MH & COVID
Mental Health Tips & Resources During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Washing your hands and practicing social distancing are great practical ways to take care of your physical health during this time. However, it is also important to take care of our mental health. This page will provide you with tips to take care of your emotional and mental health during COVID-19.
Set and maintain a routine at home to help build consistency
Make sure this routine involves space for fun and/or relaxing activities, too! Take breaks and allow yourself to do things you enjoy.
Limit your social media and COVID-19 coverage intake
There is an abundance of COVID-19 coverage to consume, and it changes moment by moment. Instead of constantly refreshing your social media feeds or staying glued to news coverage, find a few trusted sources that you can check consistently and set limits on your consumption (once a day, or no more than one hour a day, etc.).
Use technology to maintain social connections
- Strengthen relationships with loved ones and peers using technology such as phone calls, FaceTime, Skype, and Google Meet. Consider a regular check-in schedule to give you something to look forward to.
- MN Peer Support Connection Warmline – For confidential peer-to-peer support, call or text 844-739-6369, from 5PM – 9AM, 7 days a week
- Virtual Peer Support Network – Join virtual meetings that promote mental wellness and community for people living with mental health challenges. Each meeting is hosted by a peer specialist with similar life experiences. Join via Zoom ID# 592-347-390 or call 646-558-8656 to join by phone, from 10AM - 4PM, 7 days a week
Focus on Controlling the things you can
A lot of what we hear and see nowadays is scary and troubling. It can be helpful to seek out the opposite. Start with finding one thing that makes you smile, laugh, or feel good each day, such as a funny YouTube video, a song with a hopeful message, or cuddles with your favorite person or pet.
Pay it Forward
Look for ways to help your community, such as blood donations, checking on older people in your neighborhood, or donating supplies or money to local organizations.
Develop a self-care Toolkit
This can look different for everyone. It can be a list of comforting activities (reading, movies, crafts, etc.), objects (stuffed animal, crystals, etc.), places to go, and things you have done in the past, or could do, to help yourself stay well. It can also be an actual “kit” that you assemble. A lot of successful self-care strategies involve a sensory component (touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell), so a good task might be to come up with at least one thing for each:
- For touch, a soft blanket or stuffed animal
- For taste, a favorite snack or drink
- For sight, a picture of a loved one or from a fun vacation
- For hearing, make a playlist of your favorite songs
- For smell, a scented candle or essential oil diffuser
- Some things can engage more than one sense, like putting on a nice-smelling lotion (touch & smell) or coloring in a coloring book (touch & sight)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES and ACTIVITIES
SCCBI Outpatient MH Resource List 2020 final.xlsx
NAMI Minnesota COVID-19 Resources
Minnesota COVID-19 Mental Health Support
Crisis Services, Support Groups and Classes
Bridge on Center Clubhouse Testimonials
South Central Crisis Center, Horizon Homes, Inc.
NAMI Minnesota Classes on Video
Wellness in the Woods Virtual Peer Support Network
Self-Care and Coping
Greater Good's Guide to Well-Being During Coronavirus
Greater Good's Keys to Well-Being
NIMH - 5 Things About Staying Mentally Healthy During the COVID-19 Outbreak
PBS News Hour - Mental Health Expert Answers Your Questions on Coping During COVID-19
Mindfulness, Meditation and Yoga
How to Practice Mindfulness – 4 Easy Ways to Meditate During Day to Day Life
Live Cams