if you don't feel like getting out of bed every morning. It's OK if you don't feel like doing laundry every day. It's OK if you don't feel like cooking your own meals right now. It's OK if you don't feel like applying for the tenth job you've applied for this year when your past opportunities have been canceled during the pandemic. Or if you never heard back from one place, or received a rejection letter soon after applying and you're feeling generally discouraged about job hunting. It's OK if you don't feel like turning on your camera during a video call, or hopping on a video call with your friends because it just feels exhausting as opposed to meeting someone in person. It's OK if you feel sad. It's OK if you feel depressed. It's OK if you feel apathetic, if you feel OK, if you feel good some days and bad others days, or you simply don't know how you feel.

There's no instruction manual for how you're supposed to feel during this time. Pressuring yourself to feel a certain way will likely make you feel worse about yourself. Instead, let yourself feel what you're feeling. Embrace how you feel. There is, of course, always help out there if you're struggling with your mental health.

Our initial emotional reactions are largely outside of our control. Emotions aren't bad; they simply exist, and often in accordance in what is happening around us. That doesn't necessarily mean that something is "bad" or "good," objectively speaking, but if it feels bad to you, chances are it feels bad to a lot of people, too. And that's perfectly OK to feel.

The world is chaotic right now. It's understandable if you're feeling chaotic as well, or all over the place. In the end, accepting what we feel, without expectations on how we're supposed to feel, will make us feel more at peace with ourselves, even if the world around us isn't.

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Looking Back on 2020, However You're Feeling Is OK

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It's been several months since we've been living in the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the pandemic, have come insurmountable changes in our lives.

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Many, many wonderful tracks to help with sleep, anxiety, mindfulness, meditation,yoga, visualizations, guided imagery

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* Apps of the Year Winner - TIME magazine and Womens Health *
* More time is spent meditating on Insight Timer than all other meditation apps *
* Happiest App in the World - Tristan Harris *

The number 1 free meditation app. Guided meditations and talks led by the world's top meditation and mindfulness experts, neuroscientists, psychologists and teachers from Stanford, Harvard, the University of Oxford and more. Music tracks from world-renowned artists. Join millions learning to meditate on Insight Timer to help calm the mind, reduce anxiety, manage stress, sleep deeply and improve happiness.

With 80+ new free guided meditations added daily, more meditation is practiced on Insight Timer than anywhere else. Great for both beginners and experienced practitioners.

FREE FEATURES:
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Browse popular topics including:
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Join leading meditation teachers and musicians including:
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Practice the following meditation types:
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Version 18.0.6

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Our teachers have frequently asked for solutions to publish their most sought-after tracks on Insight Timer, instead of withholding them exclusively for sale on their personal websites. With the launch of premium tracks, our Plus subscribers can now access thousands of new studio-quality premium guided meditations and music tracks from their favorite teachers without having to leave the app.

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Our Challenges, led by top experts in mindfulness, psychology, and spirituality have become one of our most popular features with hundreds of thousands of participants over the last 18 months. In August our Plus Subscribers will be able to select any Challenge from the newly created Challenges Archive, and do them again in their own time.

If you haven't subscribed to MemberPlus yet, please take our 7-day free trial. Otherwise, please continue to enjoy all the great features and 200,000 tracks that we offer for free.

Editors' Choice

As its name suggests, Insight Timer started as a simple timer app for meditating. But it's evolved into a comprehensive (and award-winning) way to help people reduce anxiety, improve their sleep, and maybe even gain a little insight along the way. It features thousands of guided meditations across a range of styles: Buddhist mindfulness (which channels your inner monk), Kundalini yoga (which focuses on your posture), walking meditation (which is meditation on the move), and many others. Lessons range from just a few minutes to long and luxurious.

Reliable and helpful for all ages

Our family has loved Insight Timer for years now. Nearly every update has been an improvement on an already great app. We use it when putting our little ones to bed at night (and we're too exhausted to tell them a story or sing to them ourselves). My 8-yo particularly loves Cori Cochiolo, especially her Heidi, Cherry, and Vaya series. Our kids often turn it on when they go to sleepovers, especially if they're having trouble falling asleep. Their friends usually start using it, too.

Personally, I've used it for myriad things.... It's a fantastic support / encouragement for staying consistent with my meditation practice. It helps me fall asleep, whether that be music, stories, or guided meditations. It helps me go back to sleep. Sometimes I've participated in their courses and challenges (I'd like to do more of them). I've reconnected with some of my favorite Kripalu teachers from years past, who are active on this site. I've even found super helpful sessions that help me wake up in the mornings with a positive mindset (even before coffee!!).

I could not recommend this app more highly. The options are endless, and you can financially support the content creators as/when you're able...so you can use it regardless of your financial state. I view it as having a personal meditation "trainer" come to my home a few times a day, for support and guidance. For me, that's priceless.

What a resource!!

I initially downloaded this app for the timer - a nice variety of authentic sounding bowls, blocks, and chimes. Fast forward four years and I'm continually blown away by the incredible amount and quality of the guided meditation content now available here! All for free!! With new recordings arriving each day, there's everything from basic breath work and mindfulness practices, to creative visualization and hypnotherapy, Yoga Nidra, meditations on specific topics (I've noticed everything from improving your ball game to having a healthy pregnancy!), children's meditations, meditations in a variety of foreign languages, music, and spiritual talks. While most of the offerings seem to be pretty secular, there are some which might appeal more specifically to people with backgrounds in Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and probably other religions as well. There's everything from world renown spiritual leaders to up and coming teachers from around the world. I've found some real gems here and have bookmarked many more than I'll probably ever get to as I keep coming back to some favorites. I haven't gotten into the social aspect of this app, but that is also there for people who want that. I do enjoy seeing the charts of my practice over time and feel more centered and able to cope with life as I enjoy realizing the personal goals I've set. Thank you!!

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‎* Apps of the Year Winner - TIME magazine and Womens Health * * More time is spent meditating on Insight Timer than all other meditation apps * * Happiest App in the World - Tristan Harris * The number 1 free meditation app. Guided meditations and talks led by the world's top meditation and mindful...

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Dartmouth College

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This audio content is for general informational purposes only. It should not be relied on to suggest a course of treatment and should not be used in place of a visit, call, consultation, or the advice of a physician or other qualified care provider or therapist.

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16 Red Flags to get help for mental health

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16 Red Flags to get help for mental health

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The Mighty

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Many people with depression often don't "look" depressed or even seem that way. We compiled some "red flags" that may indicate you are struggling with depression as expressed by users on Reddit who have been depressed themselves or are still struggling with their mental health.

Here's what they had to say:

2. You may act uncharacteristically.

"Thing is, depression and unhappiness have some weird effects. For example, insomnia is one of the symptoms of depression [for me]. But excessive sleep is also one of the symptoms of depression. Weird, right?

It could be anything. Differs from person to person. Some will pretend to be happy and smile with you, but go quiet and reserved when they think you're not looking. Some will not try to hide it as much and will look reserved, rarely smile even with people around.

Some might work less. Laziness and lack of interest often come with depression. But others will drown themselves in work, trying to escape the unwanted reality.

Some will stop enjoying things they like. Like, lose interest in video games, for example. Others will, again, escape from depression by putting themselves in easy and fun situations, reading books, watching movies or playing video games.

3. You don't "seem" to care a lot, but you actually do.

4. You may fall behind on chores.

"My anxiety makes me stress out about the fact that my house needs tidying and cleaning but the thought of actually doing that is so overwhelming I just can't face doing it, so it becomes a vicious circle."

"Isolation is the biggest [red flag] in my opinion, when all of a sudden your friend just stops making contact, it might not be because they don't like you, it's because they don't want to annoy you with their unhappiness.

7. You may be anxious around groups.

" My not-so-subtle sign that I'm not-so-secretly unhappy [is] when hanging out with a group of friends, things will be OK for a couple of hours, then I'll start getting depressed and looking around at all the little groups I'm not a part of and feeling like a complete waste of space and I'll sneak out the back door and leave without saying anything to anyone."

8. Your eating patterns change a lot.

9. Your work or school is affected.

10. You are hard on yourself.

"[I make] self-deprecating comments as jokes."

11. You may become forgetful.

12. You smile through the pain.

" It is appearing happy to others and smiling through the pain, keeping the inner chaos hidden. [I] avoid disclosing [my] depression and inner suffering from all."

13. You may say you are "tired" a lot.

14. You accept less than you deserve.

15. You may not reach out to friends anymore.

" I'm 'secretly' unhappy because I have nobody to be a part of my life... Some of us don't have the mental ability to reach out even when we need it most." -
16 . You may not want to talk about yourself often.
If you just spent 10 minutes scouring this list to see if anyone else feels what you feel, we want you to know they do and you aren't alone.
We want to hear your story. Become a Mighty contributor Thinkstock photo via berdsigns. here.

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16 'Red Flags' That Might Mean It's Time to Get Help for Your Mental Health

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Many people with depression often don't "look" depressed or even seem that way. We compiled some "red flags" that may indicate you are struggling with depression as expressed by users on Reddit who have been depressed themselves or are still struggling with their mental health. Here's what they had to say: 2.

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Robert Hamm, PhD

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In 2003, the British author, Analis Rufus, published a book entitled, Party of One: The Loner's Manifesto, which was a tribute to introversion and those who prefer solitude in a world dominated by extraverts. Henry David Thoreau, the famous 19th century naturalist once observed, "I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude." To be alone, then, is a privilege sought after by some yet, evidently, a cause of suffering for many. According to a recent survey conducted by Cigna Healthcare in January 2020 as many as 61% of adults report they are lonely, and this was before the coronavirus pandemic. A 12-month study in 2012 on the prevalence of loneliness that prompted the appointment of a " Minister of Loneliness " in the United Kingdom found that people above the age of 65 and below the age of 25 are most susceptible to loneliness. Over a third of elderly people reported feeling "overwhelmed" with loneliness. In Japan, "elder loneliness" is a recognized phenomenon. A survey here in the United States in May 2020 found that nearly 1 in 3 millenials suffers from loneliness and one of the reasons for this, paradoxically, is the advent of social media inasmuch as it can become a substitute for real in-person interaction, cyberbullying, and an impression from images posted on social media that suggest the popularity of those who are contributing to these social media sites.

One of the sources of confusion when discussing loneliness is that, strictly speaking, loneliness is a state of mind not to be confused with being alone. Susan Pinker, a psychologist and author of The Village Effect, explains that loneliness is an emotion associated with the belief that the state of being alone is not of one's choosing. Examples might include imprisonment and house arrest, ostracism and social exclusion, agoraphobia which is an irrational fear of leaving one's home, social withdrawal associated with depression, low self-esteem, or an anxiety disorder, a medical quarantine such as in response to a pandemic, or a catastrophic event such as Tom Hanks's character in Cast Away, the survivor of a plane crash who was stranded on a distant island. Thoreau was not lonely in his blissful sanctuary of solitude called Walden Pond, therefore, because it was his choice to dwell there.

Perhaps one of the loneliest places to be is in a heavily populated city where you know no one. So, loneliness may also be engendered by a subjective state of social disconnection. This notion is supported by neuro-imaging studies which show that activity in the medial prefrontal cortex of lonely people differs from others with respect to the magnitude of disparity in the relative loci of excitation in these areas of the brain when conjuring images of oneself in relation to that of other people.

Loneliness not only contributes to mental distress and depression, it is also hazardous to one's health. Studies have suggested that effects of social isolation on one's health are worse than smoking the equivalent of 15 cigarettes a day as well as the debilitating effects of obesity, air pollution, and physical inactivity. It has been estimated that loneliness increases one's chances of an "earlier death" by as much as 26%.

HOW DO WE ASSUAGE FEELINGS OF LONELINESS?
In order to learn how to feel less lonely, we should attend to the two fundamental aspects of lives, our relations with others and our relations with ourselves:

Our relationships with ourselves: Since loneliness is a subjective state, in order to address this problem one should learn how to cultivate a state of joy and learn therefore how to become a better companion to oneself. This may be accomplished in the following ways, for example:

1. Develop a sense of purpose in life. Become goal-directed.

2. Take on tasks and challenges that give you a sense of mastery and accomplishment.

3. Practice meditation and calming exercises to discipline one's mind from the longings and suffering of mental distress.

4. Practice positive self-affirmations and learn to monitor and modify negative expectations of oneself and of life.

5. Take good care of your body through regular exercise, physical recreation, and a healthy diet.

6. Develop a self-reflective mode by journaling and reading that promotes insight, curiosity, and a breadth of knowledge.

Our relationships with others: Although loneliness is ultimately a subjective state, it is assuaged by the quality of life we establish with others:

1. Plan social activities on a regular basis and expand your social network.

2. Cultivate friendships and intimate relationships by sharing your time, your resources, and your listening presence.

3. Cultivate a sense of communality by assuming a friendly demeanor and making "small talk" with strangers.

4. Join a club, civic, or religious organization to become a part of something greater that is purposeful in nature.

5. Doing volunteer work gives purpose, promotes self-esteem, and exposes you to other people in a similar, positive frame of mind.

6. Pets make wonderful companions and offer unconditional acceptance and positive regard.

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Loneliness not only contributes to mental distress and depression, it is also hazardous to one's health. Studies have suggested that effects of social isolation on one's health are worse than smoking the equivalent of 15 cigarettes a day as well as the de

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Stress-related insomnia is often short-lived, but if it gets in the way of your daily activities, including sleep, for several days in a row, it's important to contact your health care provider or reach out to a mental health professional.

If your sleep issues persist for more than a month, seek treatment for the sleep problem, regardless of what may have triggered it, Perlis says. "And know that an ounce of early intervention can save you a pound of cure (and a lot of unnecessary suffering)."

According to most experts, including the American College of Physicians, the first line of treatment for chronic sleep issues is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), a tailored approach that helps people identify the underlying causes of their insomnia and adopt behaviors to change it. (You can locate a provider on the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine's website, and many are offering services virtually because of the coronavirus.)

2. Changes in routines upend sleep schedules

The pandemic has ushered in a number of changes that have impacted daily routines, including sleep. People plagued with long commutes to the office are finding that a work-from-home life means they can stay up later at night and sleep in longer, come morning. Less structured days also allow more time for naps.

For some, the extra sleep flexibility is working out just fine. Individuals whose busy lives were preventing them from getting the minimum seven hours of recommended sleep are finally feeling well-rested. For others, the extra sleep time is causing problems.

