How we can help you with the rapidly changing state of affairs
We hope you are adjusting well to life in isolation and that you are coping with COVID-19 (Coronavirus). These are very tough times indeed and the sense of uncertainty is huge.
With most kids home from school we all face further challenges with managing things at home while trying not to pull our hair out!
And if you live alone it’s so important to strengthen your sense of community and put a high priority on keeping in contact with friends and family.
Which is why it’s so important for our mental health to be able to keep some routines that are healthy and that mitigate stress levels. Things like:
- exercise
- yoga
- meditation; and
- guided relaxation
Although we all need to keep up to date with changes in guidelines and new rules or bans, it does help to limit your exposure to news and all things COVID-19 if you can.
Cutting back on reading and watching the news will help many to cope better with COVID-19.
Over-dosing on news can make you more anxious and overwhelmed and the ‘collective anxiety’ can seep in too much. Cutting back can really help.
Keeping active really helps too. Getting out into the fresh air and going for a walk in the morning is a great way to ‘complete the stress cycle’ and burn through those stress hormones. Dipping in and out of comic relief wherever you can find it also helps to shift a somber mood.
If you are home with kids it might help to watch those standards you (or the school) have. We may all be in this situation for the long haul so we want to pace ourselves and reduce the pressure on ourselves and kids.
Our Team of Psychologists are here to help with consultations and we have brainstormed some tips for coping with COVID-19 (Coronavirus).
We hope you find these tips helpful in coping with COVID-19:
- Set some personal boundaries around things like checking your phone, listening to news reports and social media exposure. Choose a reliable and factual source of news and information.
- Balance information about COVID-19 with respite from this information (eg, engaging in other enjoyable activities or distractions).
- Remember self-care – continue or increase physical movement and exercise. If you can get out into the fresh air and go for a run or walk. Breathe deeply.
- Maintain social contacts as much as possible. Use FaceTime or Skype to chat with friends and family.
- Think about what you can control. It might even help to make a list. If you are feeling insecure and uncertain, think about what actions you can take within your control to help increase your sense of safety and security (eg, regular hand washing, no face touching, social distancing, keeping yourself well, taking care of any medical conditions early, making sure you have your regular medications etc).
- Watch your thinking. Notice where your thoughts take you. Are you imaging worst-case scenarios and letting your thinking get the better of you?
- Meditation and mindfulness. If you don’t already have one, establish a meditation practice. It doesn’t have to be extensive. Just start with 10 mins per day, where you find a quiet space to go inward and observe your breath. Sit or lie down and start with slowing down your breathing. Watch your thoughts and feelings rather than being completely absorbed by them.
How Else Can We Help?
Are we still OPEN?
YES…at least for now.
We are still here in the Clinic seeing clients in person (but with appropriate measures in place) and we will be offering online (mainly Zoom) and/or phone sessions (eg, Facetime) as an alternative to ‘face-to-face’ sessions should we need to do this or should you prefer.
The Department of Health has just announced a COVID-19 : Whole of population telehealth for patients
” To provide continued access to essential primary health services during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Government is expanding Medicare-subsidised telehealth services for all Australians”
We are well-positioned to provide mental health telehealth services, so Email or Call Us on 0427 088 176 to find out about how this can work for you.
Stay connected with us
If you can follow us on our Facebook page please do so because we will be posting various things over the coming weeks/months.
Please keep in contact with us. Call or email us any questions/queries about our services and your needs and how we can best accommodate you.
ALSO, if you’re really struggling with things, feeling completely overwhelmed, isolated, lost your job and finding it too hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel, don’t suffer in silence. Give us a call at the Clinic or send an email or use our Contact form and we will try our best to help.
In the mean time, we hope our tips for coping with COVID-19 are a help.
Stay well, safe and connected with your social-emotional supports.
We are here for you.
Take care,
The Good Mood Clinic Team