Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Change is hard, not just on the body, but on the mind, and something like the coronavirus outbreak has brought about huge changes in our daily lives. As so many focus on staying physically healthy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it is just as important to maintain one’s mental and emotional health.

“The outbreak of COVID-19 may be stressful for people,” reads a statement on the Centers for Disease Control website. “Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.”

The CDC recommends the following to help cope with the stress of the current situation:

Take breaks from watching, reading or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.

• Take care of your body.
• Take deep breaths, stretch or meditate.
• Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
• Exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep.
• 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.

If you, or someone you care about, are feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression or anxiety, or feel like you want to harm yourself or others, the CDC recommends the following:

• Call 911 if someone’s life is in danger.
• Visit the national Disaster Distress Helpline website at www.samhsa.gov/disaster-preparedness, call 1-800-985-5990, or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746.
• In cases of abuse or domestic violence, visit www.thehotline.org or call 1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224.

Whatever you do, please take the time to care for your mental health, and check in on others you care about. We’ll make it through this together, but we will need to help each other and ourselves.