NIMH » Coping With Coronavirus: Managing Stress, Fear, and Anxiety

Each person responds to stress in different ways. In this Director’s message, Dr. Gordon talks about managing fear, anxiety, and stress related to the coronavirus pandemic.

www.nimh.nih.gov

Get the family Organized in the new phase

* Start a schedule - balancing multiple family members working from home

- I'm getting a big white board delivered and we're going to put check lists on it making sure every family member has had some:

outside time (walk the dog, play in backyard)

social time (call a grandparent, play a game with family or friends online)

mental time (learning something)

work time (school or profession)

creative time (draw, color, read, write, build)

chores time (clean, organize, put away, pick up, help a family member, feed the dogs, etc)

break time (Mindfulness, nap, listen to music)

movement time (living room dance party, jog the block, jump ropes/trampoline/bike)

* It's real important that you keep on your family's list your physical health as a way to protect your mental/psychological health

- 8 hours of sleep a night (kids and teens need more 8-10 hours!)

- Healthy food (even though we all want to just eat girl scout cookies or carbs every night as comfort)

- Sunshine & Exercise

- Hug your household - Research it! A full 20 second hug increases your levels of oxytocin ("the love hormone") and reduces your blood pressure and cortisol ("the stress hormone"), this will increase happiness and lower your stress in 20 seconds!