To date worldwide, there have been more than 3 million people infected with COVID-19, over two hundred thousand deaths and millions of others who have been impacted financially, and emotionally. Our frontline workers are tasked with continuing to go to work to provide for our public health needs and safety. During this unprecedented pandemic, frontline workers and healthcare staff are trying to take care for their patients and the general public while also coping with their own physical exhaustion, stress, worry and anxiety. Below are a few tips, strategies and mental health resources for staying emotionally healthy.

PHYSICAL HEALTH:
EAT REGULARLY- With an increased workload, variable work schedules, and psychological fatigue, it is very easy to skip a meal. Sometimes you may be too tired to cook, instead preferring to catch up on your sleep. If you don’t have time or energy to cook, consider meal prepping, buying a healthy takeout meal, or choosing healthy frozen meal options. Although takeout and frozen foods may not be your top choice, it may be a better alternative to skipping meals or eating unhealthy snacks.

GET MOVING!- Even if you can’t go to the gym or participate in a sport with your exercise buddies, consider engaging in a physical activity at home like yoga, stretching, push ups, hand weights or work out videos.

MEDICATIONS- Don’t forget to take your medications if prescribed. Set reminder alarms or stick up post it notes so that you don’t miss any doses.

MENTAL TEMPERATURE CHECK:
Don’t forget to self-assess daily! How are you coping with your stress? Are you feeling more detached or shut down? Are you more irritable or easily annoyed? Have you started to self-isolate, or are not answering calls or texts? Do you feel overwhelmed or a loss of control? Are you crying or feeling down? If you are experiencing any of the above, do not hesitate to talk to someone and get help.

UNPLUG:
Step back and breathe. Depending on job demands, it may be very difficult to stop and hit the reset button. However, being able to unplug temporarily is important to allow both your body and mind to recharge. Try not to constantly talk about work during your breaks or at lunch. When at home fully focus on your family and participate in bonding activities to help rejuvenate your mind and spirit. Consider engaging in meditation, spiritual, or religious activities depending on your beliefs.

BUDDY CHECK IN:
Although you may be coping okay, that is not to say that your fellow coworkers are handling their stressors effectively. Look around you! As you walk through the hallway, pass an open office door, or chat in the staff lounge, look closely. Be on the lookout for any unexpected negative changes in appearance, hygiene, attitude, or mood with your coworkers. Consider doing a quick buddy check, by asking them how they are doing. Even if they may not open up at the time, remind them that help and resources are available.

STAFF RESOURCES:
Employers are encouraged to provide information to their staff on available resources including employee assistance programs, mental health providers and financial support. Consider highlighting available resources through continuous reminders on the company’s webpage, weekly emails, Facebook postings, or informational bulletin boards.

NORMALIZE HELP-SEEKING BEHAVIOR:
Although it is important to get help, doing so still has sociological and cultural stigmas attached. Everyone can do their part in normalizing seeking mental health assistance. As a society we don’t think twice when a person talks about going to their medical doctor for a medical issues. However, we all must be mindful in how we respond or comment when a person voices being stressed, overwhelmed or having problems coping. Let’s make sure we aren’t ridiculing, using negative language, gossiping, or minimizing the person’s difficulties. Instead, be that voice of encouragement and empowerment!

REMEMBER THAT ASKING FOR HELP IS NOT A SIGN OF WEAKNESS BUT A SIGN OF COURAGE!

RESOURCES:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• The Crisis Text Line: Text TALK to 741741
• NAMI Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (1-800-950-6264)
• Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990
• Dial 211- visit 211.org if you need assistance finding food, paying housing bills accessing free childcare or other essential services.
• Military OneSource: Provides materials and information on programs for military parents.
Phone Numbers:
Toll-Free: 1-800-342-9647
En español llame al: 1-800-342-9647
TTY/TTD: Dial 711 and give the toll-free number 1-800-342-9647
• Veterans Crisis Line (VA): Call 800-273-8255 or text 838255
• DoD/VA Suicide Outreach: http://www.suicideoutreach.org
• InTheRooms.com: Live AA/NA online meetings

MENTAL HEALTH SMARTPHONE APPS:
Moving Forward App
Life Armor app
Breathe2Relax app
Headspace (meditation app)
Insight Timer App

Copyright © Felecia D. Sheffield, PhD, HSP,. All Rights Reserved in All Media.

