Subscribe to Black Health Facts by ElevateHER Inc. Youtube Channel
Subscribe to Black Health Facts by ElevateHER Inc. Youtube Channel
Coping with Stress
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major effect on our lives. Many of us are facing challenges that can be stressful, overwhelming, and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Public health actions, such as social distancing, are necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but they can make us feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety.
Learning to cope with stress in a healthy way will make you, the people you care about, and those around you become more resilient.
Stress can cause the following:
Helping Others Cope
It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief, and worry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taking care of yourself can better equip you to take care of others.
During times of social distancing, it is especially important to stay connected with your friends and family.
Helping others cope with stress through phone calls or video chats can help you and your loved ones feel less lonely or isolated.
Mental Health Crisis Resources and
Social Support Services
If you are struggling to cope, there are many ways to get help. Call your healthcare provider if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row.
During times of extreme stress, people may have thoughts of suicide.
Suicide is preventable and help is available. More about the risk of suicide, signs to watch for, and how to respond if you notice these signs in yourself or a friend or a loved one, can be found here.
Free and confidential crisis resources can also help you or a loved one connect with a skilled, trained counselor in your area.
Managing Stress During Covid-19 Pandemic
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html
MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING TOOL
AFRICAN AMERICAN MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS:
If you are in crisis, get immediate help:
When we’re stressed, self-care is often the first thing to go. Why is this?
#1. Our brains go into fight-or-flight mode and our perspective narrows. We don’t see we have options—options for coping with stress and making ourselves feel better.
#2. We’re so busy trying to solve problems that we’re stuck in “doing mode”—trying to get more and more done—when switching to “being mode” may be just the break we need.
#3. We may not have a “go-to” list of self-care activities.
Self-care has to become a habit so that when we’re dealing with stress, we remember that, “Hey, I need to take care of myself in this situation.”
And, you need a variety of activities to try—if one doesn’t work, you can switch to another.Fortunately, there are several pathways to self-care, and none of them need to be difficult or take a lot of planning.
When you feel stressed and need a calm mind, try focusing on the sensations around you—sights, smells, sounds, tastes, touch.
This will help you focus on the present moment, giving you a break from your worries.·
Breathe in fresh air.· Snuggle under a cozy blanket.· Listen to running water.· Sit outdoors by a fire pit, watching the flames and listening to the night sounds.· Take a hot shower or a warm bath.· Get a massage.· Cuddle with a pet.· Pay attention to your breathing.· Burn a scented candle.· Wiggle your bare feet in overgrown grass.· Stare up at the sky.· Lie down where the afternoon sun streams in a window.· Listen to music.
A great way to take care of yourself when you’re coping with stress is to engage in a pleasurable activity.
Try one of these ideas:
Take yourself out to eat.
Be a tourist in your own city.
Garden.
Watch a movie.
Make art.
Do a craft project.
Journal.
Walk your dogs.·
Go for a photo walk.
You can also give yourself a boost by doing a task that you’ve been avoiding or challenging your brain in a novel way. This can also boost self-confidence.
Clean out a junk drawer or a closet
Take action (one small step) on something you’ve been avoiding
Try a new activity
Drive to a new place
Make a list of activities you would like to do
Immerse yourself in a crossword puzzle.·
Do a word search
Read something on a topic you wouldn’t normally
Dealing with our emotions can be challenging when we’re coping with stress. We tend to label emotions as “good” or “bad,” but this isn’t helpful.
Instead:·
Cry when you need to. Laugh when you can. Try laughter yoga
Practice self-compassion
Accept your feelings. They’re all OK. Really.· Write your feelings down
Here’s a list of feeling words
.https://betterlovemovement.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/List-of-Feeling-Words.pdf
Getting in touch with your values—what really matters—is a sure way to cope with stress and foster a calm mind. Activities that people define as spiritual are very personal.
Here are a few ideas.
Attend church
Read poetry or inspiring quotes.
Light a candle
Write in a journal
Spend time in nature
Pray
List five things you’re grateful for
Coping with stress by engaging the body is great because you can bypass a lot of unhelpful mental chatter.
It’s hard to feel stressed when you’re doing one of the following self-care activities.
Try yoga
Go for a walk or a run
Dance
Stretch
Go for a bike ride
Don’t skip sleep to get things done
Take a nap
Connecting with others is an important part of self-care.
This can mean activities such as:·
Go on a lunch date with a good friend
Calling a friend on the phone
Participating in a book club
Joining a support group
.It can also mean remembering that others go through similar experiences and difficulties as we do.
We’re not alone.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shyness-is-nice/201403/seven-types-self-care-activities-coping-stress