AAC


• Staying Visible and Connected When Working from Home (10 minutes)


• Caring for Your Elder During the Pandemic (38 minutes)


• Managing Time Setting Boundaries (12 minutes) • Coping with COVID-19 on the Front Lines: Stress Management for Healthcare Providers (27 minutes)


• Disaster-Proof Your Finances (40 minutes) For those still working from home or working some


sort of split schedule, SWEAP has some suggestions when schedule adjustments feel unfamiliar. Tey, as well as many other experts say that it is important to retain routines and normalcy to help alleviate some anxiety and stress.


5 Tings to Help Maintain Routines


• Retain your normal morning routines. Try to continue to get yourself and your family up and at ‘em in the normal fashion, even if no one actually has anywhere to go. It helps us feel awake, makes it easier to focus on school and work, and keeps our bodies in sync.


• Adapt your physical activity outlets. Do not abandon movement just because the gym is closed. Bookmark your favorite yoga videos, figure out how to get some sunshine, have a “from home” class where you call your normal workout buddies for accountability. Physical health and mental health go hand in hand.


• Stay open to enjoyment. Try to keep the essence of some canceled activities in the mix. Variations or pieces of those activities can likely be adapted for home. Camp out in the den if you had to cancel a trip, do your own bible study if you can’t go to your church, set a conference call with your weekly watch party group so you can keep in touch.


• Talk to your people. Keep up with people you care about at this time, send positive thoughts and messages, plan to have catch up phone calls, more is going on than just the health concerns, but it is easy to forget that in an anxious time.


• Adjust your expectations. Take a deep breath and know this is something that will be over at some point, but realistically we are all adapting to a fluctuating time frame. Each new piece of information does not have to scare you, it just helps inform your next move.


Te CDC advises that taking care of yourself, your


friends, and your family can help you cope with stress. Here are some CDC suggestions for coping with stress:


• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to COUNTY LINES, SPRING 2020


WELLNESS & SAFETY


news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.


• Take care of your body. 1. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. 2. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals. 3. Exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep. 4. Avoid alcohol and drugs.


• Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.


• Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.


• Te Mayo Clinic recognizes the worry and anxiety created by COVID-19 and social distancing. It weighs in with some suggestions for staying connected by building and supporting relationships:


• Make connections. If you need to stay at home and distance yourself from others, avoid social isolation. Find time each day to make virtual connections by email, texts, phone, or FaceTime or similar apps. If you are working remotely from home, ask your co-workers how they are doing and share coping tips. Enjoy virtual socializing and talking to those in your home.


• Do something for others. Find purpose in helping the people around you. For example, email, text or call to check on your friends, family members and neighbors — especially those who are elderly. If you know someone who cannot get out, ask if there is something needed, such as groceries or a prescription picked up, for instance. But be sure to follow CDC, World Health Organization (WHO) and your government recommendations on social distancing and group meetings.


• Support a family member or friend. If a family member or friend needs to be isolated for safety reasons or gets sick and needs to be quarantined at home or in the hospital, come up with ways to stay in contact. Tis could be through electronic devices or the telephone or by sending a note to brighten the day, for example.


Stress is a normal psychological and physical reaction to the demands of life. Everyone reacts differently to difficult situations, and it is normal to feel stress and worry during a crisis. But multiple challenges daily, such as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, can push you beyond your ability to cope. Additionally, many people may have mental health concerns, such as symptoms of anxiety and depression during this time. And feelings may change over time. Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself feeling helpless, sad, angry, irritable, hopeless, anxious or afraid.


See “Mental Health” on Page 36 >>> 35


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