Perlis likens sleep flexibility to pizza dough: If you stretch your sleep time out at night and/or nap during the day because you can - and not necessarily because you need to, you will end up with a dough that gets "thinner and thinner and thinner, until it starts breaking into pieces," he says. And similar to thin and broken pizza dough, a thin and shallow sleep cycle doesn't do a person much good - it can disrupt the body's internal clock and lead to insomnia.

The key, Perlis says, is to find a balance. "It has forever been assumed more sleep is better ... but it's a dose thing. Dose too little, bad. Dose too much, bad. Dose just right? Perfecto."

Changes in sleep routines extend beyond the ability to hit snooze or take a mid-afternoon nap. Many are finding themselves in new living situations that also present challenges when it comes to sleep, says Vivek Jain, director of the Sleep Disorders Center and associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University Hospital.

For the first time since the Great Depression, a majority of young adults (52 percent) are living with their parents due to pandemic-related circumstances, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center. Grandparents also have moved in with their children to lend a hand with childcare while schools and day care centers remain closed.

Pointing to possible space constraints and conflicting schedules, Jain says these major changes mean "everybody's sleeping life has been affected."

Solution: Get back on a schedule

If your sleep issues are due to a newly inconsistent or intermittent sleep schedule, go back to what was working - even if that means you accumulate fewer total hours of sleep. (And yes, this may mean you need to cut out the naps.)

"If you can anchor your wake time and wake up at the same time every day, that's a great start for a consistent sleep schedule," Medalie adds.

When you do sleep, make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark and at a comfortable temperature, the CDC recommends. It also helps to avoid large meals, caffeine and alcohol before bedtime.

3. More screen time, less exercise

An increase in screen time is further contributing to the uptick in sleep troubles, experts say. Bedrooms once reserved for downtime have been transformed into makeshift offices, and in-person meetings have been replaced by online conferences. Even time spent with friends has moved to the virtual world.

How is this affecting sleep? Medalie explains that the blue spectrum light generated from screens "tells the brain to stop producing melatonin," a hormone that regulates the body's sleep-wake cycle. And when this biological clock gets disrupted, insomnia can set in.

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Improving Your Sleep During the Coronavirus Pandemic

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Stress-related insomnia is often short-lived, but if it gets in the way of your daily activities, including sleep, for several days in a row, it's important to contact your health care provider or reach out to a mental health professional.

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For some older adults, a pandemic of loneliness

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For some older adults, a pandemic of loneliness

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Dave Steffens, MD

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Because of COVID-19's social distancing safety precautions, many people are not only living in fear of the virus daily, but many are feeling isolated and alone. UConn Today sat down with the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry in the UConn School of Medicine, Dr. David C. Steffens, to learn about the potential health risks of loneliness, especially during the holiday season, and what you can do to improve social connections not only for yourself, but also for your loved ones, especially higher-risk older adults.
Dr. Steffens, as humans, are we built to be physically or mentally quarantined for extended periods of time?
Thanks for the question, as it gets right to the heart of the issue. Humans are fundamentally social creatures. We are "built" to depend on one another, to care for and be cared for by others, and to seek out others to avoid prolonged isolation.

How would you characterize the impact of the pandemic on our psyches?
The effects of social isolation from the pandemic are negative and severe. If you think about it, we use solitary confinement in the prison system to punish people, to tame them, and to break their spirit. Reports from this pandemic, and other pandemics this century, show higher levels of distress, more despair, and more suicidal thoughts in older adults who are more isolated, especially those living alone.

What can significant loneliness during the pandemic and the holidays lead to?
In older people, loneliness can lead to clinical depression and anxiety, which in turn can affect physical health. To reach a point of loneliness, this means that one has moved from a mindset of "alone but not lonely" to a mindset of disconnection and despair in the face of one's aloneness. These thoughts and feelings are often precursors to depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.

Who is most at risk for the consequences of loneliness?
Generally, anyone who doesn't have a wide social network available to them that they can tap into. In the U.S., this includes people living alone who are older, disabled, or with current mental illnesses such as depression, social anxiety, and psychosis. Often, older adults are widowed, and depend on churches and other social groups whose services may be limited during the pandemic.

What recommendations do you have for an older adult who may feel lonely and isolated during the pandemic and holidays?
First, I would say that it's important to let people know there are steps they can take to combat feelings of loneliness and isolation. Reaching out on a regular basis to family and friends, even for a short call or "Facetime visit" can do wonders for alleviating loneliness. Many religious groups have their services livestreamed and recorded, so if an older person needs help with that, they can easily reach out to have someone walk them through the processes. Beyond these measures, older adults who don't have mobility issues can and should spend some time outside, so long as their walk is free of ice. They can wear a mask and socially distance while they chat with neighbors.

Is turning to social media to connect the answer to loneliness?
It's one answer, but for folks who aren't tech-savvy or already connected to social media, they may need some help. And this is where children, grandchildren, and friends can be particularly helpful. Social media can help older people become engaged with family, social groups and networks of like-minded people. However, sadly, older adults may become victims of internet scams, so family and friends may be needed to guide novice users in protecting themselves.
What should all family members keep in mind during these unprecedented times and holiday season when it comes to staying connected to their loved ones?
First, a little can go a long way. I advise family members to set up a regular, even daily, quick phone call to check in, ask about plans for the day, and give an updated on what's going on in the family.

Second, older adults may need some help setting up social media accounts, video chats, and connections with their social network of religious organizations and other groups they find supportive.

Last, we are more savvy about the virus than we were at the beginning of the pandemic. Socially distanced, masked, and preferably outdoor small gatherings allow for some in-person contact for those without active symptoms. Note that I am not advocating super-spreader events, but time-limited gatherings of small groups can be arranged in the right circumstances.

The bottom line is that there is a lot that family and friends of older adults can do to alleviate loneliness during the pandemic and during the holidays. In addition, there is a lot that older adults can do for themselves as well.

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For Some Older Adults, a Pandemic of Loneliness - UConn Today

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Because of COVID-19's social distancing safety precautions, many people are not only living in fear of the virus daily, but many are feeling isolated and alone. UConn Today sat down with the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry in the UConn School of Medicine, Dr. David C.

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Resources on insight meditation

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Help for healthcare providers

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Our drop in clinics are now closed. Requests for group sessions for healthcare professionals will be accommodated wherever possible by our team of volunteers. Please use the contact form if you would like to request a session.

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Chant

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Nowadays you can track just about anything using your phone, including your mental health. Whether you take an antidepressant, see a therapist regularly or manage a mental illness on your own, tracking your mental health can provide valuable insight into your mental wellbeing.

We asked our mental health community which tracking apps they use and would recommend. Here are some of their favorites.

"Stigma! It's awesome! You can journal about your moods, see a visual graph of your moods and you get to chat with penpals dealing with similar mental health issues!... The developer of Stigma is very involved with the community of users and loves to hear feedback about the app! He updates it with new features every couple of weeks. The newest feature is support groups. While I haven't gotten to try them out yet, they sound great." - Megan L.
Download Stigma for iOS (Android version coming soon).

"Pacifica. Started just using free sections but I upgraded (£25 GPB for the year) and it has been one of the biggest factors in my recovery - the CBT [cognitive behavioral therapy] thought exercises are really powerful as is all of the mood and health tracking and being able to link them and all of the relaxation tech. Money well spent." - Catherine W.

"Pacifica is a lifesaver. It's available on the iOS store. You can pay to get bonus features but I'm satisfied with the free version. I journal thoughts and it helps me identify negative thought patterns and set goals for whatever I do on a day-to-day basis." - Hailee K.

"Pacifica. It has group chat and support; tracking for mood, thoughts, etc; mindfulness and meditation guiding; panic and de-escalation guides and pretty much everything. I think you do have to pay for full access but for free you still get access to tracking for sure." - Bunny M.

"Booster buddy! Because it says motivational things and has a coping skills library, has an emergency crisis plan, helps you with emergency contacts or 911 if needed, advises you of ways every day you can manage your mental illness, gives medication reminders, and lets you check in so you can see in a visual aid how you were doing on any certain day or a month view. Also, lets you track notes and events in a calendar. Plus, you get to choose a cute little character (mine is the raccoon) and dress it up with glasses and hats and stuff." - Jennifer D.

"I use the DBT app as it walks me through using my skills and coping techniques step by step when I am too distressed to remember how to use the skills! I can also share my mood logs with my therapist directly from the app via email." - Kirstie O.
Download DBT Diary Card and Skills Coach for iOS.

"In Flow. It has so many great features - you can add photos to your journal entries, add friends on the app so you can keep up with how each other is doing (but you're also allowed to make entries private so you don't have to worry about everything being viewable), a mood tracking graph to get a more visual idea of how you've been, it ranks locations activities and people in order of which you were the most positive around and you can also set it to notify you to make an entry. The way it works is you start off with picking your energy level then emotional state - these are all represented why smiley, frowny faces and awake or tired eyes - you make the face that fits your feeling. Then you add a picture, if you want, and type in specifically how you're feeling in that moment. After that you choose things in three separate categories: Where are you? Who are you with? What are you doing? And then you post it!" - Danielle L.

"My mom and I use this app together, it's truly amazing and there are so many other great little features on there!" - Stephanie F.
Download In Flow for Android.

"I use Daylio, which is a mood tracker that I've been using for nearly a year now and love it." - Natasha W.

"I use Daylio as it provides daily and weekly summaries of how my moods have altered through out the day, week, month, etc. It is solely a mood tracker though." - Fallon G.

"I use Daylio. It tracks my moods as I record them, and is also a diary so I can track my days. And at the end of the month, it gives me a status report." - Brandi G.

"CBT Thought Record Diary, it helps me to document my automated negative responses to situations and then challenges them with what is the truth. It has helped me so much to recognize when am I catastrophizing and telling myself lies." - Truda W.

"I use T2 Mood Tracker. It's easy to use. You can add notes, and [it] has the ability to export as a PDF (to share with a professional if need be). I have mine set up to send an alert to me three times a day to remind me to fill in how I'm feeling." - Jess C.

"I really like What's Up. It's like a journaling app that can also track your mood. It's super helpful when I'm out and having trouble coping" - Ally M.

"I use SAM. It is an anxiety tracker and it tracks the intensity and the physical effects it has on your body" - Maxwell L.

"I'm a fan of Wildflower it lets you track mood and heart rate as well as having little meditation videos!" - Izzy D.

Download Wildflower for iOS and Android.

"MindShift is an app for anxiety that helps you deal with your anxiety rather than running away from it." - Jienelise H.

"You can track all of your feelings and physical symptoms and you can do updates to show your doctor. You can also talk to other people who have the same issues you have and get updates on new medications." - De C.
Download Patients Like Me for iOS.

"iMood Journal. You can search your moods by keywords. So, I can find all the times I marked 'crying' or 'grief.'" - Elizabeth M.

Bonus: The Mighty's App

Did you know The Mighty has an app? Download our app to read more stories like this and connect with people from the mental health community.
Have a mental health tracking app you love? Let us know in the comments below.

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14 Mental Health Tracking Apps People Living With Mental Illnesses Recommend

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Nowadays you can track just about anything using your phone, including your mental health. Whether you take an antidepressant, see a therapist regularly or manage a mental illness on your own, tracking your mental health can provide valuable insight into your mental wellbeing. We asked our mental health community which tracking apps they use and would recommend.

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Understanding & Coping with Reactions during Pandemic

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Understanding & Coping with Reactions during Pandemic

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Yale University

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Ways to counteract burnout amidst coronavirus

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Ways to counteract burnout amidst coronavirus

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Helpful Thinking During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak

Available en Español

During the COVID-19 outbreak, you might have concerns about safety, feeling unable to cope, helplessness, guilt and anger. While it is understandable to feel this way, focusing on such negative feelings can make coping even more difficult. You may find it useful to become more aware of unhelpful thoughts and consider focusing on more helpful thoughts.

Use this table to identify thoughts you might be having now, and helpful thoughts you can try instead. Then, it's important to practice using more helpful thoughts as often as you can.

I am too scared to do anything because I might get infected.

I am going to infect others.

Things will never be the same again.

I have no control over anything.

I have to stay home all the time.

This is a huge setback.

I can control some decisions about my future.

Doing things gives me more control.

Talking to a someone about what I'm feeling shows I have some control.

There are many things I can do, so I'll focus on those instead of what is out of my control.

There have been setbacks but focusing only on them gets in the way of my bigger priorities.

Every setback or obstacle can be an opportunity to improve things in my life.

I can use this time to strengthen my faith / values / practice.

I should be coping better.

less scared

more hopeful

less helpless

stronger

capable

open to getting support or help

My reactions mean I'm going crazy.

Something must be really wrong with me.

Other people deal with this better than I do, so what's wrong with me?

Only weak people react the way I do.

Most people react this way for a while.

My reaction shows the challenge I'm going through, not how weak I am.

I'm a bad person for letting this happen.

I should have prevented this.

I should have done something differently.

I am disappointed in myself.

Nobody could have prevented this.

I can't always protect myself or others.

There was limited information. about how to prevent this at the time it happened.

I had to make difficult decisions and didn't realize the extent of danger at the time.

I had few options at the time.

I did the best I could given that: I was exhausted; I was dealing with a lot; I was operating with limited resources; I was pressed for time, etc.

There are many things I'm grateful for, so I'll focus on those instead of what is bothering me.

This could have happened to someone else.

Sometimes bad things happen to good people.

Even though it's unfair, the way I'm expressing my anger is not going to help me get what I want and/or need.

It might be unfair, but if I continue to be angry, it is getting in the way of my bigger priorities (e.g., helping my children feel safe).

There are many things I'm grateful for, so I'll focus on those instead of what is bothering me.

I can use this time to strengthen my faith / values / practice.

It's their fault this happened.

References

Adapted from Berkowitz, S., Bryant, R., Brymer, M., Hamblen, J., Jacobs, A., Layne, C., & Watson, P. (2010). Skills for Psychological Recovery: Field Operations Guide. National Center for PTSD & the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Available on: www.nctsn.org and www.ptsd.va.gov.

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Available en Español During the COVID-19 outbreak, you might have concerns about safety, feeling unable to cope, helplessness, guilt and anger. While it is understandable to feel this way, focusing on such negative feelings can make coping even more difficult. You may find it useful to become more aware of unhelpful thoughts and consider focusing on more helpful thoughts.

