The Healthy Communities Mental Health Action Team would like to remind our community of some ways to practice self-care as we continue physical distancing to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Here is our top 10 list of ways to care for yourself:

1. Eat healthy to keep your mind and body working at their best. Eating fruits and vegetables can have positive mental health benefits. Nuts, berries, and leafy green vegetables can help to boost your mood in natural ways.
2. Exercise reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety. Get out for a walk while still maintaining physical distancing, or put that home gym equipment to use!
3. Practice relaxation techniques. Focusing on tensing and relaxing muscle groups can help you relax voluntarily when feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious. Try meditation or calming apps. Finding ways to center your mind and self can provide relief from anxiety and depression.
4. Catch some “rays.”  Sunlight or natural light can provide some relief of depressive symptoms. Open the shades and let as much light in as possible. Get outside – even just sitting outside a short time will benefit you.
5. Be kind to yourself! Grace and compassion are important gifts that you can give yourself. Everyone is adjusting to a new normal – maybe its keeping kids on track with school, or adjusting to a new work routine, working different hours or being temporarily sidelined, it’s okay to not feel okay. If it were a friend or a loved one, what would you say to him or her? Tell yourself those things. Be your own cheerleader.
6. Maintain physical distance but still connect. Even though we can’t get together in the same space, we can still be connected. Reach out to each other – phone calls, text messages, video messaging, and social media are great ways to have a connection to others.  Make regular connections to check in with friends, loved ones, and colleagues.  You can also make signs or messages and post them outside where you live, sending a positive message to the world.
7. Monitor media consumption. While you might want to stay up-to-the-minute with COVID-19 news, too much exposure can be overwhelming. Balance media consumption with other activities you enjoy, such as reading, cooking, or listening to music.
8. Find routines: Routines help to structure the day. Routines and schedules provide comfort to us and our children. Keep regular times for education, meals, exercise, and other regular activities.
9. Bartholomew County has adopted a common framework to build resiliency in our young people; Developmental Assets and Developmental Relationships are powerful tools to put into practice with our young people in times like these. For more information, please visit https://www.cydbartholomew.org or https://www.search-institute.org.
10. Our partners at Council for Youth Development also have parenting resources related to the current COVID 19 crisis. Please find these resources at: https://www.cydbartholomew.org/emergency-child-care-bartholomew

Please reach out if you need help: Centerstone Crisis Line:  1-800-832-5442 and the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at: 1-800-273-8255.