COVID-19 Resources

COVID-19 Resources 

• Higher Education Mental Health Alliance (HEMHA) COVID-19 Resources
• Montgomery County Area COVID-19 Resources
• Maryland COVID-19 Resources
• Mindfulness/Meditation Videos
  • take a deep breath
  • Well-being Mini Meditation
  • Meditation for Frustration

How to manage stress and keep it together during the COVID-19 crisis:

• KEEP BUSY
  • Create a daily schedule - maintain routines as much as possible
  • Use the time you had been commuting to improve yourself - learn a skill you hadn’t had time for before, read that book you’ve wanted to, find ways to be active
  • Find ways to express yourself and your feelings through creative pursuits (it’s not important how talented you think you are, only that you enjoy it and get some release)
  • Put your energy into the home projects you haven't been able to get to
• TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
  • Eat healthy, avoid junk food
  • Drink alcohol and caffeine in moderation
  • Use this opportunity to get enough sleep, and to establish a good sleep routine
  • Get outside in nature, even if just sitting on the porch or by an open window - positive effects on mood and stress levels
  • Make time for daily physical movement/exercise - this is calming and helps boost immune function
  • Use quality resources (e,g,, CDC, State websites) on COVID-19 to avoid disinformation
  • Limit your intake of news (perhaps twice a day) – it can become overwhelming and traumatizing
  • Stay in touch with people you know; get in touch with long-lost friends and family
  • Laugh, and have some fun when you can
  • Take breaks - Play a game - Watch a movie (but not Contagion!)
  • Take an online yoga class
  • Check out meditation apps like Insight Timer or Headspace - they have COVID19 meditations!
  • Shelve big decisions for now
• MANAGE YOUR FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS
  • Accept the "new normal" of your family system, and write down a plan for each day or week
  • When upset with your partner, remember this is temporary and it will end
  • Give each other time to be alone, and spend time in different physical spaces
  • Shelve talking about big relationship issues until things stabilize
  • Don't discuss relationship issues every day
  • Build relational immunity by doing small positive things often, let go and appreciate more
  • Let your partner share their feelings about the crisis, and remember, more often than not they just need a "release"
• IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE HANDLING THINGS
  • If anxiety gets to be too much, consult websites like EveryMind and the Anxiety and Depression Association of America
  • Check your health insurance benefits, many are providing online therapy and psychiatric consultations, and some are waiving copays and deductibles, like Carefirst
  • If you hit a crisis, call or text the EveryMind crisis hotline in Maryland at (301) 738-2255 and/or the Montgomery County Crisis Center at 240-777-4000
  • Other hotlines and resources can be found at:   https://shadygrove.umd.edu/student-services/center-for-counseling-and-consultation/need-help-now