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Online meditations with wonderful teachers: Pema Chödrön, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, more

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Online meditations with wonderful teachers: Pema Chödrön, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, more

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BSIP SA / Alamy Stock Photo

In response to this time of heightened anxiety and isolation due to the COVID-19 heath crisis, we are offering free virtual meditations from some of our most beloved teachers, including Jack Kornfield, Pema Chödrön, Sharon Salzberg, Mindy Newman, and Koshin Paley Ellison.

Tricycle is glad to offer these live practice sessions free to all. If you are able to help support this offering with a donation, please do so here. Thank you!

The calls will be hosted on Zoom and will feature a talk and guided practice led by each teacher. There will also be an opportunity for Q&A at the end of each call. Click below to sign up for the calls and receive a link to join in at the scheduled time.

Register for the online practices here.

Mark your calendar for these upcoming sessions:

Rev. Marvin Harada, Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America
Tuesday, April 14 at 1:00 pm EDT

Sebene Selassie
Thursday, April 16 at 7:00 pm EDT

Kurt Spellmeyer
Tuesday, April 21 at 1:00 pm EDT

Joseph Goldstein
Wednesday, April 22 at 4:00 pm EDT

Tara Brach
Thursday, April 23 at 1:00 pm EDT

Past sessions:

We'll be recording all of our practice sessions, so you can watch (or re-watch!) them here.
Download a copy of this talk. It has been edited for clarity.
Download a copy of this talk. It has been edited for clarity.

Start your day with a fresh perspective

Thank you for subscribing to Tricycle! As a nonprofit, we depend on readers like you to keep Buddhist teachings and practices widely available.

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Announcing: Live Online Practice Sessions

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Join teachers Sharon Salzberg, Mindy Newman, and Koshin Paley Ellison for a free series of live-stream meditations to help ease anxiety amid our social-distancing efforts.

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MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS TIPS FOR QUARANTINE

1. 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 as well as self-care.

2.
Dress for the social life you want, not the social life you have. Get showered and dressed in comfortable clothes, wash your face, brush your teeth. Take the time to do a bath or a facial. Put on some bright colors. It is amazing how our dress can impact our mood.

3. Get out at least once a day, for at least thirty minutes. If you are concerned of contact, try first thing in the morning, or later in the evening, and try less traveled streets and avenues. If you are high risk or living with those who are high risk, open the windows and blast the fan. It is amazing how much fresh air can do for spirits.

4. Find some time to move each day, again daily for at least thirty minutes. If you don't feel comfortable going outside, there are many YouTube videos that offer free movement classes, and if all else fails, turn on the music and have a dance party!

5. Reach out to others, you guessed it, at least once daily for thirty minutes. Try to do 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 are visually appealing as well as work on controlled 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 find their own retreat space. Space is at a premium, particularly with city living. It is important that people think through their own separate space for work and for 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 of 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 in this time.

13. Lower expectations and practice radical self-acceptance. This idea is connected with #12. We are doing too many things in 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 the 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 release of feeling. Find something that is creative (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 on 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 time stamp 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 in the midst of 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 feeing 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?

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MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS TIPS FOR QUARANTINE

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MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS TIPS FOR QUARANTINE 1. 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 as well as self-care. 2. Dress for the social life you want, not the social life you have.

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Mastering Social (but not Emotional) Distancing

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With the spread of the COVID-19 virus comes anxiety over the uncertainty associated with a rapidly evolving public health threat of indefinite duration. UConn Health clinical psychologist How is "social distancing" both a blessing and a curse at a time like this? Julian Ford A very common way to do that is through social media. We're pretty reliant on the internet already, before all this, and now we're trying to do everything "virtually." What role does the internet have in this? shares his thoughts on the situation, including some recommendations on ways to handle the stress. And with all the uncertainty, how does that contribute to the general state of mind when a population is waiting out something to this degree?
Social distancing is what we need to do for hygiene in order to protect against the spread of the virus. But it's also the exact opposite of what we need to do when we feel a sense of anxiety, because at times of anxiety, we all need to be able to connect with the people whom we care about and who we know care about us. What we're being told is that we have to keep our distance from almost everybody, and that goes against one of the strongest human inclinations, which is to be close to others, and to help others too. You can't help people nearly as well if you have to stay 6-to-9 feet apart. We're basically being told - for the best of all possible reasons - that we need to keep enough distance so we don't spread the microbes. But we need to then find ways in order to feel connected to one another so that we feel a sense of security.
How important is keeping things in perspective to get through something like this?
Social media is a double-edged sword. It can be a wonderful way to be together, to share, to be part of a supportive community, to get to know people, and to feel connected. But it also can be a dark and lonely place where rumors are spread and where people can be snarky, especially at times of high stress like we're all experiencing now. It's a place where it's much harder for people to work out conflicts, and that can lead to a feeling of separation and anxiety rather than connection and security.

When the timeframe is uncertain and it's likely to be weeks or months and not minutes or days, I think that ups the ante in terms of a sense of urgency. It's not uncommon for any of us to think, "I've got to be prepared, but I don't know for how long, and therefore I have to stay on guard to protect myself and my family and other people no matter how long it takes." That can really drive some of the hoarding, and some of the intense pressure or desperation that people feel. But what we need to do to cope with uncertainty and anxiety is not to stay constantly on guard but instead slow down enough to just relax and breathe and have momenta of peace, so we can get our bearings and re-focus on what's really important in life.
I'd like to get your reaction to a meme that's been going around on social media to the effect of this: "Your grandparents were called to war. You're being called to sit on your couch. You can do this."
Perspective is crucial, because it can seem as though this is going to go on forever and it's never going to get any better. But that's not true, fortunately. It's realistic to think that this is going to go on for longer than we can predict - and probably longer than we'd like - but we need to remember that we are very resilient, as a society, as people, as community. We've come through major, major crises before, and there actually are a lot of really good things that are happening, so many people are really being careful, working with and caring for one another.
Best you can tell, is the anxiety more over the fact that people are worried about getting sick themselves, or that they're worried that they could end up passing along the infection to someone who's more vulnerable and then have that on their conscience?
How are people in crisis able to act with kindness and courage? I think it's by doing what Lincoln called "listening to the better angels of our nature," to our core values. And the best way that I know to do that is to stay close, or get back to being close, with the people who bring out our best instincts, our partners and children and parents and closest friends. That may be difficult to do in person, but it's less about whether you're right there in the same physical space than whether you're holding them in your heart and letting them know what they mean to you - in any way that you can, as often as you can, even if it's only for a few minutes. With that perspective, it's only natural to do the right thing in a spirit of hope and kindness, and to feel a sense of hope and happiness even in the midst of great stress.

That's a great statement. It puts into perspective the fact that we're being asked to do something for the benefit of other human beings in our community and our society, not just for our own personal health. This is one of those times where we're being called upon to do something difficult, not really as difficult as going into war. That's one of the great things about that statement. What our grandparents were asked to do, whether it's World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, or military personnel anytime in the last hundred years or so, what those men and women were asked to do is put their lives on the line. We're being asked to be very cautious and conscious so that we don't put anybody's life on the line. Our lives are mostly protected. We're not being asked to go into a combat zone. But we have the same kind of responsibility, and I think that statement really puts it into perspective very nicely.
When you and I speak, we're usually talking about PTSD. The "P" in PTSD stands for "post." We're not post yet, we're somewhere in the middle of it. How does that affect your analysis of what we're going through, without the benefit of being able to look back and see how it's all unfolded yet?
I think it's both. The basic anxiety is for one's own well-being and life. Fortunately, most of us will be fine, most of us will live and go on and have very healthy and happy lives. The secondary anxiety however is because we care about people who are vulnerable. Older adults and people who have other medical conditions, who may have had struggles in their lives for a variety of reasons including their health, those are the individuals who are at most risk. And I think in the back of our minds we're all thinking, "I don't want to be somebody who inadvertently has harmed another person who's vulnerable." So it raises our sense of concern about being protective for those who are vulnerable, but there's not much we can do other than just not spread the illness.
How do we cope, then, with that uncertainty and the anxiety that comes with it?
It's a major motivator. I thought it was great when the governor of Washington State, when asked what the penalty was if you violate the ban on large gatherings, said, "You might be killing your granddad." Those are pretty intense words, but I think it captures the spirit that none of us wants to in any way inadvertently do something that harms somebody who's vulnerable. And that is a very powerful motivator for good.

That's the really difficult thing about being in the middle of the trauma. You can't look back, because it's all around you and it's hard to look forward because you don't know when and how it's going to end. For most people this pandemic is very stressful but actually not directly traumatic because it is not directly life-threatening to them. But it is serious enough, because of the fact that the virus can take people's lives, that it's heightening our awareness so that we're all much more vigilant about hygiene and safety, caring for others as well as for ourselves, being thoughtful about how we share rather than just doing what we need for ourselves. All of that is not trauma, that's handling a very serious stressor that could be traumatic, and it's ongoing. The fact that we're in the middle of it means that we can't just step back and say, "OK, that was then, this is now, all done, I'm now going to think about it and close that chapter." The book is still being written.

In order to manage anxiety, it's really important to be able to stop, breathe, just pay attention to your body, let your body rest a little bit and not be so tense because you're geared up for whatever, and just for a brief moment or a few moments, just allow our bodies and our minds and our spirits to be calm. That can be done on one's own, but the best way is to find simple moments of peace and calm when you're close, in spirit even if not physically, to someone whom you care about and trust - whether that's one person or several, and whether it's someone with four legs (or wings instead of legs) or two legs - they're all our significant others.

There are so many other things that are important for hygiene, for caring for one another in our relationships, and being part of the community. But as a psychologist, what I can recommend is taking moments, anytime - in the midst of the day, but especially at the beginning and the end of the day - and just stopping everything and focusing on your body, breathing, being quiet and calm, and focusing on the sense of security and hope you feel with the people to whom you're closest. And then hold on to that feeling of closeness and security, while you go on with the practical tasks involved in dealing with stress and just living every day.

That's why it's a wonderful thing to read children a bedtime story, because that's the same thing. Even if parents don't realize it, what they're doing is they're slowing down. They think that they're just slowing their kids down so that they'll go to sleep, but they're slowing themselves down too. And also they're remembering, we can share something together that helps us feel calm and close and connected. That's what we all need, several times a day, certainly if possible at bedtime and to start every day with a sense of confidence - even when there's also stress and anxiety to deal with.

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Coping With COVID? Mastering Social (But Not Emotional) Distancing - UConn Today

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With the spread of the COVID-19 virus comes anxiety over the uncertainty associated with a rapidly evolving public health threat of indefinite duration. UConn Health clinical psychologist How is "social distancing" both a blessing and a curse at a time like this? Julian Ford A very common way to do that is through social media.

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Let your brilliance shine with three days of guided mindfulness practices to revitalize body and mind and help you shift into springtime.

Spring is an ideal time to nourish your mindfulness practice. With the change in seasons, boost of fresh air, and longer hours of daylight as inspiration, you can consciously invite in greater simplicity, love, and compassion, and clear those habits that no longer serve you. With that in mind, we designed this three-day practice routine to help you fit moments of mindfulness into your daily life-giving you a boost of calm, focused, natural energy and awakening your inner spark as you launch into spring.

Day 1: Connect with Your Natural Awareness with Barry Boyce

Like any good spring cleaning, let's get right down to the basics of mindfulness and meditation. One of the most foundational aspects of mindfulness is the ability to calm and focus the mind using your breath. By bringing your attention back to the breath each time you feel your mind wander during meditation, you can strengthen your brain's natural ability to focus over time. Cultivate greater attention with these short meditation practices.

In mindfulness practice, you might often hear the term "natural awareness." By natural awareness, we mean the awareness that simply comes with being a human being. It's free from judging and characterizing-it's just noticing and sensing the world.

1. Settle into your seat. Begin by taking a seat, or if necessary, standing. The important thing is to feel where your body is touching the seat and touching the ground.

2. Scan the body. Sense where your bottom is touching the seat. Sit up straight or stand straight but not stiff. Make sure your feet are completely touching the ground, connecting you to the earth. Your eyes are open, so take in the surroundings of where you are. Lower your gaze slightly.

3. Connect with the breath. Pay light attention to your breath as it goes out. Breathe in naturally.

4. Follow the out-breath. At the end of each out-breath, let there be a gap while the in-breath is happening. And in that gap you have natural awareness: It's there already, you don't have to create it. So, follow the breath out, and take a moment to rest in your natural awareness before the in-breath. As thoughts arise, treat them as you would anything else you encounter: Notice them, and use that noticing to bring you back to the out-breath and ride it out.

The moment of noticing a thought is a very powerful moment. It's really where the meditation occurs. That's because there's a spark of insight at that point, what in technical terms is called meta-awareness: You're aware of your thought process, not just caught up in it. Now at that moment, there are lots of possibilities.

You can touch that thought and gently bounce back to attention on the breath and your body. But you might also say "Oh damn, there I go thinking again, I just can't get away from this."

One of the wonderful things about meditation is the fact that it allows for such a monumental amount of failure. Failure is just fine. So, if you're sitting in meditation for 10 minutes and you don't notice your thought until the bell rings at the end, that's what that session was about. You learn from it. There will be another one. No big deal.

1. First, feel your bottom on the seat, and your feet on the floor or the ground, flat, touching the earth. Your eyes can be open or closed, head tilted slightly down. Your shoulders are relaxed, your hands are resting on your thighs, and your upper arms are parallel to your torso. Just take a moment to feel that posture.

2. Now we're going to use the breath as an anchor for our attention. We don't concern ourselves with trying to adjust the rate of the breath, we just come with whatever breath we have.

3. Notice that your mind is like a waterfall of thoughts.As we try to pay attention to the breath coming in and out, our mind is filled with thoughts. And in mindfulness practice, just notice the thought. Touch it, and go back to the breath.

4. Let your thoughts go. No matter what's been going on during the session, you don't need to evaluate it, just let it go. Open your eyes, and enjoy what's coming next.

Day 2: Connect with Your Compassion with Sharon Salzberg

To connect more deeply with others, we must face the one person that we keep on the shortest leash: ourselves. We often reject other people's care or attention when we believe we don't deserve it-but there's nothing special you must do to deserve love. It is simply because you exist. Follow this guided meditation to open your heart toward giving and receiving love.

