Staying Mentally Strong During COVID-19
These are unique times we are living in. We understand if you are struggling -not able to go to your place of worship, hang out with your friends, take your kids to school, just play at the park, go on trips, and so much more. You are either working from home or recently laid off, trying to support your kids' education at home, and spending lots of quality time with your loved ones. This new "normal" is different and challenging at times.
We want to help! Remember we are here for you and your family. Below are resources to help you navigate these unprecedented times and help you strengthen your resilience. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from difficult experiences. You can practice self-care through the four ingredients of resilience.
The Ingredients of Resilience
Flexibility and Adaptability - View changes as opportunities for growth.
Purpose -Stay true to your core values. Identify what motivates you and let go of trying to meet other’s expectations of you. Do more things that bring you a sense of peace or calm.
Connection - Hold on to healthy relationships in your life. This could be friends, family, social groups, pets, or a higher power.
Hope - Positivity is a powerful tool. It is okay to think about negative possibilities, but give equal attention to positive possibilities.
If you are finding even with all your best efforts you are still struggling or need a quick tune-up, please reach out. We have trained mental health professionals who can help you cope and provide tools to keep you mentally strong and resilient. We serve individuals and families via tele-health (phone and video chats) and in-person.
Gratitude Could Be The Change You Need
Berkeley's Emiliana Simon-Thomas says "Gratitude 1-2-3" has big benefits for both you and those you thank.
You Might Be Feeling Grief Right Now
In Scott Berinato's conversation with David Kessler on the Harvard Business Review, Kessler shared his thoughts on why it’s important to acknowledge the grief you may be feeling, how to manage it, and how he believes we will find meaning in it.
Kessler goes on to say, "we’re feeling a number of different griefs. We feel the world has changed, and it has. We know this is temporary, but it doesn’t feel that way, and we realize things will be different."
The Dougy Center Helping You Deal With Grief During COVID-19
The Dougy Center offers free programs that are based on a peer support group model for bereavement, including our program for after a death, Esperanza, Pathways, and L.Y.G.H.T. All Dougy Center programs offer support to families at no cost. Groups meet every other week and are led by master's-level Group Coordinators and supported by Volunteer Group Facilitators. Esperanza offers support in Spanish. Additionally, they have specific resources for dealing with grief after a COVID-19 death.
How to Cope with Loneliness During COVID-19
"Social distancing is believed to be critical for slowing the rate of infection so that hospitals don’t become inundated. But for many, especially those who live alone, social isolation can take a real toll on mental and physical health. Social connection can be found in unexpected places," writes Juliana Breines Ph.D. in Psychology Today.
Did you know that surrounding yourself with warmth, via blankets, sweaters or other coziness, can mimic the rewards of touch for your physical body? Or that connecting with fictional characters in a book or movie can be brain “stand-ins” for social relationships?
Oregon Helpers Wellness Initiative
You’re here to help others, we’re here to help you.
As our communities face COVID-19, we are experiencing drastic changes to everyday life, both personally and professionally – and these changes are especially difficult for helpers and other frontline and essential workers. Oregon Helpers Wellness Initiative is dedicated to providing critical support to Oregon communities and those workers we depend on most.
Their virtual peer support meetings are free, confidential, and open to all frontline workers including medical and behavioral health providers, social workers, home caregivers, and more.
They offer these spaces to focus on self-care because finding a healthy work-life balance is a daily challenge. They hope to de-stigmatize help-seeking for stress, anxiety, and depression, encourage resource sharing and resilience, and quell compassion fatigue and burnout.
10 Skills to Soothe Your Brain
Learn how your brain responds to threats and how you can harness that knowledge to help regain your peace during these unique times. These tips also help you understand other's responses to chronic stress/trauma and create more compassion for one another.
Talking with Your Kids About COVID-19
Kids are curious about what is going on and want to help. Children may worry about themselves, their family, and friends getting ill with COVID-19. Parents, family members, school staff, and other trusted adults can play an important role in helping children make sense of what they hear in a way that is honest, accurate, and minimizes anxiety or fear. CDC has created guidance to help adults have conversations with children about COVID-19 and ways they can avoid getting and spreading the disease.
The Story of the Oyster and Butterfly: The Corona Virus and Me
These unprecedented times can cause anxiety for everyone, including young children. Ana M. Gomez wrote The Story of the Oyster and the Butterfly: the Corona Virus and Me to help children deal with their feelings of worry, fear, and anxiety.
The author shared this story to help children in our community find ways to recognize their feelings in a healthy way. Please feel free to read the story, print the pages, and talk with your children about coronavirus, help them process their emotions, and what we need to do to stay healthy and protect our friends and family. This book is written for ages 3-8.
Yoga for Kids: Cosmic Kids Yoga, Movement in a Storybook Format
Yoga helps kids to relax, relieve stress and anxiety, sleep better, improve emotional regulation, increase empathy, and improve mood and affect. Practicing yoga with kids also teaches them how to be more mindful, which happens to be just one of the many ways in which we can teach mindfulness to kids. Mindfulness is an important tool during these unprecedented times.
Cosmic Kids Yoga is yoga, mindfulness and relaxation designed for kids aged 3+, used in schools and homes all over the world. Over 100s of videos to choose from and keep your "kid" practice going.
