These are challenging times with many Delawareans experiencing fear and anxiety about their health of themselves and their loved ones along with financial stress and uncertainty. The Delaware Psychological Association has resources available on their website to support mental health as well as information about psychologists who are taking new clients, including services delivered through video conferencing. As we focus on our physical health we also need to make our mental health a priority. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Keep a routine. It doesn’t need to be rigidly followed, but have some type of routine that includes regular times to sleep, eat and exercise.
2. Get things done around the house, but only if it feels good to do so. Try not to put pressure on yourself to accomplish a great deal, but notice if it helps to feel that you are getting things done. Try to balance getting things done with time doing things just for pleasure.
3. Spend time outdoors on a regular basis.
4. Reach out to others on a daily basis though phone calls or video chats. Think of creative ways that you can spend time with people virtually such as eating meals, watching movies, playing games or listening to music.
5. Limit exposure to the news and social media if you notice it is having a negative impact on your mental health.
6. Come up with a resiliency plan that incorporates some of these ideas and make changes to it as needed.