This meditation begins by imagining yourself surrounded by a circle of the most loving beings, making generous offerings of love and goodwill to you. Sit comfortably, eyes open or closed.

1. Imagine you're encircled by people who love you. You, in the center of a circle, made up of the most loving beings you've met. Maybe they exist now or they've existed historically, or even mythically.

2. Receive the love of those who love you. Experience yourself as the recipient of the energy, attention, care, and regard of all of these beings in your circle of love. Silently repeat phrases of tender love and care for yourself, not just for today but in an enduring way. Phrases that are big and open, like May I be safe, may I be happy, may I be healthy, may I live with ease of heart.

3. Notice how you feel when you receive love. You may feel gratitude and awe, or you might feel kind of shy. Whatever emotions arise, just let them wash through you. Repeat your phrases of tender care: May I be safe. May I be happy...

4. Open yourself up to receiving love. Imagine that your skin is porous and this warm, loving energy is coming in. Imagine yourself receiving love simply because you exist.

5. Send loving care to the people in your circle. Allow that quality of loving-kindness and compassion and care you feel coming toward you to flow right back out to the circle of loved ones and then toward all beings everywhere, so that what you receive, you transform into giving. When you feel ready you can open your eyes or lift your gaze to end the session.

In the evening * Remember Your Goodness
(10 minutes)

If you find yourself ruminating on the things you regret or mistakes you've made, try letting go of those habits with this exercise. It will help you redirect your attention and remember goodness within. The point is not to deny your mistakes, but if you keep rehearsing them, analyzing them, creating stories around them, you're simply reinforcing the pain and alienation they've already caused you. When you recognize and reflect on even one good thing about yourself, you are building a bridge to a place of kindness and caring. Sit comfortably in a relaxed, easy posture and close your eyes.

1. Bring to mind one thing you have done or said recently that you feel was kind or good. Maybe you smiled at someone or listened to their story; maybe you let go of your annoyance at a slow checkout clerk; maybe you were generous; maybe you sat down to meditate. It's not conceit or arrogance to consider these things. It's nourishing and replenishing to take delight in the good that moves through us.

2. Think of one of your qualities or skills that you like or appreciate. Perhaps you are enthused about helping others learn or committed to practicing patience toward your irascible neighbor.

3. Recognize that you want to be happy. If you still find yourself caught up in self-criticism, turn your attention to the mere fact that you have an urge toward happiness. There is kindness and beauty in that. Recall that all beings everywhere want to be happy, everybody wants to be happy.

4. Don't feel ashamed of your longing for happiness. Recall that happiness is your birthright. Seeking happiness is not a problem. The problem is that we often do not know where and how to find genuine happiness and so make the mistakes that cause suffering for ourselves and others. When we support the urge toward happiness with mindfulness, it can become like a homing instinct or a compass pointing us toward freedom.

5. Allow any impatience or judgments to emerge during this meditation. Don't feel as though you have failed if you start judging yourself. This is entirely natural. Simply allow the negative reaction to ebb as a wave on the beach, and see if you can return to the positive contemplation without self-criticism.

Day 3: Connect with Your Resilience with Mark Bertin

You cannot will yourself into particular feelings toward yourself or the world around you. Rather, you can simply remind yourself that you deserve happiness and ease-no more and no less than anyone else. The same goes for your child, your family, your friends, your neighbors, and everyone else in the world. Everyone is driven by an inner desire to avoid suffering and find a measure of peace and ease.

In the Morning * Tame Your Inner Critic
(10 minutes)

The inner critic is like the two old guys on The Muppet Show endlessly deriding whatever is unfolding on your life's stage. Attempting to reason with your inner tyrant only validates it, as if it deserves your attention. It's really just an unhelpful pattern of thinking most of us pick up along the way. And while the push to be perfect can be exhausting, we can invite more ease into our lives with practice.

1. Begin by focusing on your breathing. Notice the physical sensation of breathing in, and then breathing out. Find yourself a posture of ease and strength. When your attention wanders, simply come back to breathing in and breathing out.

2. Notice your judgy mind at work. For many of us, simply attempting to focus on the breath is enough to bring a lot of self-judgment to mind. You may immediately start thinking "I'm not very good at this" or "I should do this more often." But for this brief practice, consciously reflect on somewhere else in your life where you feel judged. At school, at work, as a parent, or as a child?

3. Notice how judgment is more than a single thought. Judgment affects how you feel, bringing tension or unease to your body. It may influence your emotional state as well. Notice where your thoughts go when experiencing this kind of self-criticism. What patterns do you fall into under this kind of stress?

4. Practice leaving that voice of judgment, that inner critic, alone. Stop wrestling with it or appeasing it, or pushing it away. Label it if you want, or even give it a funny name if you prefer. Recognize what it feels like to you, and then let it be.

5. Breathe in, notice. Breathe out, let go. On each in-breath, acknowledge whatever you're experiencing right now in your body. What are your emotions? Your thoughts? There's nothing to fix or change, this is what's going on right now. Then, on each out-breath, offer yourself relief. Wish yourself what you would a close friend with the same doubts. Wish yourself relief or strength or humor or joy or anything else that feels appropriate. Breathing in, this is how things are; breathing out, focusing on ease or whatever else comes to mind.

6. Wish yourself well, not because you deserve it more than anyone else, but because you deserve it as much as anyone else.

In the evening * Ease Into Sleep
(no time limit)

Neither sleep routines nor mindfulness practice respond well to a heavy hand. If you set out to force yourself into sleep, you're less likely to sleep. If you strain for some picture-perfect mindset when meditating, you'll create more stress and uncertainty. If you set yourself up with clear-sighted planning and patient resolve- intentionally but unforced-sleep and mindfulness are both more likely to follow.

1. Begin while lying down,and bringing your attention to the physical movement related to breathing, such as your belly rising and falling. Or, if you prefer, focus your attention more closely on the air moving in and out of your nose and mouth.

2. Observe your thoughts. Your mind rehashes the day or gets caught up in worrying about tomorrow. Recognize those habits, and then practice letting them be. Label whatever grabs your attention, and come back again to noticing the sensations of the breath. Breathing in... and breathing out.

3. Notice if you get caught up in effort, or frustration, or fear-with compassion for yourself. Catch thoughts of self-criticism or frustration, and come back to just one breath, one more time. Breathing in...breathing out. There's nothing you need to fix or change right now in this moment. Notice where your thoughts go, and label them "thoughts." Come back to one next breath, over, and over again.

4. Shift attention to sensations in your body. Start by moving your awareness to physical sensations in your feet. Just notice them - the temperature or the pressure of your heel against the blanket.

5. From your feet, move your attention up into your lower legs, and then your abdomen, noticing in each area of your body whatever there is to notice. Letting go of a sense of effort or needing to make anything happen. If you feel any sense of stress or tension, relax, breathe, and let go.

6. Move your attention from the belly into the chest and the back. Note each time your mind gets caught up in thoughts of discomfort or distraction or you feel any tension. Relax your muscles, gently and with patience.

7. Shift your attention into your hands and lower arms,again without actively needing to move or change anything, simply observing, and then letting go.

8. Then move your attention through your neck and into the muscles of your face, perhaps noticing any locations of tightness or pinching, and then with gentleness, as best as you're able, relaxing those muscles. And then for a few moments, have a general awareness of physical sensations throughout your body.

9. And then (if you're still awake) bring your attention back to the breath. Each time the mind wanders, or you get stuck thinking, bring your attention to the sensation of your body breathing.

In a world driven by competition and comparison, Sharon Salzberg contends shifting our definition of love might be the key to reconnecting to what matters most. Read More

Guided mindfulness practices from Mark Bertin, MD, author of Mindful Parenting for ADHD. Read More

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Take a 3-Day Mindfulness Journey: 6 Practices for Spring - Mindful

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Let your brilliance shine with three days of guided mindfulness practices to revitalize body and mind and help you shift into springtime. Spring is an ideal time to nourish your mindfulness practice. With the change in seasons, boost of fresh air, and longer hours of daylight as inspiration, you can consciously invite in greater simplicity, love, and compassion, and clear those habits that no longer serve you.

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Mindfulness Meditation

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Mindfulness Meditation | Department of Psychiatry

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There is a growing body of research evidence that mindfulness meditation can assist patients in multiple areas. The evidence indicates that practicing simple breathing and attentional instructions as provided in these 5-, 10- and 20-minute downloadable meditations can help patients: Better manag ...

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Copper Beech

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Guided Meditations - Copper Beech Institute

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Join us for a live guided mindfulness practice every day on zoom or listen to our previous live guided recordings on our website. Take your time with our meditation and gentle movement recordings by our community of facilitators.

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Managing Fears and Anxiety around Coronavirus

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Managing Fears and Anxiety around Coronavirus

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Mobile Apps: COVID Coach

The COVID Coach app was created for everyone, including Veterans and Servicemembers, to support self-care and overall mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Features include:

Education about coping during the pandemic

Tools for self-care and to improve emotional well-being

Trackers to check your mood and measure your growth toward personal goals

Graphs to visualize progress over time

How to Use COVID Coach

COVID Coach can be used as a stand-alone education and self-care tool, or as a supplement to professional mental health care. You can mark your favorite coping tools and track your mental health over time. Set reminders to visit the app each day and work toward your goals. The app can also help you create your own personal support network.

NOTE: COVID Coach is not intended to replace needed professional care related to COVID-19 or mental health conditions, such as PTSD.

Several of the questionnaires used in COVID Coach, including the PTSD Checklist (PCL-5), are reliable and valid self-report measures used across VA, Department of Defense (DoD), and the community, but they are not intended to replace professional evaluation.

Privacy and Security

See our full Privacy Policy for Mobile Apps.

Any data created by the user of this app are only as secure as the phone/device itself. Use the security features on your device if you are concerned about the privacy of your information. Users are free to share data; as the self-monitoring data belong to each user, HIPAA concerns do not apply while the data are stored or shared. If the user were to transmit or share data with a health care provider, the provider must then comply with the HIPAA rules.

Who Created COVID Coach Mobile App?

COVID Coach was created by VA's National Center for PTSD.

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The COVID Coach app was created for everyone, including Veterans and Servicemembers, to support self-care and overall mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

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Laura Kelly Fanucci

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Feeling gloomy staying at home due to the coronavirus pandemic? This poem making its rounds on social media is bound to lift your spirits:

Well.

That escalated quickly. 😮#covidpoetry pic.twitter.com/enft4k02kn

- Laura Kelly Fanucci (@laurakfanucci) March 18, 2020

Written by Laura Kelly Fanucci, this Minnesota resident has a passion for words with a syndicated award-winning column called "Faith at Home" and an author of 6 books.

It is interesting to note that her poem doesn't mention "coronavirus," "virus" or "pandemic" even once. Yet, anyone who reads it will know what she means by "this" and "when this is over". The emphasis she places on "may we never again take for granted" the simple gestures we share as humans, cannot be easily dismissed.

Thrilled by the response to her poem, Ms Fanucci told the Caller-Times that her poem has been shared over 83,000 times on Facebook and 48,000 times on Instagram!

"So it's certainly struck a chord (although it feels strange to call something "viral" in this present crisis). I've seen it translated into several languages and have been asked for permission to reprint it in countless places", said Ms Fanucci.

With her youngest child being only 3 weeks old and spending most of her time with him throughout the day, she was inspired to write the poem in the middle of the night. According to Ms Fanucci, "everything feels darker and more frightening at night", so she started wondering what small good she could offer to people as a writer.

She hopes her poem brings "some hope and comfort in such an anxious time" to people around the world.
We salute you, Ms. Fanucci! Your poem is a priceless gift to all seeking solace during this period of social distancing. *Feature image sourced from Jennifer Liv Photography (with permission from Laura Kelly Fanucci), via Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

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A Good Kind of Viral - Uniting, Inspiring People

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Feeling gloomy staying at home due to the coronavirus pandemic? This poem making its rounds on social media is bound to lift your spirits: Well. That escalated quickly. 😮#covidpoetry pic.twitter.com/enft4k02kn - Laura Kelly Fanucci (@laurakfanucci) March 18, 2020 Written by Laura Kelly Fanucci, this Minnesota resident has a passion for words with a syndicated award-winning [...]

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Hello! Hope you are having a colourful and creative week.

There is a lot of useful information out there on the benefits of expressing and exploring your creative side, so I'm trying to wrap all of that up into something insightful, useful and actionable. Let's go!

First, I'll breeze through technology usage and why I think it can be a little stifling if used too much, then define creativity and mindfulness.

After that, I'll run through what can happen if you don't explore your creative sideand go into detail onthe benefits of being creative.

The finale is some simple suggestions on ways you can be creative.

Then, you can decide for yourself whether you'd like to express your creative side a little more often. Everyone has a creative side.

I can't find the source for this, argh!

I've said in previous blogs ( Digital detox - necessity or luxury), I think the ease of access to technology (AKA smart phones) has a lot of benefits, but also a lot of drawbacks. Many, including me, find it stifling and that it leads to discontentment. Hours can whizz by over the course of a week from checking Facebook or Twitter feeds, YouTube rabbit holes and experiences can be diluted by having to take a mega selfie to share, rather than being in the moment and enjoying it. I recently started to make a conscious effort to detach from technology -> first hour after I wake is now tech-free and I check social media rarely, especially after unfollowing a bunch of people / influencers who I hadn't actually been in touch with for years or were no longer relevant, so what is the point? So far, so good. I have actually found that time slows, so can get more done (not just work) and ultimately am beginning to feel more content. Wahey.

In my experience, much of the usage of technology also reduces creativity. It may seem fine to ingest tonnes of images, text and emotion from social media posts. But, at the end of the day, it actually means your brain isn't really creating anything meaningful (that's a big word I know, but you know what I mean). So, as a general take away, think about ways in which your non-useful use of technology can be reduced (check out the before-mentioned blog for some tips on that too).

It's important to be clear on this, so let's start with a definition. The Oxford Dictionary defines creativity as...

"The use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness."

