COVID, Managing emotions

COVID-19 Helpful Blog Articles

Written by Here Counseling

This post is a list of blogs that I’ve come across and thought were worth sharing. I’ve included a brief snapshot of each article and organized them by topic. I’ll continue to update this page as I come across articles worth sharing. Also, be sure to check out blog posts from the clinicians at Here Counseling.

Working from Home

6 Relationship Tips From a Therapist on Dealing With Covid-19 Stress

A couples therapist in SF describes how common problems arise from being in close proximity with your significant other for extended periods of time. She writes that these common problems are exacerbated by the stress and anxiety of the COVID-19 epidemic, and she provides 6 excellent suggestions for how to navigate the stress and proximity together. Getting ahead of the virus’ potential impact on our relationships should be part of any good coronavirus readiness plan, so this is a great article to help with adapting.

How To Be A Happy And Productive Remote Worker

This blog is pretty id-depth and will appeal to those who are in middle management, as well as a team member. It comes from the folks at Trello, who has their entire team working remotely and are very experienced in it (they even wrote a book about it and it link it at the bottom of the blog, if you want a copy). This is a great article if you think you might be working from home for the next couple of months or longer.

A Remote Work Guide, For Parents

Also from the Trello team, this blog is one of the better ones I’ve read for parents working from home. The author discusses how to manage your children’s expectations about their parents being at home and develop great routines. My favorite suggestion is one my clients / patients hear from me a lot: wake up at the same time everyday. Maintaining routines requires extra effort but it is even more important when there is less accountability. 

Does Remote Work Increase Our Risk Of Impostor Syndrome?

Last one from Trello (they have a great blog with more you can check out at blog.trello.com)! Moving to remote work is an adjustment in our personal routines but it is also an adjustment in how we view workplace etiquitte and time management. This blog does a great job presenting these problems and providing useful solutions. For instance, if you’re struggling with writing an email for fear of your tone being misunderstood, see if you can schedule a quick FaceTime to get the message across the way you’re most comfortable.

Emotional Wellbeing

Five Ways to View Coverage of the Coronavirus

This blog comes from the American Psychological Association and is brief and to the point. It is a great read for folks feeling anxious or overwhelmed.

Five Easy Ways You and Your Family Can Fight Stress During the Coronavirus Outbreak

This blog introduces the “COVID-19 Five-a-day,” which, as the author puts it, “is a set of five daily goals that you and your family can implement, based on global research on resilience and coping with adversity.” Tips provided in this blog are based on research from the effects of isolation, and if you want to find out more, there is a link at the bottom of the webpage.

Talking to Children about Illness

This is a fantastic guide released by the British Psychological Association that details how to discuss the Coronavirus with your children. It details the needs of children at different developmental stages, what they may say or do, and exactly what you an do to help. This guide is for parents of children age 0-18. Also look at this article and video from our very own Ashley Holcomb, PsyD about how to talk to your children about the coronavirus.

Matthew Russell, PsyD
Matthew Russell, PsyD

I help people with depression feel less weighed down, and more in control of their emotions, so they can feel relief.

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COVID, Managing emotions, Neurology

Your Brain on COVID-19

Written by Here Counseling

Feeling unsure of how to respond in times like these can lead to panicky decisions while we seek control in an out of control world. In this blog, I respond to a CNBC article about the panic-shopping and panic-investing we are witnessing. I’ll go over the processes underlying our behavior and how you can help yourself cope.

Hoarding Hoardes

In this article published by CNBC, the author discusses how panic leads to problematic decisions like hoarding and divesting from the stock market. The author found out that the panic sweeping the nation in grocery stores and the stock market is a result of human behavior during panic. In times of panic, we seek to preserve ourselves by hoarding necessities and pulling our cash out of investments. If the behavior seems primitive, it’s because it is. We are using a brain that dates back about 150,000 years and trying to use it to cope and decide about markets that are only about 100 years old and a society that is less than 250 years old. It is worsened by the fact that fear can be contagious, so if you see someone piling up canned goods, it sends off fear signals in your brain that you may be the one without if you don’t act quickly. According to the article, it is best to sit down and take stock of your emotions and separate from your decision-making by talking to experts, such as a financial planner. They may be able to provide rationality or have experience in sharp economic downturns. 

It’s All Normal to Feel

You’ve probably felt your heart start racing or palms sweating as you started to look for your car keys and reusable grocery bags in a last ditch effort to get what you can at the grocery. Maybe you’ve thought of cashing out of the stock market or pulling cash out of the bank. It’s all normal to feel but the big problem is thinking we’ve made the best decision when to pull out cash or hoard toilet paper.

As the article mentions, our brains are an old system that dates back about 150,000 years ago. If you can imagine a primitive human staring in awe, mouth agape, at a TV displaying cable news of the COVID-19 crisis (let’s assume the human speaks English), it is easy to also imagine that person frantically grabbing at necessities, pushing people over to get to them, and grunting to intimidate others. Fear is contagious and no one wants to be the one without enough supplies if circumstances become so dire.

When we acknowledge that we have the same brain, the panicky response of the masses seems more understandable.

Most people pulling money out of the bank or stock market are focusing on preserving what they have. This emotional reaction has the power to override an established financial plan and cause people to “get out.” Imagine our friend, the primitive human, with a pile of resources, seeing the panic on TV, and attempting to protect his pile – not too different from us, again.

