When the outside word feels scary or chaotic, many people find that it’s harder than usual to take care of their own health and well-being. However, stopping your usual healthy activities or ignoring what you need to feel well can make everything going on in the outside world feel ever worse, which can make your own health and well-being feel worse. This cycle can really take a toll.
When you take care of yourself, you:
- Take care of your physical safety by following public health recommendations and orders to reduce the risk of becoming ill with COVID-19 or passing the coronavirus on to others
- Take care of your physical health by eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep, and managing stress as well as you can
- Take care of your mental health by learning how to manage the unhelpful thoughts that drive worry and fear, learning how to turn down the volume on distressing or overwhelming thoughts, and learning how to keep moving forward despite uncertainty
- Take care of your social health by keeping in touch with family, friends, and other important people
You may not be able to stop the coronavirus or make everything go back to normal tomorrow, but you can take care of yourself and support loved ones. You may need to get a bit creative if your usual spaces like gyms have closed, but this is a great time to try something new!
Gather information—know how to protect yourself and others
Keeping up to date and sharing good, reliable information with loved ones means that you are empowered to take action and take care of yourself and your loved ones. Read more >
Have a plan
You can’t control everything, but you still control a lot—your ability to stay safe, follow public health measures, stay connected with loved ones, and take care of your mental and physical health. Make a plan to help you identify to help you stay on track and tackle one day at a time. You’ll also find tips to help you solve trickier problems. Read more >
Stay in touch with others
While you may be physically separated from friends, family members, and other loved ones, it has never been more important to maintain those social connections. You’ll also find tip to help you reach out if your social networks are small or you don’t have the support your need. Read more >
Take care of your physical health and stay active
Taking care of your physical health is also good for your mental health. It’s more important than ever to keep yourself healthy. Read more >
Distract yourself and keep busy
Distraction is a very valid tool to help you cope when everything feels overwhelming or when you feel lonely or isolated. Find tips and suggestions to help you temporarily take a break from worries or fears. Read more >
Find new perspectives
How you think about something impacts your feelings and your behaviours. When we feel stressed out, angry, or fearful, it’s hard to look at the situation realistically and see all of the options we have. Find tips to help you reframe the situation and find more balanced perspectives. Read more >
Challenge thinking traps
What you tell yourself about a situation affects how you feel and what you do. Learn how to recognize and challenge “thinking traps,” unhelpful automatic thoughts or assumptions that distort the situation and make you feel worse. Read more >
Give yourself time to grieve
While a lot of people think of grief in terms of losing a person or pet, grief can come up whenever you lose something important, such as your sense of stability or sense of security. Recognizing grief and taking time to work through your feelings can help you move forward. Read more >