That's lovely. When you read that, I think very few people will genuinely think " Nah, don't want any of that mate". You see, creativity can be channelled and honed in tonnes of different ways, not just on a canvas or through arts and crafts. It could be through a board game, party planning, articulating a business problem - but it is often through channelling in colourful and creative ways that we get the full benefit from it as the output is a tangible thing. I had the perception for years that being creative involves painting a masterpiece, like Van Gogh, or writing and performing a song. Both of which I felt I couldn't do, so my creativity was locked in a box, as it were. I've grown to realise, like a lot of things, creativity just needs an outlet that works for you. Sure, practicing can make you more confident and comfortable with your creative output, but just doing it is fun if you embrace it. It took Van Gogh many years before he made the paintings he is remembered for. He led a complicated life, but practice and perseverance gave him the ability to create his masterpieces. It's funny that even now,when I think of creativity, I am drawn to painters and musicians, rather than architects, interior designers, warehouse managers, mechanics, accountants (budgets!) and all the other people who require creativity regularly and may not realise they are creative. Everyone has creativity in them, but many don't explore, express or appreciate it when they do it, for a variety of reasons, so the benefits may not be felt. Read on and that perspective may change.

It's also worth noting that creativity involves two processes: thinking, then producing. If you have ideas, but don't act on them, you are imaginative, but not creative.

To paraphrase a Picasso quote (back to the painters!) "Creativity [Art] washes from the soul the dust of everyday life." Ahhhh

Ok, one more definition and then into the thick of it!

No, mindfulness, isn't just for that guy (above). That's what I used to think too, until I started meditating using the Headspace app and learned a little more about it. Btw, meditation is just one way to achieve a state of mindfulness - there are lots more.

A very crude / raw definition of mindfulness, again from the Oxford dictionary is..

"the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something."

Again, what's not to like about having more of that? To be clear - meditation, yoga, exercise, walking through a forest of trees, being creative are all ways of helping you get into a state of mindfulness.

Good for divergent AND convergent thinking

Now let's wrap together creativity and mindfulness. Experiments have shown that mindfulness boosts creativity largely by enhancing divergent thinking - a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. But, many of the qualities associated with convergent thinking are also enhanced by mindfulness. Convergent thinking is basically the opposite of divergent thinking. It generally means the ability to give the "correct" answer to standard questions that do not require significant creativity. For instance, in most tasks in school and on standardized multiple-choice tests for intelligence. Think quiz.

Other benefits of mindfulness

Such things as working memory, clarity of thought and mental fortitude, resilience and courage are all boosted by mindfulness and are important features of convergent thinking. Happiness also increases both convergent and divergent thinking.

Mindfulness enhances happiness and can help dissolve anxiety, stress, depression and feelings of exhaustion. It is through this additional route that mindfulness also boosts creativity. Voila.

Hopefully, the above has piqued your interest to find out a little more about mindfulness and being creative. Here is a link to some more reasons why mindfulness can be good for you, if you're interested. There is some overlap which we go into below.

Some people are more in touch with their creative side - and how to explore it - than others. When we become adults, some people choose to follow creative career paths. However, for the many that don't, their opportunity to be creative can massively decline as 'real life' and 'adulting' take over. That isn't really a good thing. As Professor Brené Brown puts it:

"Unused creativity is not benign. It metastasizes. It turns into grief, rage, judgment, sorrow, shame. We are creative beings. We are by nature creative."

Worth noting that it won't be lost forever, hurray, you'll just need to exercise those creative muscles to get them back motoring. This isn't a reason to put off not exploring your creative side, as there are too many current benefits that you will miss out on!

The awareness around people not exploring their creative side enough is increasing (some studies suggest over 64% of people felt they weren't living up to their creative potential). At M.Y.O we used to do a feedback form after every creative session and well over 90% of people stated they wished they were creative more often. There does appear to be a yearning to be more creative. I firmly believe it will very soon be the new normal. Turning from a lower priority 'want' into an actual 'need' is a big mindset shift which is only going to grow. " Plans this weekend?" "Yeah, going to brunch, then going to chill out and make a present for my Mam's birthday." This change is certainly reflected in the many creative outlets that are popping up all over the place in London now (see my previous blog on that here.) Ok, so, it's fairly clear that if you're not creative you may be missing out on something and don't avail of its benefits. But, tonnes of people who say they aren't or don't appreciate their own creativity, are clearly perfectly fine. That's cool, but let's dig into the...

I've tried to lay a bit of a foundation for this bit to have full impact! This list is not exhaustive, btw.

1. Feeling of pride

"I did that, yeah, me". I really enjoy this about being creative. It's really nice spending an hour or more creating something, and then et voila. It's done, it's there, something that reflects your inner creativity and personality. An expression of you. For showing off in your house or storing in your secret treasure chest!

2. Being able to create something special for people

Every once in a while it's great to create something unique and special for someone, not just buy it off the shelf. Means a lot to both people. The recipient for knowing that someone has spent the time on it, for them. The creator for knowing that they've thought about what the person might like and that this will show how much the person means to them.

So the more sciency benefits...

3. Reduced stress, anxiety and mood disturbance

In The Connection Between Art, Healing, And Public Health - a Review of Current Literature (2010) it is concluded that

"the studies included in our review appear to indicate that creative engagement can decrease anxiety, stress, and mood disturbances."

Now, there are some limitations noted in the study and it is from quite a while ago, but more recent research indicates the same thing. Hurray!

In the study Everyday Creative Activity as a Path to Flourishing, it concluded that engaging in a creative activity just once a day lead to a more positive state of mind. A creative activity can be simple, don't worry. You may be doing it regularly already - go you! It could be doodling in a journal, crafting, playing a guitar, redesigning your kitchen. These are things everyone can do. The sentiment is that if you do a creative activity regularly, you will more than likely benefit from a more positive state of mind - which could have positive outcomes on other aspects of your life.

These results surprised the researcher Conner, who didn't think the findings would be so definitive. Conner said

"Research often yields complex, murky, or weak findings"."But, these patterns were strong and straightforward: Doing creative things today predicts improvements in well-being tomorrow. Full stop. "

*Drops mike and leaves*

Even more interestingly, they stated that " We were actually pleased that personality made no difference in the link between creativity and well-being " she said.

"This suggests that everyone and anyone can benefit from introducing creativity into their daily lives."

Like most studies, there are limitations. This did rely on participants' own reports of their experiences. They don't really know how creative people actually were, at least not by any outward measure. Nevertheless, it is quite clear that even if you think you've been creative (which usually comes from something with an output like a song, piece of work etc), you can experience positive emotion and flourish. So, now, embrace whatever ways you are creative in your job or leisure time! The Huffington Post wrote about this study also, here.

Ok, some more science. The title of this study is worth the admission price alone...

Can Creativity Beat Death? A Review and Evidence on the Existential Anxiety Buffering Functions of Creative Achievement. One day, I hope to write something with a title that powerful! The key quote in this one for me is

"current findings support the notion that creative achievement may be an avenue for symbolic immortality, particularly among individuals who value creativity."

Breaking that down further, it suggests that those individuals who pursue creative endeavours and produce what they perceive to be significant creative contributions (which in my opinion will happen the more you do it) may experience more internal security in the face of death than those who do not. Part of this may be a kind of legacy effect, that energises people to focus on the present and get things done, so that they leave a legacy / life that is remembered - but also provides contentment during the journey. Parallels have been drawn to studies of the contributions of well-known creative people; for example, according to the researchers artists such as Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan and the late Leonard Cohen are believed to be motivated by a goal of leaving an enduring legacy through their output (music). But for those of us who are not in the same league as Dylan or Cohen, the results of this study may suggest another more universally promising upshot of creative engagement. Sociologist Brene Brown captures this universality, noting

"The only unique contribution that we will ever make in this world will be born of our creativity."

Or, as I like to believe, to use our creativity and imagination, even in simple ways, is an affirmation of life. Thanks to Cathy Malchiodi for some of the thoughts on this.

[Updated articles / findings]

The BBC also wrote about a study recently, with the welcome title of Even a small amount of creativity can help you cope with modern life, reveals new research by BBC Arts and UCL, see here.

According to research commissioned by BBC Arts, even the briefest time spent on a creative pastime such as painting, pottery or playing the piano has an impact on our wellbeing and emotions.

The research shows there are three main ways we use creativity as coping mechanisms to control our emotions:

A distraction tool - using creativity to avoid stress.

A contemplation tool - using creativity to give us the mind space to reassess problems in our lives and make plans.

A means of self-development to face challenges by building up self-esteem and confidence.
Trying new creative activities is particularly good for our emotions and wellbeing. The research found that getting hands-on with something new and creative is important regardless of skill level - it is the taking part that counts.

The above really felt like a validation of what we're trying to do at M.Y.O - provide a creative outlet to the world, so everyone can avail of it's benefits, have fun, make things and relax.

4. Become a better problem solver

I got 99 problems...! Short and sweet here. You can become a little more resourceful and creative with figuring things out, much like you need to be when creating something.

5. Expanded sense of time

This can happen in other ways like reading, exercising too, but I often experience feeling closer to time after being creative. Time slows a little as your thoughts slow and I feel I can get way more done as it's easier to stay focused on the task in hand and feel a little more present or find it easier to soak up the experience around me. This can be referred to as being in the flow. It's lovely. Ever feel like your weeks just absolutely fly by and you don't know how and what you've done?

6. Self awareness and Expression

Dabbling and being creative produces an output, which is basically an expression of you - even if you don't think it is! Over time and with a little practice, you can feel a lot more able to express yourself as you become more comfortable in yourself and different techniques.

7. Freedom

Freedom of expression is a well known saying and rings true too. You gain a certain freedom by tackling a new creative outlet, figuring out how to do it and expressing your inner creativity within it. There is no right or wrong. It feels good.

8. Stress relief

I see this every day. People can come to the studio feeling a little anxious or stressed - due to family, work or whatever. Being absorbed in a creative activity can wash these feelings away for a period. Referring back to the Picasso quote above - "Creativity [Art] washes from the soul the dust of everyday life", this can feel lovely. It may only last a short while, but you can feel great and a little lighter because of it. It's my favourite thing to hear these days 'Sam, I feel so relaxed, could stay here for hours, can I live here?'.

9. Save money

When I saw this mentioned a few times, I was a bit skeptical. People can spend loads of money on their creative outlets - new guitar, craft supplies etc. But when you bundle it up and consider it with the other benefits, it makes sense. A. being able to make your own things can save money in its own right, but B. feeling happier and content can also reduce the urge to splurge on things that might make you feel better - something which marketers prey on. "Buy this and you'll feel like a million dollars!" Maybe for a little while, but not in the long run. Being less stressed, more present, more self aware, it makes sense that you will be less likely to impulse buy or binge to make yourself feel better.

Ok, so that's some of the good stuff. Now, how can I BE more creative and avail of these benefits, I hear you ask? Read on...

1. DON'T DO ANYTHING RIGHT NOW

....apart from this teeny tiny thing. 10 seconds. Make a note in your calendar for in a weeks time to spend the 10 minutes after you wake doing something creative. Also tell someone close to you that you are going to do it. You've got stuff to do right now, so I understand why you can't do anything right now. Don't you worry! If that goes well put it in for the following week or month. It's hard starting a new habit, so...

2. Start small.

If you feel you are never creative, that's cool. Maybe try it once a week or month and make a mental note how you feel after. Try an adult colouring book, doodle, paint by numbers. Do that for a couple of times, then maybe try more often... you may end up doing it daily - but don't put pressure on yourself to do that from the outset. Small, incremental changes can become habit.

3. Start with someone else.

I always find a bit of peer pressure, mentioned above, helps. Keeps you in check. Get a buddy who you think would equally benefit from doing this, explain the reasoning and get them on board - they don't have to do it with you, it's cool to do it solo, but at the least they can check in to see how it went -> increasing the chances of you doing it.

4. Try different things

Figure out what you enjoy. You could book yourselves onto a creative class with M.Y.O or the likes of great experiential platforms like Funzing, Obby, Empty Chair or Creoate. Our friends at Pop Up Painting also do regular drink and paint classes - yes! Check out my previous blog here for some ideas on that front too.
So, that's it folks. Hopefully this blog has helped to show you why it's important to not use your phone so much, given you an understanding of what 'creativity' and 'mindfulness' are, highlighted some benefits of being creative and given you some ideas on how you can explore your creative side through arts and crafts (there are tonnes of other ways too). This one was a little but rough and ready, but it's over to you now...
Sam
I'm co-creater (with ) of M.Y.O, a creative space for adults, where you can make things, have fun and enjoy the mindfulness benefits of being creative through arts and crafts. Think of it like an art gym for your creative muscles! If you're interested to find out more about
Some M.Y.O guests having fun, relaxing and being creative in our Central London studio
and our journey, be sure to follow me on / Medium, subscribe to the newsletter and like us on .
With thanks to Mammy (going to have to get her on the pay roll soon with all her help) and Diana M. for reviewing / editing.

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Hello! Hope you are having a colourful and creative week. There is a lot of useful information out there on the benefits of expressing and exploring your creative side, so I'm trying to wrap all of that up into something insightful, useful and actionable. Let's go!

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COVID Calm Clinics

Bitesize stress management for healthcare professionals

We know you're under immense pressure, so there's now short daily stress management "clinics" on Zoom for you.
Easy-to-access, quick mindfulness stress-busters and confidential discussion...
No, it won't take away the flood of patients, but in a few minutes you will be noticeably calmer, reduce the stress you bring home, and may well sleep better after your shift.
FREE to all, one click to Zoom, no booking needed, and stay as long at you like (even 5min will be useful). Evidence-based practical techniques that you can take away and use whenever you like, and a chance to connect with other professionals around the world who know what you're going through.

You can only help others if you look after yourself

If prompted use the password CovidCalm

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We know you're under immense pressure, so there's now short daily stress management "clinics" on Zoom for you. Easy-to-access, quick mindfulness stress-busters and confidential discussion...No, it won't take away the flood of patients, but in a few minutes you will be noticeably calmer, reduce the stress you bring home, and may well sleep better after your shift.

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Managing Healthcare Worker Stress during Coronavirus

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Managing Healthcare Worker Stress during Coronavirus

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Managing Healthcare Workers' Stress Associated with the COVID-19 Virus Outbreak

Available en Español

The wellbeing and emotional resilience of health care workers are key components of maintaining essential health care services during the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus) outbreak. Therefore, it will be crucial to anticipate the stresses associated with this work and put in place supports for health care workers. Monitoring and assessment of mental health and wellbeing of health care personnel will be important, along with efforts to ensure their successful reintegration with work colleagues, should they themselves become infected.

Both institutional supports and self-care strategies are important.

