April 2020 -

Managing Stress during COVID-19

Whether you are an essential worker still being called into your line of duty or if you have been staying at home due to layoffs or work from home orders, COVID-19 has been taking a toll on all of us. During this challenging time, many of us are looking for resources to manage our stress and mental health. Here, we will be sharing a few resources that may be helpful for you during this time.

Take the situation day by day.

With everything constantly changing and shifting, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure of what the future may hold. In this situation, it is best to take each experience at a time and each day at a time. This means to live in the moment and focus on what is right in front of you; what do you need to do this second, this minute, this hour, today?

Follow healthy daily routines as much as possible.

When life is swirling around in chaos, it can be difficult to feel in control of your situation. It may be helpful for you to keep a daily schedule to spell out the things you are going to do for the day and when you will do them. Even if you are staying inside for the majority of the day, that does not mean you can put a bit of structure in your day to day life.

Take time for yourself.

Managing stress is just as mental as it is physical. Take some time out of your day to spend it with yourself. Calm.com is providing free resources during COVID-19 has wonderful guided meditations that can help you take some tension off of your shoulders.

Manage how you consume information.

Be selective about how you consume the news. Watching too much television and reading too many articles can be stressful. Set limits on how long you consume the news each day and be careful about where you are getting your news from.

Stay connected with others, virtually!

This is the perfect time to reach out and connect with those we have not heard from in a while. Reaching out over the phone or via video chat is a great way to get social interaction without having to leave your home.

Toolkit: If you have more time and would like to read more on more detailed ways to take care of yourself, feel free to explore these resources we’ve found.

Cheap and Easy Meals to Make During Quarantine

With a statewide quarantine entering full effect (and being extended), obtaining groceries and food has become more challenging than it has ever been. Beyond groceries, we are now forced to reckon with the fact we must cook the majority of our meals by ourselves; to help alleviate the dilemma of deciding what to cook and to give everyone budget-friendly meal ideas, we have compiled a list of 5.

Check the toolkit at the bottom for links to the pages.