Take care of your mental health

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

People with preexisting mental health conditions should continue with their treatment and be aware of new or worsening symptoms. Additional information can be found at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Disaster Preparedness.

A few ways we can all cope with Depression:

  • Try to eat a healthy diet:
    • Some people don't feel like eating when they're depressed and are at risk of becoming underweight. Others find comfort in food and can put on excess weight.
  • Have a routine:
    • When people feel down, they can get into poor sleep patterns, staying up late and sleeping during the day. Try to get up at your normal time and stick to your routine as much as possible.
  • Be more active:
    • Take up some form of exercise. There's evidence that exercise can help lift your mood. If you haven't exercised for a while, start gently by walking for 20 minutes every day.
  • Stay in touch:
    • Don't withdraw from life. Socialising can improve your mood. Keeping in touch with friends and family means you have someone to talk to when you feel low. 

A few ways to cope with anxiety:

  • Practice focused, deep breathing:
    • Try breathing in for 4 counts and breathing out for 4 counts for 5 minutes total. By evening out your breath, you’ll slow your heart rate which should help calm you down.
  • Write down your thoughts:
    • Writing down what’s making you anxious gets it out of your head and can make it less daunting.
  • Do a daily or routine meditation:
    • While this takes some practice to do successfully, mindful meditation, when done regularly, can eventually help you train your brain to dismiss anxious thoughts when they arise.

Please remember as you shelter in place and take care of your day-to-day business to make yourself a priority. 

Thank you all for your efforts.