Self Care

Things you can do to support yourself

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, get plenty of sleep, and 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. Many people are using video chats to feel connected to their friends and loved ones and report that it is helpful to relieve anxiety and stress.

Learn more about taking care of your emotional health.

Be Aware Call your healthcare provider if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row.

Self Care Resources

COVID-19: Manage Anxiety & Stress
https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Tips-for-Survivors-of-a-Disaster-or-Other-Traumatic-Event-Managing-Stress/SMA13-4776
https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2020/steps-to-help-cope-with-evolving-coronavirus-situation.html
Care for your Coronavirus Anxiety
Meditations and Calming Exercises
Smithsonian Workshop: Meditation and Mindfulness
The Smithsonian Institution is offering free 30-minute online meditations four times each week led by DC-based meditation teachers, starting Monday, March 23. These free sessions are appropriate for all levels of practitioners. No previous experience is required.

Staying Grounded Worksheet
https://thewellnesssociety.org/free-coronavirus-anxiety-workbook/
Greater Good: Guide to Well-Being During Coronavirus
Ten Percent: Coronavirus Sanity Guide
https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Tips-for-Survivors-of-a-Disaster-or-Traumatic-Event-What-to-Expect-in-Your-Personal-Family-Work-and-Financial-Life/SMA13-4775
Mental Health Screening Tools One of the quickest and easiest ways to tell if you are experiencing a mental health condition is to take an online screen. MHA has nine different screening tools for mental health conditions on our site, including anxiety.
Anxiety Information and Support
Mental Health and COVID-19 – Information and Resources

Apps & Training

Using technology to stay connected. Connection and community are really important for our mental health. Technology can ultimately be a force for good at this time, although there are times when the best thing for you is unplugging completely. Constant content and updates can be overwhelming. Consider using the screen time limit feature of your phone to set a limit for yourself for apps. These are not hard limits and can be ignored or extended but may help you be more mindful about your technology use and help you consider if they are really serving you. You might also set a timer while browsing the Internet to make sure your use becomes contained and you do not become overwhelmed.

Balance

Balance, a new meditation app, is offering a free one-year subscription to anyone who wants it. To receive the free subscription just download the app and then email access@balanceapp.com for instructions.

Headspace

Headspace, a popular meditation app, has released free content, including content specifically geared towards health care providers and educators in the US. Instructions to access can be found here.

Sanvello

Sanvello offers a range of coping tools and peer supports and has offered free premium access during COVID-19. The app also gives you suggested activities based on your mood — very helpful for self-isolation.

COVID Coach

The COVID Coach app was created for everyone, including Veterans and Servicemembers, to support self-care and overall mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Features include:

Education about coping during the pandemic
Tools for self-care and to improve emotional well-being
Trackers to check your mood and measure your growth toward personal goals
Graphs to visualize progress over time

Psychological First Aid: Supporting Yourself and Others During COVID-19 Online course

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is challenging individuals and families in new ways. Psychological First Aid, the practice of recognizing and responding to people experiencing crisis-related stress, can be used to help yourself and others to cope in the face of stressful events.

To help, the American Red Cross is offering a Psychological First Aid: Supporting Yourself and Others During COVID-19 Online course during the pandemic. The course content is based on guidance from the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). This online course is designed for anyone interested in learning techniques for supporting mental health during the COVID-19 crisis.

Psychological First Aid: Supporting Yourself and Others During COVID-19 is an online only course designed to help individuals build resilience and support themselves and lend support to others during and following the COVID-19 outbreak. The course length is estimated at 60 minutes. The topics covered in the course include:

Recognizing Stress in Adults, Teens and Children
Practicing Mental Health First Aid
Caring for Yourself
Supporting Your Family
Supporting Yourself and Coworkers at Work

Each student who completes the course will receive an American Red Cross Psychological First Aid: Supporting Yourself and Others During COVID-19 Online Only certificate at the completion of the course. The certificate date is the date of course completion. The certificate is valid for 2 years.

Individuals may access and enroll directly in the course online by clicking here.