As we continue to learn with each passing day, living through a public health emergency can be extremely stressful. And just as individuals with pre-existing physical illness are more likely to get physically ill from the coronavirus, it stands to reason that people who struggle with mental health issues, many of which can be exacerbated by periods of isolation, are at greater risk of experiencing worsening mental well-being as a result of the coronavirus.
And while the traditional option of meeting in-person with a counselor or therapist is likely not an option right now, mental health professionals are adapting to the current social limitations under which we are living. For example, our friends over at LifeWorks Counseling are offering Telemental Health Sessions so that you can still speak face to face, via video, with a licensed professional counselor.
Also, here’s a non-exhaustive list of online mental wellness resources, some of which are specifically tailored for coping during COVID-19 (I personally am a big fan of the headspace app and use it daily):
- Anxiety Management: Anxiety and Depression Association of America’s Managing COVID-19 Anxiety resource page
- Struggling with Social Distancing: CNN article “The Extrovert’s Guide to Social Distancing”
- Healthy Approach to Coronavirus: “FACE COVID” – Video tips for effective response to mood
- Guided Meditation: easy to use guided meditations to “weather the storm” from Headspace
- Helpful Apps: a list of the top 25 mental health apps
- Mindfulness: exercises to practice mindfulness
- Stress and Anxiety App: the #1 app for stress, anxiety, and depression
- Stress Management: Verywell Mind’s Coping with Coronavirus resource page
- Supporting Self and Others: Families for Depression Awareness’s COVID-19 article
- Tips to Reducing Stress: U.S. Department of Health’s Tips to Reduce COVID-19 Stress
