Page 17 - May-June 2021 REPORTER

live in, our beliefs and behaviours may • Create a daily routine. Establish a diminished from week to week, don’t
vary. daily process and don’t let the basics hesitate to contact your assistance
• Stressful reactions during this slip. Maintain a schedule and keep program for coaching or counselling
pandemic may include, but are not up with daily hygiene, chores and support. If you take good care of
limited to: cleaning practices. yourself, ensuring that you obtain the
• Fear and worry about our health and • Don’t judge or blame yourself. Don’t support you need, you will gradually
the health of those you care about criticize yourself for having these regain your normal sense of self, given
• Changes in sleeping and/or eating reactions. Be patient with yourself. the current COVID-19 restrictions in
patterns • Avoid saturation. Manage your media place.
• Difficulty sleeping and/or and online intake and try and focus Remember that taking care of
concentrating on something else. • Find something yourself is integral to being able to
• Worsening of chronic health to help distract you. Some people help others. Helping your family,
problems find it helpful to keep busy with friends, co-workers and others cope
• Increased use of alcohol or tobacco, hobbies, routine chores or physical with stress can aide in making your
or other drugs exercise. community and workforce stronger.
• Take time to rest and relax. Maintain
What can you do to stay calm during good sleep habits and take time for Please be mindful of your community.
this period of uncertainty? yourself and practice taking deep There are vulnerable populations who
• Be aware of your mental health. Pay breaths, or meditation. are more susceptible to COVID-19 than
more attention to your feelings and others. We are all in this together.
reactions rather than the event itself. What should you do if your stress or
• Reach out to your support system anxiety doesn’t diminish from week to References: Centers for Disease Control
via text, telephone or through week? and Prevention. Manage Anxiety &
virtual conferencing. Maintain It’s better not to keep the worrying Stress (2020) Available from: www.cdc.
physical distancing. Let your family, thoughts and anxieties to yourself. gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/
colleagues and friends know how People close to you don’t always managing-stress-anxiety.html
they can best support you during know how to help, despite their best
stressful periods. intentions. If these reactions have not

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