Fighting Stress through Preparedness

Health care workers are accustomed to participating in frequent formal and informal trainings. Additional organizational efforts during the COVID-19 outbreak should be ongoing and can provide a measure of stress reduction. Health care workers need training in:

specific details about transmission of the COVID-19 virus

when and how to screen patients and, potentially, family members

the use of personal protective equipment

when to invoke quarantine and isolation

ethical decision-making about triage and surge capacity issues

In order to increase their sense of self-efficacy, workers may also want to take part in training and planning exercises that include:

practicing response roles

implementing all levels of quarantine

enforcing movement restrictions

managing limited resources

handling mass fatalities

understanding surge-related triage decision trees

conducting mental health screening

coping with high stress demands

preparing for the needs of their families if workers are required to be more engaged at work or quarantined

Staff in health care facilities may also want to meet with leaders to discuss the importance of stress management and psychosocial support for the workforce. Discussions could include the possibility of frontline stress control teams, appropriate work/rest schedules, and support for the needs of providers' family members.

Stress in Health Care Workers during the Outbreak

There are specific sources of stress for health care workers treating patients with the COVID-19 virus. These stressors include:

Need to employ strict biosecurity measures

Health care workers who are called upon to assist or treat those with COVID-19 may experience stress related to:

physical strain of protective equipment (dehydration, heat, exhaustion)

physical isolation (restrictions on touching others, even after working hours)

constant awareness and vigilance regarding infection control procedures

pressures regarding procedures that must be followed (lack of spontaneity)

Risk of disease transmission

Infection control is a significant concern that can be exacerbated by:

common flu and cold symptoms being mistaken for COVID-19

the extended symptom-free incubation period of COVID-19

a relatively higher mortality rate compared to influenza

the tension between public health priorities and the wishes of patients and their families regarding quarantine

Multiple medical and personal demands

The complexity of responding to COVID-19 may result in conflicting personal and professional demands, including:

continued daily workload demands competing with COVID-19 preparation and treatment measures

a need to maintain high standards in the face of a low-frequency event within which official recommendations and policies change regularly

possible separation from and concern about family members

fears about infection and subsequent implications for self, patients, and family

inner conflict about competing needs and demands

Stigma

Health care workers can be affected by both internal and external stigma related to the COVID-19 virus and its impact, such as:

others' fear of contact with those treating patients with COVID-19

health care workers' self-stigma about voicing their needs and fears

Dealing with Stress during the Outbreak

A strong service-orientation, a lack of time, difficulties in acknowledging or recognizing their own needs, stigma, and fear of being removed from their duties during a crisis may prevent staff from requesting support if they are experiencing stress reactions. Given this, employers should be proactive in encouraging supportive care in an atmosphere free of stigma, coercion, and fear of negative consequences.

Self-care for health care workers can be complex and challenging, given that people in these roles may prioritize the needs of others over their own needs. Therefore, a self-care strategy should be multi-faceted and phased properly to support the sense of control and contribution of health care providers without making them feel unrealistically responsible for the lives of patients. For instance, during work shifts, providers should engage in these behaviors:

self-monitoring and pacing

regular check-ins with colleagues, family, and friends

working in partnerships or in teams

brief relaxation/stress management breaks

regular peer consultation and supervision

time-outs for basic bodily care and refreshment

regularly seeking out accurate information and mentoring to assist in making decisions

keeping anxieties conscribed to actual threats

doing their best to maintain helpful self-talk and avoid overgeneralizing fears

focusing their efforts on what is within their power

acceptance of situations they cannot change

fostering a spirit of fortitude, patience, tolerance, and hope

At the same time, they should avoid:

working too long by themselves without checking in with colleagues

working "round the clock" with few breaks

feeling that they are not doing enough

excessive intake of sweets and caffeine

engaging in self-talk and attitudinal obstacles to self-care, such as:

"It would be selfish to take time to rest."

"Others are working around the clock, so should I."

"The needs of survivors are more important than the needs of helpers."

"I can contribute the most by working all the time."

"Only I can do. . .."

Dealing with Stress in the Aftermath of the Outbreak

After a period of caring for those with COVID-19-especially quarantined patients-a readjustment period is to be expected. Health care workers will need to commit to making personal reintegration a priority. This includes:

seeking out and sharing social support, which may need to occur virtually

checking in with other colleagues to discuss work experiences

increasing supervision, consultation, and collegial support

scheduling time off work for gradual reintegration into personal life

preparing for worldview changes that may not be mirrored by others in one's life

avoiding negative coping strategies such as:

use of alcohol, illicit drugs, or excessive amounts of prescription drugs, which all interfere with sleep cycles and prolong recovery

suddenly making big life changes

negatively assessing their work contributions

keeping too busy

viewing helping others as more important than self-care

not wanting to talk about work experiences with others

If stress persists for longer than two to three weeks and interferes with functioning, health care workers should consider participating in formal mental health treatment.

Printable Handout

References

1. Brymer, M., Jacobs, A., Layne, C., Pynoos, R., Ruzek, J., Steinberg, A., ... & Watson, P. (2006). Psychological first aid: Field operations guide. National Child Traumatic Stress Network and National Center for PTSD. Retrieved from www.nctsn.org and www.ptsd.va.gov

2. Gonzales, G. (2003). Deep survival. Who lives, who dies, and why. True stories of miraculous endurance and sudden death. W.W. Norton & Company. New York.

3. Hobfoll, S. E., Watson, P. J., Bell, C. C., Bryant, R. A., Brymer, M. J., Friedman, M. J., et al. (2007). Five essential elements of immediate and mid-term mass trauma intervention: Empirical evidence. Psychiatry, 70(4), 283-315.

4. Reissman, D. B., Watson, P. J., Klomp, R. W., Tanielian, T. L., & Prior, S. D. (2006). Pandemic influenza preparedness: adaptive responses to an evolving challenge. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 3(2).

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managing stress associated with the covid-19 virus

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Available en Español The wellbeing and emotional resilience of health care workers are key components of maintaining essential health care services during the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus) outbreak. Therefore, it will be crucial to anticipate the stresses associated with this work and put in place supports for health care workers.

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How do you balance productivity with health and well-being when you're working from home, rather than at the office?

It is a question many people are now grappling with for the first time, as Covid-19 closes many workplaces and sends people into the relative isolation of the home office. But in our house, it is business as usual: I've worked from home for the most of the past 22 years, and for the past four, my husband and I have worked from home together. (And we still like each other!)

...

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I've Worked From Home for 22 Years. Here's What I've Learned.

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How do you balance productivity with health and well-being when you're working from home, rather than at the office? It is a question many people are now grappling with for the first time, as Covid-19 closes many workplaces and sends people into the relative isolation of the home office.

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Links & Resources

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Coronavirus Crisis: Helping Ourselves and Others
Video: Managing Stress During a Pandemic Working Remotely During Covid-19 Flexibility in the Midst of Crisis Managing Stress and Anxiety Covid-19 How to Talk to Your Anxious Child or Teen about Coronavirus Free Daily Meditations from 10 Percent Happier 7 Science-Based Strategies to Deal with Coronavirus Anxiety Anxiety and Depression Association of America Tips/Resources
The following links and resources are not endorsed or sponsored by the UConn Health Employee Assistance Program; however, you may find them helpful.

Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline

800-842-2288

Domestic Violence Hotline

888-774-2900 (Statewide CT)

National Domestic Violence Hotline

800-799-7233

Elderly Abuse in the Community

888-385-4225

Legal Assistance

800-453-3320

Lawyer Referral (Hartford)

860-525-6052

Rape Crisis

888-999-5545 (Statewide CT)

VEDAS (en Español)

888-568-8332 (Statewide CT)

Adoption

AIDS/HIV

AIDS-HIV Resource Center at HealingWell.com

Alzheimer's Disease

Anxiety

Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD or ADHD)

Cancer

Childcare

Consumer Information Center

Divorce

Domestic Violence

Eating Disorders

Eldercare

Financial

Gambling

Legal

Mental Health

Nicotine Addiction

Parenting

Retirement and "Living Senior"

Substance Abuse

Trauma

Workplace Violence

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Links and Resources | Occupational and Environmental Medicine

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EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Links and Resources Coronavirus Crisis: Helping Ourselves and Others Video: Managing Stress During a Pandemic Working Remotely During Covid-19 Flexibility in the Midst of Crisis Managing Stress and Anxiety Covid-19 How to Talk to Your Anxious Child or Teen about Coron ...

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One minute you're feeling disappointed and sad, the next angry and worried about an uncertain future and just a couple minutes later you couldn't care less. The COVID-19 pandemic, driven by a coronavirus that causes respiratory infection, has wreaked havoc around the world and created a prime environment for emotional vulnerabilities.

COVID-19 triggers the stress response for just about everyone, and how you react will be based on your current stressors, circumstances and past experiences. You may feel one emotion prominently - like worry, fear or sadness - but cycle through many others, including even apathy, gratitude or shame. All of these feelings are normal, no matter how they show up.

If you're feeling like you're on an emotional rollercoaster because of COVID-19, you're not alone.

Here's why this experience is so common right now:

1. We Don't Know What Survival Response to Pick

Regardless of your past trauma history, most humans experience the COVID-19 pandemic as a threat. As a result, your fight-flight-freeze-fawn response gets triggered. But since your system doesn't have experience with all the unique threats of a pandemic, you may be cycling through fight, flight and freeze as your survival instincts try to help you best respond.

"Our survival brain choses fight, flight, or freeze based on what has worked in the past," Kristin Keliher, Ma.Ed., a professional school counselor, told The Mighty, adding:

A pandemic is not a stress recognized by the survival system so it cycles through fight. ... If that doesn't work it will try flight. When there is nothing to fight and we can't flee from this pandemic, our survival system kicks on the parasympathetic nervous system and chooses freeze. We feel freeze as depression, numbness, hopelessness, shame, trapped.

2. Past Trauma Gets Triggered

COVID-19 can also trigger past traumas. People who live with a chronic illness may be triggered by past medical trauma at the thought of getting sick with COVID-19. People with disabilities who have experienced ableism that puts their lives at risk may be further traumatized by the conversation in the news about rationing health care.

Those who have survived childhood trauma may be triggered by having to return to a difficult home because their college closed. Having the old feelings of past trauma mixed into the stress of the present piles on the emotional difficulties.

"The financial concerns, social isolation, and uncertainty about the future are difficult for pretty much everyone," Los Angeles-based psychologist Liz Gustafson, Ph.D., told The Mighty. "I've also been finding that people are having past experiences of feeling helpless, feeling alone, feeling unprotected by authority figures triggered by the current circumstances. Traumas related to previous illness or losses are being stirred up."

3. Pre-Existing Mental Health Issues

If you were already dealing with a mental illness, even if you were making good progress in your recovery, the stress of COVID-19 can amplify your experience. Those who are working on challenging obsessive-compulsive thoughts about danger in the world may find some of those typically "irrational" fears validated by the coronavirus. Physical distancing may increase your sense of isolation and trigger a relapse of your depression symptoms. It's more important than ever to reach out for support when you need it.

"Life was hard enough a month ago or two weeks ago for people that struggle with depression or anxiety," Jamie Tworkowski, founder of the mental health nonprofit To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA), told The Mighty. "Basically everyone is anxious and so you apply that to someone who is already or was already dealing with anxiety or depression and I think it can create a really challenging scenario."

4. Social Isolation and Physical Distancing

Even though we have access to technology that allows us to keep in contact with loved ones while we stay at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it's not the same as in-person contact with people we love. Humans are social creatures who need emotional and physical connection.

Without the in-person element, especially if you live alone or in an unsafe environment, it's hard to meet your human need for co-regulation with other people. Plus, when your brain sees others mirroring safety and calm back to you, it helps put you at ease. When everyone is stressed, we pick up on those emotions in each other.

"Another reason emotions are so intense and hard right now and all over the place is we are social creatures built for connection," Keliher said. "We are missing that currently. Being isolated can register as a danger."

5. Trying to Gain Control

More than anything, COVID-19 has stripped away any sense of control we feel about our lives. That's scary and can trigger difficult emotions from past trauma or mental health issues. As you try to navigate your new normal, keep in mind that sometimes your rollercoaster of emotions is another way you're trying to create or take back control, even if we know our emotions can't change a very difficult reality.

"In response to COVID-19, people tend to react in ways that seem to give them control," Joann Wright, Ph.D., director of clinical services at Timberline Knolls, told The Mighty. "These reactions can range from being paralyzed by fear, to denying they are at risk. Both ends of the spectrum and everything in between are reactions that give a false sense of control."

How to Cope With COVID-19 Emotions

It's completely normal right now to be grappling with a wide range of emotions that feel all over the place. Give yourself (and others) extra space and be gentle - the emotional vulnerabilities COVID-19 brings out makes it even hard to think let alone function at the level we were before the pandemic took hold.

Keliher advised taking steps to build positives into your daily routine, whether that mindfulness, yoga, journaling, getting outside (while practicing physical distancing) or listening to music. Feeling your feelings, and not avoiding them, is healthier in the long run. And if you need support, don't hesitate to reach out for it.

"Building our own resiliency toolbox is a great first step," Keliher said. "Resiliency is not the idea that we don't feel these things, it's the ability to feel the effects of trauma/stress and get ourselves back to connection/safety mode."
Concerned about coronavirus? Stay informed with these articles:

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5 Reasons the COVID-19 Outbreak Has You Feeling Like You're on an Emotional Rollercoaster

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One minute you're feeling disappointed and sad, the next angry and worried about an uncertain future and just a couple minutes later you couldn't care less. The COVID-19 pandemic, driven by a coronavirus that causes respiratory infection, has wreaked havoc around the world and created a prime environment for emotional vulnerabilities.

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Boaz Harlow Siegel, an eighth-grader at SAR Academy in New York City, started quarantine at home on Tuesday, March 3. By that Friday, he was bored. His mom suggested the budding musician, who had recently begun making YouTube videos, create a film about being in quarantine.

"If you made a video about coronavirus it would literally be a viral video," Ilana Harlow said.

The...

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Children, Parents and Teachers Get Creative in Time of Coronavirus

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Boaz Harlow Siegel, an eighth-grader at SAR Academy in New York City, started quarantine at home on Tuesday, March 3. By that Friday, he was bored. His mom suggested the budding musician, who had recently begun making YouTube videos, create a film about being in quarantine.

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Disaster Distress Helpline

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The Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) is the first national hotline dedicated to providing year-round disaster crisis counseling. This toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 to all residents in the U.S. and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.

