Over the past few months, we have all been dealing with the the fallout of the Coronavirus pandemic. Recently, we have been faced with images of graphic violence, police brutality, and injustice on the news and in our streets. Our minds crave certainty and with consequences of the pandemic coupled with these graphic images, we may feel more anxious and depressed. Here are a few coping strategies.
Keep your routines
Make yourself a schedule and try to stick to it. Schedule work, mealtimes, and leisure time. For example, if you are used to exercising in the morning, do your best to continue doing so.
Stay connected
Keep in touch with your friends and family. Call them on the phone or do a video chat. Talking with people you’re close with may help ease anxieties.
Take action
You may be feeling very helpless right now and like there is nothing you can do. Help from the safety of your home by going to Change.org to sign petitions for action against police brutality, justice for Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd. If you are in the position to do so, donate to organizations such as the NAACP, Community Justice Action Fund, the ACLU, Black Lives Matter, or The Southern Poverty Law Center.
Speak to someone
Many mental health counselors are available via telehealth appointments. If you do not have insurance coverage and are in the New York area, New York state is providing a service from the NY state Office of Mental Health OMH Emotional Support Helpline: 1-844-863-9314. The city of New York continues to provide a hotline for COVID-19 mental health counseling in addition to texting and chat service 1-888-NYC-WELL (1-888-692-9355) or https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/en/
Thanks!
Brooke Steiger, NP