Author:

Dr. Sheffield is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with extensive clinical, treatment and program management experience with socioeconomically and ethnically diverse adults and youth. She consults domestically and internationally and has worked with non-profits, schools, hospitals, clinics and law enforcement. She has taught K-12, college and graduate students and psychiatry residents. Dr. Sheffield has written over three dozen parenting and self-help articles for the general public. Her volunteer endeavors include being a part of Science Cheerleaders a national non-profit 501 (c)3 organization comprised of current and former NFL/NBA professional cheerleaders with STEM degrees who engage, encourage, and empower kids and young women to pursue science, technology, engineering and math careers.

I daresay there are quite a few of us confined to our homes with someone we don’t like or have fallen out of love with. This may be because they’ve had an affair or because something’s changed and they’re not the person we met and fell in love with. Or over time there may have been a slow erosion of feelings and we’ve finally decided it’s over, but COVID-19 means it’s impossible to issue divorce papers. We can’t relocate, so we’re forced to spend lockdown together.

Whether we’re married or partnered, have children, joint financial commitments like a home, or shared business interests, splitting up is a complex process, even without the impact of COVID-19. The thought of being in isolation for an indeterminate period of time, not knowing how long it will last is a daunting prospect, especially when we’re spending lockdown with someone we want to divorce!

Many people are already experiencing an array of emotions throughout this time and these emotions are very different for each of us. Some people are relishing the enforced break, taking time to reevaluate their priorities, be at home, maybe pursue their hobbies, read, tend the garden, play with their children. Others have serious anxieties and worries about their health, job, business security, the financial impact, their loss of freedom and the future implications of this crisis.

Add relationship worries into the mix and it can make for a very stressful time. So are there positive ways to manage spending lockdown with someone you want to divorce?

– Remember you already have many skills for dealing with impossible situations. You’ve no doubt had several experiences when you’ve been presented with a fait accompli, a fixed set of difficult circumstances to navigate. As an adult you’ll know there are some things you’ve no choice but to accept and work around, others that you’re able to negotiate with a little. Breathe. If you can’t change something there’s no point in stressing about it. Let it go and focus on making the best of what you can do something about.

– Being civilised and polite to each other is a good start when you’re spending lockdown together. Discuss your meals, what you want to eat, the TV shows you’d like to watch, when to spend time together or apart. Could you explore your music back catalogue, old photographs, holiday memories, raid the games cupboard, share the chores?

– Gratitude is an important reflection when you’re in lockdown. Appreciating your shared story, how far you’ve come, the personal development that’s occurred as a consequence of your relationship. You may have grown up together or survived several tough times. Being grateful can reconnect you with your roots and core values, remind you of what was important before life, ambition and success got in the way.

– Allow yourself to laugh together. Maybe cooking mishaps or clumsy DIY attempts could be a source of amusement. Affectionate humour is a positive way to manage stress and retain a more light-hearted approach when you’re spending lockdown together.

– If children are at home agree to keep the atmosphere pleasant for them. You may want to divorce but you’re both still their parents. COVID-19 is confusing enough for children, no need to complicate things further. Take turns and alternate lesson time, so giving each other a little space for personal time.

– Don’t over think bedtime. Whether you’re sleeping together or apart, being intimate or not, these are unprecedented times. If you decide to be intimate agree that these are exceptional circumstances and as long as you’re both consenting adults it could well be an acceptable temporary arrangement.

– Appreciate that lockdown could provide a good time to talk. You may not have had the chance to share, discuss, listen to each other in a non-purpose driven conversation for many years, if ever. Listen properly to what each other has to say without jumping in with your thoughts, comments or challenges to their versions of events. You may not agree with what they have to say, but if that’s how they feel you have to accept it and use it as a starting point to talk.

