Breathe

Tips for Thriving During COVID

Be creative. Creativity allows us to adapt to new situations. Make time for spontaneity, art, and fun during this time and allow yourself to express your thoughts and emotions.  In addition, look for new healthy rituals and to try new, positive things during shelter-in-place and beyond.

Be social. It is easy to neglect relationships during a stressful time, but relationships continue to be one of the most effective resources. If you don’t have a community around you during this time, please reach out to our affiliated church who can connect you with a warm, loving community, that’s doing a great job of being online right now.

Be physical. Human beings are intimately linked with our physical bodies. The classic moto of pay attention to what you eat and how active you are fits well here, even more than normally. Trauma develops less in people who can move and be active rather than people who feel trapped. Of course, getting enough sleep is important too as it helps the brain to recover. Also, remember, that the most restorative sleep is towards the end of your sleep time rather than just the beginning.

Be outside. Obviously, this is something we are all careful about right now but finding a way to safely spend some time outside can help normalize your body in a variety of ways. Our circadian rhythm, the body’s own mechanism for regulating itself, and keeping normality, thrives off time in the sun. Stay safe but even just sitting in a backyard for an hour to read can help as can going for a walk.

Be connected. There is a lot of misinformation around and it is important to find resources of news that you can trust during this time. That said, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Make sure to limit your time with the news and social media to something that works for you rather than causes you more stress. The point is to be informed and to gain mastery over what we take in rather than be overcome by it.

Be clearheaded. Stressful events often precipitate a rise in addiction rates. But now is a time if ever to be clearheaded from all addictions such as alcohol, drugs, monetary spending, and pornography. Many addictions groups are moving online to help increase community during this time. At CPCC, we work a lot with compulsive sexual behaviors and welcome anyone struggling in that area to reach out to us.

Be humble. Part of being humble is knowing when to reach out for help. If you feel like any of these steps is too difficult for you right now, reach out. We have over a score of professional therapists that are here to help during this time to provide care and assistance, even online.

More Resources

Here are some more resources, both from our own team of therapists and others, that give wisdom and aid.

Hope

• Hope in the face of COVID-19; lessons learned from Viktor Frankl

Pandemic Guides

• Living through a pandemic

Anxiety and Depression

• Managing anxiety about the coronavirus

• What is meditation and how is it used?

• What is self-care?

• Our relationship with our thoughts and feelings

• The three p's of depression

Parenting

• Social media and adolescents

• What your child needs from you

• Technology addiction and the rising risks

• Helping kids with their emotions

Church

• Community Presbyterian Church

Information

• http://211.org/

• https://www.cdc.gov/

• https://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml

• https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/