Call or text 1-800-985-5990.

Español: Llama o envía un mensaje de texto 1-800-985-5990 presiona "2."

For Deaf and Hard of Hearing ASL Callers: To connect directly to an agent in American Sign Language, click the "ASL Now" button below or call 1-800-985-5990 from your videophone. ASL Support is available 24/7. FAQs for ASL NOW users.

Counseling Services

The helpline puts people in need of counseling on the path to recovery. When you call or text, crisis counselors listen to what's on your mind with patience and without judgment. DDH is staffed by trained counselors from a network of crisis call centers located across the United States, who provide:

Crisis counseling for people in emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster

Information on how to recognize distress and its effects on individuals and families

Referrals to local crisis call centers for additional follow-up care and support

Healthy coping tips

There is no need to give any identifying information when you contact DDH. The counselor may ask you for some basic information at the end of the call, but these questions are optional and intended to help SAMHSA keep track of the types of calls it receives.

Who Can Call the Disaster Distress Helpline?

The helpline is open to anyone experiencing emotional distress related to disasters. This includes survivors of disasters; loved ones of victims; first responders; rescue, recovery, and relief workers; clergy; and parents and caregivers. You may call for yourself or on behalf of someone else.
Disasters may include:
The impact of crises may affect people in different ways. Recognize the warning signs and risk factors for emotional distress related to natural and human-caused disasters.

How do I Connect with a Trained Counselor?

Call or text 1-800-985-5990.

Standard text and data message rates will apply when texting from mobile phones. International text and data rates may apply from within U.S. territories and free association nations. SAMHSA will not sell your phone numbers to other parties.

Languages

DDH callers can connect with counselors in over 100 languages via 3rd-party interpretation services. Indicate to the responding counselor your preferred language and they will connect you to a live interpreter (interpretation in less commonly spoken languages may require calling back at an appointed time). Get DDH information in 30 commonly spoken languages.

Other Inquiries

If you're not in immediate need of crisis counseling support and would like to contact us for other reasons, send us an email. Contact us for:

Technical problems. If you encountered a technical problem while trying to contact the helpline, please include your name and preferred contact information in your email if you wish to receive a reply.

Provider inquiries. Providers with specific inquiries about technical assistance and support, requests for materials, and exploring collaborations are encouraged to send an email.

Feedback. To provide feedback about your experience with the helpline, send an email describing your experience and SAMHSA will look into the matter. Please include your name and preferred contact information if you wish to receive a reply.

Social media inquiries. Email us with questions about the helpline's use of social media.

All media inquiries. Members of the media with questions about the Disaster Distress Helpline are encouraged to email media@samhsa.hhs.gov.

Our staff appreciate hearing from people about their experiences. SAMHSA takes feedback about our services, whether it is positive or negative, very seriously.

SAMHSA also encourages public promotion of the Disaster Distress Helpline. Anyone can use the Disaster Distress Helpline logo and telephone number on their website and link to the Disaster Distress Helpline's materials and social media properties.

Call 211 for information about disaster-related evacuations, shelters, food and clothing distribution, volunteer opportunities, and other resources and referrals. Or visit the national 211 Call Center website to find the 211 information and referral center nearest you.

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The Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) is the first national hotline dedicated to providing year-round disaster crisis counseling. This toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 to all residents in the U.S. and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. Call or text 1-800-985-5990 .

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With the new coronavirus targeting older adults, how can they best cope and how can their adult children help them?

Brian Carpenter, who is a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., has given those questions a lot of thought. Dr. Carpenter is a geropsychologist, which means he specializes in treating older adults. He's also the son of parents ages 77 and 78, who live in upstate New York.

"I'll...

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Ways Older Adults Can Cope With the Stress of Coronavirus

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With the new coronavirus targeting older adults, how can they best cope and how can their adult children help them? Brian Carpenter, who is a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., has given those questions a lot of thought. Dr. Carpenter is a geropsychologist, which means he specializes in treating older adults.

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"I'm lonely." It's a difficult thing to admit and it's a difficult feeling to feel. During this time of quarantine and social isolation, the rise in loneliness is bound to happen. Here are some ways of handling loneliness during this time of COVID-19 pandemic, the new viral strain in the coronavirus family that affects the lungs and respiratory system.

1. Accept the feeling and know you're not alone in your loneliness.

Loneliness is a part of the human condition. Every one of us will face the feeling at some point in our lives. Although the thoughts of loneliness may be telling you, you are indeed alone in this feeling and no one can relate, it's simply not true. Many of us can relate to the feeling. Find solace in knowing you are not alone in these feelings.

I believe loneliness is a state of mind more than a fact. Being isolated can lead to the natural feeling of loneliness and it is easy to become overwhelmed by those feelings. You can begin to feel that loneliness is for eternity. Be mindful of these thoughts. In other words, be aware as they pass through your mind. Remember they are only thoughts and you do not have to dwell on them. You are bigger than your thoughts and they don't define you. Mindfulness meditation can help with this. By practicing the act of being aware as your thoughts pass through, it can help you let go of them when needed.

3. Explore the difference between loneliness and Depression.

Sometimes loneliness is simply a feeling, while other times, it's a symptom of depression. It is important to evaluate how your loneliness is affecting you. Loneliness is a reaction to feeling isolated or alone. Whereas depression is a broader feeling that permeates all aspects of one's life. Loneliness is a natural reaction to one's need to feel a sense of belonging that is not met. In my experience, depression is a more general feeling of sadness, hopelessness and numbness. Loneliness can be a driving factor for depression in someone's life. Feeling the need to isolate from others is a symptom of depression and can in turn cause the feelings of loneliness. Combat the loneliness and you can help the depression.

4. Find ways to connect.

We are relational human beings. We were never meant to live life alone, but so often times we find ourselves alone and isolated, especially right now. One of the biggest hurdles is reaching out to others, especially when you're feeling lonely. It requires vulnerability to admit our loneliness to others. It's something we hide in guilt and shame. You may be surprised once you reach out to family or a friend there is power in saying something like "I'm feeling lonely. Can we talk?" Taking the first step out of isolation can be scary, but rarely something you'll regret. Expressing your truth can lead to reigniting old connections or deepening ones you already have.

You may be saying, "But I don't have anyone to reach out to." That can be a scary place to be and I have been there before. After so many years of isolation, you may find yourself desperate to reach out and realize there is no one there. This is an important time to reach out to a professional. You can verbalize your situation and begin building skills to help develop relationships. In addition, you can reach out to The Mighty community by posting on #CheckInWithMe. The Mighty community wants to support you.

Loneliness is a real feeling. It's valid, it's difficult, and it's on the rise in our culture. It's not only a brave choice for us to reach out, be a friend, and be our authentic self. It is also a brave choice for the other person. We are in this together.
Concerned about coronavirus? Stay safe using the tips from these articles:

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4 Practical Ways to Handle Loneliness While Social Distancing

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"I'm lonely." It's a difficult thing to admit and it's a difficult feeling to feel. During this time of quarantine and social isolation, the rise in loneliness is bound to happen. Here are some ways of handling loneliness during this time of COVID-19 pandemic, the new viral strain in the coronavirus family that affects the lungs and respiratory system.

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Now more than ever we are looking for ways to feel less alone - and poetry can be one way to bring people together.

Last month NPR asked listeners to respond to art with a poem - a style of poetry called ekphrastic. For inspiration, Kwame Alexander, NPR's poet in residence, selected two paintings: Kadir Nelson's Heatwave and Salvador Dali's Young Woman At A Window. Both show women inside looking longingly out into the world.

The paintings struck a chord with those experiencing the global coronavirus pandemic quarantined inside. We received more than 1,300 submissions.

Alexander took lines and excerpts from some of the submissions and created a crowdsourced, community poem of hope. Contributors are credited at the bottom.
Social Distance
Summer bears down on the city
like granny's old quilt

The Fantastical Queen
Her Crown of wrapped locks
The jewels in her melanin Sparkle
her body slick in Brooklyn's summer
oiled mahogany

From her window she holds court
She reigns where dogs interact with rainbows
For her, plants bow their head down low.
Hottest Thang In Town
Stuck inside all day.

She opens all the windows,
her imagination of freedom
something to hold onto.

Only half there
her mind is far off
Across the world.

kayaking quietly
gazing at glaciers
watching waves dance
a boat out to sea

The sea breeze blowing
against her loneliness
Perched up in the hills
Overlooking a world of fraud
Soul ready to sail away

You see, smart women bend
like stems grabbing at the light
muscles coat limbs
as eyelids stalk the horizon
to calculate what comes next
drought or a wall of water
high cheekbones not afraid to climb out
or crawl up.

It is the same horizon no matter the color.
The same sun.

Shouting streets stilled
people's voices wilted like plants.
no dinner with friends.

The sea is forever capricious
A mercurial creature with fickle temperament
The gentle blue of harbor water hides
its ferocity Like a wolf in sheepskin

But, she will not wilt.

She sees herself
in the sky.
in the muddied turquoise of the curtain
In the warm turquoise of the window frame
in the gentle peace that shall not last.

She is not thinking about the next time
they will see each other
She is not thinking about the last time
they saw each other
She is not thinking about the empty grocery shelves
She is not thinking about the furrowed frowning eyebrows
She is not thinking about the word quarantine
and why it sounds so social
She is not thinking about the way her lungs
hold onto air like making love to molecules
She is not thinking about the grandmother
and grandfather in Apt 2c
She is not thinking about whether clouds are aware
of their silly shapes and feel self-conscious
She is not thinking about whether the butter will last

At the window, she considers that
She is not who she was,
and she is not who she will be.
She is transforming.
She will be strong and resilient.
She will be honest with herself and those she loves.
She will have stories to tell And when she does
They will no longer shake her voice.

This community poem was created using submissions by:

Becky Boling, Northfield, Minn.

Thu Nguyen, Washington, D.C.

Tehmina Khan, San Francisco

Daniela Larsson, Litchfield, Ct.

Myer Schmitz, Champlin, Minn.

Katrina Kiss, Oswego, Ill.

Lisa Sarasohn, Asheville, N.C.

Deborah Meltvedt, Sacramento, Calif.

Danielle Evennou, Washington, D.C.

Maggie Chism, Mich.

Katherine Shafer, Ypsilanti, Mich.

Kevin Cheb, Ellicott City, Md.

Sheba Montserrat, London

Lorian Tompkins, Clinton Township, Mich.

Keyan Kaplan, East Setauket, N.Y.

Abel Koury, Columbus, Ohio

Charles Sharpe, Bainbridge Island, Wash.

Josh Lawrence, Portland, Ore.

Rachael Vella-Garrido, Buffalo, N.Y.

Sarah Teague, Carbondale, Colo.

Jeevika Verma and Reena Advani produced and edited this story for broadcast. Casey Noenickx adapted it for the Web.

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'Social Distance': A Community-Style Poem To Help You Feel Less Isolated

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Now more than ever we are looking for ways to feel less alone - and poetry can be one way to bring people together. Last month NPR asked listeners to respond to art with a poem - a style of poetry called ekphrastic.

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For many of us, 2020 will be a year to remember, whether we've invited this time into our lives or not. Collectively, the world has been thrust into a unified experience in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The way we see ourselves, our environments and our relationships has been changed. Our altered state leaves many of us feeling isolated, scared and questioning our heightened emotions. For myself, I've spent many moments considering my distorted thoughts in my journey from the couch to the fridge and back. I may not have run a 5K recently, but my trips to the kitchen for self-soothing cookies when viewing the news or social media probably counts for just as many steps. If you're feeling a sense of loss or grief right now, you're far from alone. In the 1970's, Pauline Boss founded a theory on our grief during times like this and others called ambiguous loss.

Should I be upset about this?

That question has been coming up for many, in our thoughts and reasons as we try to consider our losses when comparing them to others', thoughts like, " I'm upset I didn't get to enjoy our scheduled family reunion or vacation, but should I be? Others have it worse right now." The answer is, yes. Although, there is a hierarchy of basic needs for all humans, your sense of loss without closure is valid. This is where the concept of ambiguous loss comes into effect. In her book, " Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief," Boss defines ambiguous loss as "a loss that occurs without closure or clear understanding. This kind of loss leaves a person searching for answers, and thus complicates and delays the process of grieving, and often results in unresolved grief."

Simply said, you have been thrown into an emotional roller coaster as a result of a world-wide pandemic, without choice and with restrictions on your life. Your grief about losses, both experiential and tangible, is going to take time to reconcile. You're allowed to be confused, upset and angry without reason.

Yes, feeling upset about that cancelled vacation, graduation, appointment, date, experience or structured days is natural, and welcome. Understanding and sitting with this discomfort is healthy, although hard.

What are the effects?

The emotional roller coaster is tedious and exhausting. We don't know who and what to believe and find our emotional jar is overflowing. This results in:

Alternative thoughts or changes in our identity or sense of self.

Changes in relationships to family, friends and work.

Increased risk of negative self-talk, anxiety and depression.

Breaks in spiritual connection.

Increased risks of isolation behaviors as a result of mandated home quarantine.

It is important to note, that the resulting effects are difficult to maneuver and engaging in creating or increasing your self-care routine is important right now.

Well, then I throw my hands up! How can I cope?

By week two or three, many of us have already increased self-care, had at least 20 Zoom calls, tried the Instagram dance parties, worked out in the living room, much to the annoyance of our pets, painted, drawn, sewn or created things, and pretty much exhausted our "wish I had time to" lists. Frustration is here, and I can relate. There's only so many five-minute pop-music dance parties I can do before having to sit down and face the emotions. Here are some suggestions to consider when you've reached that point:

Consider what is really bothering you and try to identify the loss. Giving it a name or label helps you start to understand it.

Identify the loss in one sentence, simplifying it down helps to address it directly.

Find supports or education on the loss you're dealing with.

Consider the alternatives to the loss.

Practice self-acceptance, empathy and sitting with the identified emotion.

Create a safe space physically and emotionally, a holding space for you to problem solve or reconcile the emotions in your own time.

Share in the emotions with identified loved ones.

Support others' views on their grief and pain; not placing hierarchy on anyone's grief.

I'm still upset, pandemics are scary, and I'm overwhelmed.