Maybe agree some ground rules when discussing serious issues. Avoid going round in circles, rehashing tired examples or apportioning blame. Focus on how you’re both feeling, what you each want from your lives, how you’d like your relationship to work from now on, especially if there are children or mutual responsibilities involved.

– Many of us are finding that we’re becoming more patient and tolerant due to being in lockdown. Our priorities have been forced to change. What was once sought after or prized is now less so as we realise that expensive cars, designer goods, fabulous holidays and celebrity status matter little when we’re scarcely allowed outside to shop for food, socialise or see our loved ones.

– This change of pace could be a time for real honesty in your relationship, for learning and better understanding each other, for stripping back the usual stresses and distractions and maybe rediscovering the person you fell in love with before life got in the way. For some of us it may even provide the opportunity to see attractive qualities in each other we’ve not seen before or to reconnect and appreciate how special our relationship could perhaps be once again.

If we’re prepared to make the effort and work with our relationship we may even find ourselves asking if we still want that divorce. But if you do decide to continue divorcing hopefully this time together will have helped ease the process into being more amicable and respectful. After all, you did love each other once.

Susan Leigh, counsellor, hypnotherapist, relationship counsellor, writer & media contributor offers help with relationship issues, stress management, assertiveness and confidence. She works with individual clients, couples and provides corporate workshops and support.

She’s author of 3 books, ‘Dealing with Stress, Managing its Impact’, ‘101 Days of Inspiration #tipoftheday’ and ‘Dealing with Death, Coping with the Pain’, all on Amazon & with easy to read sections, tips and ideas to help you feel more positive about your life.

To order a copy or for more information, help and free articles visit http://www.lifestyletherapy.net

By Susan Leigh. Photo by Mike Lloyd on Unsplash

The ability to manage stress is vital to your personal and professional success in life. Right now, with all that’s happening in the world, the ability to manage stress is vital to your survival during COVID-19.

Psychologists say that if you live a more balanced life, you will experience greater success in the long run.

Now, more than ever, calls for living a balanced life. The various stresses which have come along with this unexpected pandemic have caused many professionals to feel unbalanced.

In an effort to help you regain your balance, here are a few recommended techniques you can use to manage your stress during this time of COVID-19:

BREATHE: make time throughout the day to do deep breathing exercises. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth several times in a day. This process will help you to increase the oxygen in your blood. When oxygenated blood flows to your brain, it helps to make you feel more peaceful and less stressed.

EXERCISE: get regular exercise to boost your energy and overall sense of well-being. Whether you work out with a Pilates video in your living room; lift weights in your basement; join an aerobics class via Zoom; or take a walk around your neighborhood, a regular exercise routine will help to make your mind and body feel better. Another good benefit of a regular exercise routine is that it will also help to improve your self-esteem. A high level of self-esteem makes you feel good about yourself. When you feel good about yourself, you feel as if you can handle whatever comes your way. Make it a habit during COVID-19 to engage in regular exercise.

ENJOY SANCTUARY TIME: carve out time in your day and designate a special place in your home for sanctuary time. This will be time for you and you alone. Sanctuary time lets you take moments for yourself. Spend your sanctuary time in a spot that gives you a renewed sense of peace. Your sanctuary time can be first thing in the morning as you wash up in the bathroom; during the middle of the day as you meditate in your office; or later in the evening as you unwind in your living room. As long as you have private time to meditate, plan, and find peace, your sanctuary time can be whenever and wherever you decide. Commit to enjoying sanctuary time on several occasions within your week.

VISIT WITH LOVED ONES: maintain your personal and professional relationships during this time. Even though social distancing has become the norm, you can still connect with your family, friends, and colleagues. Sure, you will be using technology a lot more to connect with them now. The goal is to spend time engaged in conversation, laugher and connections to keep your spirits lifted. Phone calls, text messages, face-time sessions, Zoom meetings, and virtual parties are all ways you can visit with loved ones right now. Make a commitment to yourself to visit with a loved one each week until this pandemic is over.