Stockpiling is a legitimate coping response that will probably result in reducing your stress but only if done responsibly.

Ineffective Coping Makes Things Worse

Buying enough canned goods for a couple of weeks of self-quarantine is realistic, but racking up a credit card bill you cannot afford for food and toilet paper you cannot store is a poor choice that will lead to more stress and worry. Standing in line for hours at Costco talking to other people who are reacting to panic is likely increase your stress, too. Also, hoarding means there will be less for others, especially the vulnerable that aren’t able to travel to the store or afford to buy in large quantities.

6 Things You Can Do to Cope

  1. Talk to others. Take time to talk to others via FaceTime and gain other perspectives and socialize without leaving your house.
  2. Turn off news notifications on your phone. You have plenty of other things you can do on there. Play a game or do something more active, such as drawing or journaling.
  3. Limit watching the news on TV. Maybe you only watch the evening local news broadcast and leave it at that. Instead, watch movies or play video games.
  4. Visit the grocery at off-peak times. If you must go, go when fewer people will be there to reduce your panicky feelings. Go with a list and only buy what you need. Essentials will remain available, even in a major shutdown (i.e.: Spain)
  5. Talk to a therapist. You knew I would suggest it, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed we are here. I can’t make it all go away or run your errands but I can help you gain perspective and work on symptom management in the meantime.
  6. Explore your state’s COVID-19 website. For example, California (where I practice) has a website that helps folks understand how the government is responding and protecting your future. For those worried about their finances, the site includes details about paid leave and short-term disability options that can help calm financial worries.
Put simply, do not stimulate yourself with stressful images and words. It is one thing to be informed, it is another to be overwhelmed and inundated in a way our 150,000 year-old brains aren’t great at handling.

When to Seek Professional Help

Give the tips above a try and if you’re noticing yourself struggling to cope effectively it might be a good time to reach out to a therapist. Connecting with another person that is nonjudgmental is an opportunity to reflect and honestly analyze your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Protecting the future for you and yours is a common reason people invest, so times like this feel existential. It’s important to check with your financial advisor about how to best stick to your plan or hire a financial planner to help develop a plan that includes contingencies for times like these. Writing down the things you are anxious about and seeing if there is a simple solution is useful step to take.

Matthew Russell, PsyD
Matthew Russell, PsyD
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Neurology

Get to bed at 10 tonight: Why sleep is important and how more of it will change your life

Written by Here Counseling

It’s hard to get a good night’s sleep. Maybe it’s work stress, too much screen time, or something you haven’t quite figured out yet that keeps you up. Maybe you’re waking up after going to bed on time but you’re still not refreshed and ready for the day.

I know it’s hard to get, but sleep is important to preserving and improving our mental health and physical health. I’ll explain some of these important processes below, and be sure to check back soon for the tips on how to get that much-needed sleep.

Sleep keeps the doctor away

Sleep improves immunity. Consistently poor sleep is known to disrupt the immune system, leaving us more prone to common illnesses. The key here is consistency. One common mistake is to try to “catch up” on the weekends.
Deep sleep is essential for repairing wear and tear on the body. In fact, it is during deep sleep stages that human growth hormone is released into the body, aiding in the recovery of muscles and buildup of new muscles. Deep sleep is also the most refreshing portion of the sleep cycle because it reduces our body’s natural drive for sleep, ensuring you’re not sluggish throughout the day.

Good sleep builds memories

One of deep sleep’s most vital functions is the consolidation of new memories, in other words, it’s where memories are stored and organized for long-term access. So, if you’re studying for a big test, don’t stay up all night cramming because those crammed in memories won’t consolidate effectively – less is more when studying and sleeping well!

Sleep helps you avoid weight gain and diabetes

Getting enough deep sleep reduces the odds of developing diabetes. Missing out on deep sleep can lead to changes in the way the body manages glucose. We mainly dream during the REM state that follows the deep sleep stages, so if you’re having dreams you’re likely getting quality sleep.

Sleep can aid in weight loss. Research indicates those getting poor sleep are more prone to increased levels of ghrelin (stimulates hunger) and reduced levels of leptin (makes you feel full). Overeating and not feeling full is a recipe for gaining weight and being “hangry,” not to mention the other health issues that come with being overweight.

Less sleep problems means more intimacy

Behavioral problems can include a reduction in sexual activity. When people have sleep issues they develop routines to help fall asleep and one thing that can disturb that is a bed partner, so folks end up sleeping alone. Not surprisingly, sleeping in different rooms is not conducive to an active sex life. On top of that, a tired and tense person is likely to experience a reduced libido, even before they sleep in separate beds.

Good sleep wards off depression

A survey of those with depression and anxiety revealed that most slept less than 6 hours per night, falling short of the 8 hours most adults need. This finding suggests that proper sleep hygiene may be protective against common mental health issues.

Sleep isn’t simply “turning off” for the night. It’s a healing, active process that helps you function your best. Maybe you’re struggling to get to sleep – whether it’s from overworking yourself or even stress. I hope this reminder helps you refocus on how important it can be to slow down and get good rest.

The next step is mastering sleep hygiene: changing a few things every night to help you get the sleep you need. Check back soon for the tips on how to improve your sleep hygiene.

Matthew Russell, PsyD
Matthew Russell, PsyD

I help people with depression feel less weighed down, and more in control of their emotions, so they can feel relief.

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