Coping with COVID-19: Reducing and Managing Stress
COPING WITH THE
COVID-19 CRISIS (aka Coronavirus)
How to Manage Your Emotions and Reduce Stress
By Diane Kern, Ph.D.,
Creator of
Happy and Healthy U™: “Learn to Love Life and Live Well” Workshops
Introduction:
The COVID-19
pandemic is an unprecedented health crisis that is disturbing and disruptive to
us all. While acknowledging the need to
be mindful and protective of our physical health and safety, it is just as
important to address the mind-body connection as it relates to this distressing
situation.
Below is a
guideline for stress reduction and management in the face of the COVID-19
crisis. The recommended strategies are presented in the form of my SPIES
(Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual,
Emotional, and Social) model for total self-care across five dimensions.
Use Your SPIES to Help Manage COVID-19 Related
Stress
(the Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional
and Social parts of yourself)
S: Spiritual
Self-Care:
Ø Pray
Ø Meditate
Resources: From Depak Chopra
Ø Reflect and Find Meaning and Purpose
of this Situation; Journal about this
Ø Connect with Nature (get quiet,
still, pay attention to the birds, plants, sky, etc.)
Ø Practice Gratitude
P: Physical
Self-Care:
Ø Get Sufficient Rest
Ø Exercise
Ø Monitor Your Health
Ø Eat Sensibly and Nutritiously
Ø Limit Alcohol Consumption
I: Intellectual
Self-Care
A.
General:
Ø Stay Informed, but Not Overwhelmed;
Limit Exposure to the News
Ø Stimulate Your Mind in Positive and
Enjoyable Ways
Ø Get Creative and Nurture Your
Creative Interests (through hobbies, music, writing, etc.)
B.
Employment and Finances:
Ø Adjusting to Telework:
·
Structure
and schedule your time to help discipline oneself and establish a routine
·
Find
and create a space, free of distractions, that will allow productivity
·
Develop
a plan and use all available resources for childcare
·
Balance
your work with the needs of your family, especially your children
·
Appreciate
and utilize the benefits of working from home
Ø Address the Negative Financial Impact of Job and/or Income Loss:
·
Check
in with your employer’s Human Resources (HR) Department to get clear
information about your employment status; what benefits you are entitled to;
and what resources might be available to you.
Resource: Here is the link to
the U.S. Department of Labor’s site on ways to apply for unemployment in your
state.
Ø Embark on a New Job Search: Use
this time to upgrade your resume and engage with the various online career
resources, such as:
LinkedIn
Indeed
Ø Learn a New Skill or Enhance Your Educational Level:
·
Check
with your local educational programs to find out what they offer
·
Check
with your local government’s employment and career office to find resources for
paid training and education
·
Check
with the professional or industry organizations about current trends:
what skills are needed; where the opportunities exist; and what training and /
or certification is required
Ø Address Reduced and Limited Income Related Stress:
· Consult
with a competent, trustworthy financial planner to help you determine any financial resources you might access during this financially challenging
period
· Check your local government (city, county or
state) current policies on reducing financial burdens on persons affected by
this crisis (i.e. suspension of eviction or foreclosure proceedings during this
crisis)
· Check
with the credit card companies, mortgage holders, utility companies, lending
agencies, etc. about any changes in
their policies for collecting payments or penalties during this crisis period
and/or to negotiate new terms
· If
you need financial assistance, reach out to social service agencies, charities
and churches. They may become either a direct or indirect source to assistance.
Manage your thinking by:
· Acknowledging
and validating your distress and seeing that you have the tools to feel better
· Focusing
on what you can control, not what you cannot control
· Staying
in the present, instead of worrying about the future (worry does not solve
problems; it only increases your distress). Take one day at a time, while
planning as best you can.
· Seeing
any opportunity and or positive in this situation (i.e. what you are grateful
for; ways staying at home may be helpful; etc.)
· Be
optimistic and focus on being hopeful for a positive resolution
· Find
solutions, instead of becoming overwhelmed by the obstacles and setbacks
· Remind
yourself of ways you may have overcome some significant and painful situation
in the past. This will reinforce your
sense of resilience and confidence around managing this situation.
>Engage in positive, helpful distractions (i.e. hobbies, television shows, reading, recreational activities, home improvement projects, etc.)
>Find humor and laugh in appropriate ways
>Utilize deep breathing techniques when you are feeling anxious
>Use calming practices (see Spiritual section above), such as meditation, visualization
>If you become incapacitated by anxiety and depression, reach out for help
Here are links to resources:
From the American Psychiatric Associaton
From the American
Psychological Association
From the National
Alliance on Mental Illness
S: Social
Self-Care:
Ø Connect and stay engaged with others
through safe means (video chat; phone calls; letters; texts; emails; etc.)
Ø Resist the urge to become isolated if
you live alone. This is likely to lead to depression.
Ø Reach out to and offer help to
others, especially seniors citizens and those without nearby family
Ø Utilize strategies to cope with being
at home with others in your household under these challenging circumstances
Resource from Psychology Today
(psychologytoday.com) for managing household relationships
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