Take Care of Yourself: May is Mental Health Awareness Month

We have all been through a lot this year. And one issue that continues to make headlines is our mental health. Specifically, the effect of COVID-19 and all that comes with it. Vaccinations, quarantining, working from home, disrupted schedules, lack of social interaction,

isolation, sickness, grief, job loss and many more are contributing factors on declining mental health.

Now is a good time to pause and reflect.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so we want to make sure we recognize a difficult truth. But it’s important to remember that you are not alone. Experts stress that now is the time to focus on healing, reaching out, and connecting in safe ways by acknowledging that it’s okay to not be okay.

Common questions about how you and your family can cope with the fear of the unknown now, and in the future.

Q: What are the common stress issues you see when a crisis arises, and are those the same for what we are experiencing now with a pandemic?

A: Signs and symptoms associated with stress include: Difficulties with sleep Low energy and motivation Sadness Nervousness Difficulties with concentration

Questioning one’s abilities Feeling easily annoyed or irritable

Remember, too, that adults and children handle stress differently.

A: Depending on the age and personality of your child, stress can be handled differently. Children may show:

Defiance

Disrespect Complaining Fighting

Not wanting to leave your side Ignoring

Q: What are the best ways to stay mentally healthy during times of crisis?

A: One of the best things you can do is to practice self-compassion. Be nice to yourself. Ideas for this include: Remain hopeful. Find things to be grateful about. You could start a gratitude journal, or keep notes in a gratitude jar.

Use your phone or computer to stay connected with a balance on when to disconnect. Get the facts but monitor the time you spend watching the news,

• Eat healthy and exercise, maybe not the time to go on a strict diet or exercise regime, find a way to make small changes such as eating less of the “bad food” or going on walks.

• Focus on what you can do to stay prepared.

• Setting a routine/structure to the day can combat boredom.

• Do not smoke, drink alcohol or use drugs to deal with your feelings.

Q: How does mental stress affect our physical health?

A: Our emotional health paired with our physical health make us “healthy.” Stress is normal for our bodies; however, we are generally able to recover from short periods of stress. But stress that continues over a long period of time places more strain to our health.

Mental stress can impact the immune system in many different ways and increase physical illness.