Me too. One thing that has helped many of my clients is learning to sit with this discomfort, dismantling unrealistic expectations and above all, learning to ride this roller coaster. Take that ticket and ask to sit in the first car of the roller coaster, the fear zone (I'm a sucker for a bad metaphor or pun, as you can tell). Learning to adjust or reconcile the waves of emotion may be a small benefit in this uncertain time. Identifying our ambiguous loss, adapting to change, sitting with the ambiguity and finding meaning in the experience is all we have control over.

Humans thrive on connection and social interactions. That we know. This will be hard, but all roller coasters don't come with unlimited rides. There will be an end to this ride, and when it does arrive, I hope you may find small comfort in knowing that you rode in the fear zone and learned a little bit about yourself in the process. I also hope you allow yourself to grieve these losses; they are yours and they are valid. Let's ride together.
Concerned about coronavirus? Stay safe using the tips from these articles:

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How to Understand the Type of Loss We're All Feeling During This Pandemic

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For many of us, 2020 will be a year to remember, whether we've invited this time into our lives or not. Collectively, the world has been thrust into a unified experience in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The way we see ourselves, our environments and our relationships has been changed.

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Children's Book on coping with coronavirus

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Children's Book on coping with coronavirus

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By Ana M. Gomez

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How to emotionally prepare for quarantine

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English | Spanish Mind Yeti on YouTube: English | Spanish Mind Yeti Podcast: RSS Feed | Spotify | Stitcher

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Tips for social distancing, quarantine, and isolation during an infectious disease outbreak

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Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health - Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation During an Infectious Disease Outbreak

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This fact sheet explains social distancing, quarantine, and isolation in the event of an infectious disease outbreak. It discusses feelings and thoughts that may arise during this time and suggests ways to cope and support oneself during such an experience.

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Stress & Coping

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Even if children and teens don't appear to be following the virus news carefully, it is likely that they are absorbing the information and stress from adults. They are hearing about it from friends and making their own inferences about what it all means. Rather than leave this education up to siblings, the media, or friends, you play an important role in helping children and teens better understand what's happening and help them manage their own related worries or anxiety.

The World Health Organization officially declared coronavirus a pandemic. Health experts predict that the virus and its impact on our communities are just beginning. We can help our kids manage their stress and emotions as they live through this pandemic. Here are some tips for different age groups that can help:

Early Childhood

Even though babies and toddlers may not know what is going on, they may pick up a parent's worry and anxiety with their "sixth sense."

Try to stay calm around babies and toddlers.

Maintain normal routines as much as possible. Routines are reassuring for babies.

Shield babies and toddlers from media coverage as much as possible.

Look for non-verbal signs that your toddler may be anxious. This might include being scared to go outside or to daycare, extra weepy, clingy, or irritable. Provide extra reassurance and time together.

Take the lead from your toddler. Don't talk about it unless they show signs of distress or ask questions.

Preschoolers

Preschoolers may be more tuned in to what is happening. They may have questions about germs, doctors, and even death.

Safety is a primary concern for this age group. Reassure them that adults are in charge and working to keep people safe, healthy, and secure.

Preschoolers are also concerned about the health of parents, relatives, and friends. Reassure them that everyone is doing what they can to stay healthy and take care of others. Remind them that they can stay healthy by washing hands and make hand-washing fun with songs.

Preschoolers are not always able to distinguish fantasy and reality. Limit media exposure.

Look for non-verbal signs that your preschooler may be anxious. This might include being scared to go to preschool, extra weepy, clingy, or irritable.

Bedtimes are very important. Stories, books, and tuck-ins are crucial.

Try to maintain your children's normal routines and rituals when possible. If school, daycare or events are canceled, try to create and stick to other routines when you can.

Give them lots of hugs and physical reassurance and limit media coverage.

Take the lead from your preschooler. Don't insist on talking about it a lot unless they show signs of distress or ask questions.

Elementary School

School-age children will be more aware of what is going on. They have probably had discussions at school and with friends.

Talk to your elementary age children. Explain what happened while reassuring them that you and your child's teachers will do everything to keep them healthy and safe.

Children this age are also concerned about their own health, as well as that of family and friends. For example, they may have heard that kids aren't impacted by coronavirus but that older people are, triggering fears about grandparents. They may be worried about money if they know adults are off of work. Try to spend extra time together. This will provide extra reassurance.

Don't be surprised if they are more irritable and touchy. Be extra patient.

Limit media coverage.

Try to continue normal home routines, especially at bedtime. If routines are disrupted due to school or after school activity closures, explain that this is part of the precautions grown-ups are taking to prevent people from getting sick. It doesn't mean that all of their teachers and friends are sick.

If fear persists, point out all the things adults are doing to help and to prevent the virus from spreading. Children like to be helpful and feel like they can do something from hand washing to writing letters to nursing homes.

Ask them if they have any questions. If they do, stick to the facts and tell them what you know without exaggerating or overreacting. Use these resources to help them learn more about the virus:

"Understanding Corona Virus and How Germs Spread" - Brains On Podcast (plus a kid-centered series on news literacy called "Prove It.")

"Just for kids: A comic exploring the new coronavirus" - Minnesota Public Radio

Middle School

Children this age will be very aware of what is going on. They have probably seen news coverage and discussed the virus at school or with friends.

Talk to your middle school children and answer any questions. This will help you determine how much they know and may help you correct any misinformation they might have.

Acknowledge any feelings of anxiety, worry, or panic.

Children this age will be more interested in what might happen in the future. Stick to the facts and don't burden them with your own anxiety about uncertain dystopian scenarios.

Some children may act out scary feelings through misbehavior. Others may become more withdrawn. Pay attention to these cues and ask them to tell you about their feelings.

Talk to your kids about what they see on TV or read online and help them understand which sources are reliable and which aren't when it comes to information about the virus.

Talk about how events like this can surface harmful stereotypes and discrimination against certain people and populations. In this case, talk about the importance of disrupting anti-Asian sentiment and xenophobia in coverage of and response to the coronavirus.

Seek out positive media. Watch, read, and share stories about ways people are responding to the virus in collaborative ways to keep communities safe.

Help guide your child's worry into things they can do - like learning more about how to prevent the spread of the virus including washing hands and getting enough sleep. Use these resources to spark conversations:

"Understanding Corona Virus and How Germs Spread": Brains On Podcast (plus a kid-centered series on news literacy called "Prove It.")

"Just for kids: A comic exploring the new coronavirus": Minnesota Public Radio

High School

High school students have probably had conversations with their peers and teachers. They might have fears about what this will mean for their own health, schooling, schedule or safety.

Questions about health, the economy, and public policy are all legitimate issues for this age group. It is important to discuss these topics with them if they are interested.

Acknowledge any worry, anxiety or fear they have and remind them that these feelings are normal.

Help guide your teen's worry into things they can do - like learning more about how to prevent the spread of the virus including washing hands, getting lots of sleep, or making concrete plans of what you will do if work or school schedules are disrupted.

Some teens may want to block out the whole thing. It may appear that they do not care. This might be masking real worries. Ask questions and be ready to listen.

Some teens may make jokes. Humor can be a way to help them cope, but discourage them from using humor as the only way to talk about the virus.

Stick to the facts in your conversations and talk to your teens about what they see on TV or read online. Point them towards reliable sources of information like the CDC website.

Talk through the difference between going online to get informed versus media over-use that can fuel anxiety. Enforce a tech curfew at night and encourage them to take media breaks.

Some teens may be very interested in discussing the political or economic implications of the pandemic. Engage them in learning and critical thinking about the coronavirus.

Talk about how events like this can surface harmful stereotypes and discrimination against certain people and populations. In this case, talk about the importance of disrupting anti-Asian and xenophobic sentiment in coverage of and response to the coronavirus.

Don't use your teen to process your own anxiety. Reach out to other adults to process your fears about the virus or the economic disruptions that it is causing.

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How to Talk to Kids and Teens About the Coronavirus

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Even if children and teens don't appear to be following the virus news carefully, it is likely that they are absorbing the information and stress from adults. They are hearing about it from friends and making their own inferences about what it all means.

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Easing anxiety during challenging times

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Meditations

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Coronavirus Sanity Guide — Ten Percent Happier

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Free resources to build resilience and cope with coronavirus stress and anxiety. These meditations, podcasts, talks, and blogposts will help you find some calm amidst the chaos.

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This parent tipsheet from CPTS Includes examples you can use at home, and specific tips for parents of children with existing health concerns.

Download in ENGLISH / ESPAÑOL

Parenting a child with existing healthcare needs can be especially stressful during a disease outbreak or pandemic. The following tips can help:

- Keep in touch with your child's healthcare team.
They are the best source of accurate information about COVID-19 and how it might impact your child.

- Rely on trusted sources.
Misinformation can be spread online, even by well-intentioned people. Rely on national disease groups and your child's healthcare team to answer your questions. Ask your health care team about things that you see online.

- Check in about health-related worries.
Your child might be nervous about things like running out of medications. Find out what they know and what they might be wondering or worried about. Provide fact-based reassurance whenever possible.

- Be sensitive to "triggers"
Seeing or hearing things about the disease, the hospital, and dying might be especially scary for kids with underlying health issues. Your child's "triggers" might not be obvious to you, and they might react in ways that surprise you

- Give everyone a chance to ask questions
If you have more than one child, remember that brothers and sisters may also be worried about their sibling with a health condition. Give them factual, age-appropriate information.

For ANY child and family, the COVID-19 pandemic can be challenging. Here are our top seven tips for parents:

1. Remain calm and reassuring.
Focus on helping your child feel safe. Try to answer your child's questions using simple words that he or she can understand. Share information that is accurate and age-appropriate. Stay updated about what is happening with the outbreak by getting the most credible information you can.

2. Keep as many everyday routines as possible.
Establish routines that work for your family. Stay consistent with bedtimes, meals, chores, and exercise. Encourage your child to keep up with schoolwork - this may be in ways that are new for you / your child (and their teachers), like online learning.

3. Help your child feel in control.
Provide choices where possible. Enlist them in creating their daily and weekly schedule, and in carrying out your family plan to stay healthy. Encourage your child to take part in age-appropriate self-care. Help them use their "germ buster" powers: washing hands often (especially after sneezing, coughing, or using the bathroom), not touching their face, and coughing or sneezing into a tissue or elbow.

4. Help your child feel connected with others.
Spend family time doing things you all enjoy. And while you still may need to set some limits on screen and phone time, it is important for your child or teen to stay in touch with friends and family on the phone and online.

5. Allow your child to talk about feelings and worries, if they want to.
Let them know that being scared or worried is normal. If they don't want to talk right now, they might want to write (keep a journal, write a story) or draw a picture about what they are thinking and feeling. Check back in with your child on a regular basis or when the situation changes.

6. Make time every day for stress-reducing activities.
Help your child create a habit with calming, stress-reducing activities they can do every day, such as exercise, deep breathing, or yoga. Find what works for your child - might be an online exercise video, or starting each day writing down what they are grateful for.

7. Take time to deal with your own feelings.
It's harder to help your child when you are feeling really worried, anxious, stressed or overwhelmed. Talk it out with other adults - so that you can get some support. While it is good for your kids to see that you are reaching out and staying connected, it might be best to have some of these conversations in private or after your child goes to sleep at night. Stay connected with friends and family on the phone and online.

Additional Resources for Families
More tips and information for parents Helping children understand the pandemic Stress and coping tools for kids and teens

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This parent tipsheet from CPTS Includes examples you can use at home, and specific tips for parents of children with existing health concerns. Download in ENGLISH / ESPAÑOL - Keep in touch with your child's healthcare team. They are the best source of accurate information about COVID-19 and how it might impact your child.

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Like many other people in therapy and treatment these days, it looks very different for me than it did just a couple of weeks ago due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Instead of going to the office or treatment center, my therapy is in my bedroom, on my laptop. I am incredibly grateful this is an option for me because not having it would be bad, especially since the increased anxiety , fear, uncertainty and scarcity have been triggering my eating disorder thoughts and behaviors something fierce. But there are definitely drawbacks to online group and individual therapy, and certain things that I miss about in-person therapy and intensive outpatient program (IOP) that I took for granted until I didn't have it as an option.

1. I miss the side conversations with other clients.

The ones we have in the waiting room before group. The ones where we talked about our favorite shows, movies, books, etc. I miss talking about pets, and jobs, and basically anything that doesn't directly relate to therapy.

2. I miss being in the same physical space as my therapists and the other clients.

I miss being able to see everyone's' body language. I miss seeing the artwork in the office. I miss everyone sitting in their favorite chair, or if we were trying to challenge fear of change in a safe place, everyone sitting in a new place. I miss pulling into the parking lot and looking for everyone's cars.

Because I commute around a 40 to 45-minute drive one-way to therapy and group, I miss the transition time. Now, because everything is online, my usual transition period between leaving my house and going into session is gone. I've struggled with making a new one; for the most part, I've only found that I'm waiting around the computer, debating on how early is being "too early" to log into my session (although as someone who is always very early, the only difference with this and previous times is that I would sit in my car and have the same "how early is too early?" debates with myself).

4. I miss the comfort of my routine.

I miss showing up to my IOP, putting my meal in the fridge, topping off my water bottle, filling out the daily self-report form and signing in. I never knew how much comfort that particular routine gave me until I didn't have it due to the necessary shut down of all in-person appointments at my IOP and therapist's office.

5. I miss having one or two specified safe spaces for me to process my emotions.

This also ties into point three because once I got done with my sessions where I processed emotions, I had the space in the commute back home to work on further containing them outside of what I did in session. Processing painful emotions and memories doesn't feel as safe to do in my bedroom as they do in a therapist's office.

I'm grateful that telehealth is even an option at all because to not have the resources to process my emotions, fears and memories would be much worse for me. I was already struggling with eating disorder behaviors before the majority of the shutdowns and restrictions due to happened, and that's only increased within the past couple of weeks, so to have something, even with these drawbacks, is so much better than having nothing.

That still doesn't mean I'm not grieving my so-called "normal" life and routines. I believe I am adaptive (along with humanity as a whole) and able to make changes. That doesn't mean they're easy - only that they're possible.

If you are also struggling with the change from in-person sessions to telehealth sessions, I see you. I understand you. You are not alone in this.

Concerned about coronavirus? Stay safe using the tips from these articles:

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5 Drawbacks of Switching to Online Therapy Due to COVID-19

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Like many other people in therapy and treatment these days, it looks very different for me than it did just a couple of weeks ago due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Instead of going to the office or treatment center, my therapy is in my bedroom, on my laptop.