COVID-19 has brought many unexpected issues with it which has knocked the balance out of the life of many professionals. The unbalance is causing professionals to be stressed out.

The four (4) stress management techniques described in this article are intended to help you regain levels of balance and eliminate sources of stress in your life.

Test them out and let them work for you.

In the world of inspiration and motivation, there is no other like Cassandra “D.I.V.A. of Dialog™” Lee. She is a leadership speaker who uses “Divine Inspiration Vocally Applied™” to help her audiences achieve workplace satisfaction and career success. To get a FREE copy of her special report, “101 Ways to Have a Rewarding Career,” sign-up on her website at https://www.divaofdialog.com.

Love is the antidote to fear. I’m not talking about romantic love, but higher states of love as the essence of our divine nature. If we are dictated by fear, we stop taking risks and remain in our comfort zone. We look for evidence to substantiate our choices, instead of getting hurt. Do you know people like this who have an answer to every problem and are unhappy? In one sense, they become powerless after a traumatic event and cannot navigate their way out. But as you know, there are no assurances in life and we are bound to get hurt at some point.

What would your life be like if you gave up your fears? What choices would you make? I realize this may sound unrealistic, but it can become your reality. Fear dominates us from the moment we are born. Depending on our attachment style, it will influence how we relate to others for the rest of our life, according to developmental psychologists. Fear dominates how we relate to others in intimate relationships and our work colleagues, family and friends. If we haven’t healed and transformed our childhood wounds, it will show up in our relationships.

We can become triggered and our nervous system reacts because we are not present but unconsciously recalling the past. This occurs instantly because we are unaware our unconscious programming is pulling the strings. Fear dominates other aspects of our life such as our: finances, health, career and life purpose. Admittedly, the media adds to this with constant fear-based news events. But we must decide whether we want to be dictated by fear or live a life of passion, enthusiasm and joy. Can you relate to this? Are you driven by fear in aspects of your life, even though you may not be aware of it? It requires an introspective look to see whether we are acting out of fear or love.

Move Through Your Fears

Pain and disappointment are not meant to stop us becoming the best version of ourselves. They teach us important lessons about our place in the universe and help us overcome our setbacks and defeats. We can be dictated by pain or lead with our heart’s deepest integrity. We cannot have it both ways, so we must choose where to direct our energy. It is said: where attention goes, energy flows. We have choices and sometimes it isn’t easy because we are torn between choosing what is in our best interest and looking after our personal needs. It requires stepping out of our comfort zone in the smallest way and integrating those experiences into our life. Those who live a rich and fulfilling life take chances and even though things may not always work out, they learn from their setbacks and try again.

Is this something you’re willing to try? Could you use this time to assess where you are in your life and where you want to be in the next few years? Irrespective of your age or life’s experience, stop clutching to your fears and transform them into love. Let go of what no longer serves you, regardless of your past or whether you have been hurt. Even if you are carrying trauma from childhood, it is never too late to re-parent yourself through self-love and self-compassion. You can change your history and rewire your nervous system, despite your past. Sometimes, we are forced to heal our wounds because life will push us into the driver’s seat and plant its foot on the accelerator. Suddenly, we are going a hundred miles an hour and cannot make sense of what is happening.

But we can learn to be resilient no matter what is taking place, or how difficult our pain and suffering. So, ask yourself: What would my life be like if I gave up my fears? What would I do differently? Sit with your answers and journal them, so you can come back to them at a later time. Visualise, what tomorrow would be like if your thoughts were no longer dominated by fear? What would you do or not do? Who would you become, and what would you achieve? Don’t get to the end of your life living with regret because it will be too late by then. So, make a vow to move through your fears and transform them into love and courage. It is only then, on the other side of your fears, lies the freedom to be who you truly are.

Do you want to lead a remarkable life? Are you committed to taking action despite your fears and doubts? If so, download your FREE copy of my eBook NAVIGATE LIFE right now, and start your amazing journey of greatness today!