Hi everyone,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope you and your families are staying well and getting ready for the shelter in place, effective at 11:59 PM tonight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today would be a good day to write one of your journal entries! Remember, your journal entries will be no different than those people who kept journals during the Civil War or WWII. This is a unique time period, just like these prior time periods listed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These letters below are from Ms. Rumler. Please read:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n LETTER #1<\/p>\n\n\n\n We know the outbreak of COVID-19 can be stressful and cause fear and anxiety for people. These feelings during an infectious disease outbreak are normal and common. But there are things you can do to support yourself, friends and family members. By working together, you can cope with the stress which will make you and your loved ones stronger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LETTER #2<\/p>\n\n\n\n Relaxation Techniques<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a9 2013 Therapist Aid LLC 1 Provided by TherapistAid.com Deep Breathing Imagery Relaxation Techniques<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a9 2013 Therapist Aid LLC 2 Provided by TherapistAid.com Progressive Muscle Relaxation <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hi everyone, I hope you and your families are staying well and getting ready for the shelter in place, effective at 11:59 PM tonight. Today would be a good day to write one of your journal entries! Remember, your journal … Continue reading Dealing with stress and anxiety<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Stress during an infectious disease outbreak can include<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Things you can do to support yourself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Other suggestions include:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nWhen a person is confronted with anxiety, their body undergoes several changes and
\nenters a special state called the fight-or-flight response. The body prepares to either fight
\nor flee the perceived danger.
\nDuring the fight-or-flight response it\u2019s common to experience a \u201cblank\u201d mind, increased
\nheart rate, sweating, tense muscles, and more. Unfortunately, these bodily responses do
\nlittle good when it comes to protecting us from modern sources of anxiety.
\nUsing a variety of skills, you can end the fight-or-flight response before the symptoms
\nbecome too extreme. These skills will require practice to work effectively, so don\u2019t wait
\nuntil the last minute to try them out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nIt\u2019s natural to take long, deep breaths, when relaxed. However, during the fight-or-flight
\nresponse, breathing becomes rapid and shallow. Deep breathing reverses that, and sends
\nmessages to the brain to begin calming the body. Practice will make your body respond
\nmore efficiently to deep breathing in the future.
\nBreathe in slowly. Count in your head and make sure the inward breath lasts at least 5
\nseconds. Pay attention to the feeling of the air filling your lungs.
\nHold your breath for 5 to 10 seconds (again, keep count). You don\u2019t want to feel
\nuncomfortable, but it should last quite a bit longer than an ordinary breath.
\nBreathe out very slowly for 5 to 10 seconds (count!). Pretend like you\u2019re breathing
\nthrough a straw to slow yourself down. Try using a real straw to practice.
\nRepeat the breathing process until you feel calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThink about some of your favorite and least favorite places. If you think about the place
\nhard enough\u2014if you really try to think about what it\u2019s like\u2014you may begin to have feelings
\nyou associate with that location. Our brain has the ability to create emotional reactions
\nbased entirely off of our thoughts. The imagery technique uses this to its advantage.
\nMake sure you\u2019re somewhere quiet without too much noise or distraction. You\u2019ll need a
\nfew minutes to just spend quietly, in your mind.
\nThink of a place that\u2019s calming for you. Some examples are the beach, hiking on a
\nmountain, relaxing at home with a friend, or playing with a pet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nPaint a picture of the calming place in your mind. Don\u2019t just think of the place briefly\u2014
\nimagine every little detail. Go through each of your senses and imagine what you would
\nexperience in your relaxing place. Here\u2019s an example using a beach:
\na. Sight: The sun is high in the sky and you\u2019re surrounded by white sand. There\u2019s no
\none else around. The water is a greenish-blue and waves are calmly rolling in
\nfrom the ocean.
\nb. Sound: You can hear the deep pounding and splashing of the waves. There are
\nseagulls somewhere in the background.
\nc. Touch: The sun is warm on your back, but a breeze cools you down just enough.
\nYou can feel sand moving between your toes.
\nd. Taste: You have a glass of lemonade that\u2019s sweet, tart, and refreshing.
\ne. Smell: You can smell the fresh ocean air, full of salt and calming aromas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nDuring the fight-or-flight response, the tension in our muscles increases. This can lead to a
\nfeeling of stiffness, or even back and neck pain. Progressive muscle relaxation teaches us
\nto become more aware of this tension so we can better identify and address stress.
\nFind a private and quiet location. You should sit or lie down somewhere comfortable.
\nThe idea of this technique is to intentionally tense each muscle, and then to release the
\ntension. Let\u2019s practice with your feet.
\na. Tense the muscles in your toes by curling them into your foot. Notice how it feels when
\nyour foot is tense. Hold the tension for 5 seconds.
\nb. Release the tension from your toes. Let them relax. Notice how your toes feel differently
\nafter you release the tension.
\nc. Tense the muscles all throughout your calf. Hold it for 5 seconds. Notice how the feeling
\nof tension in your leg feels.
\nd. Release the tension from your calf, and notice how the feeling of relaxation differs.
\nFollow this pattern of tensing and releasing tension all throughout your body. After you
\nfinish with your feet and legs, move up through your torso, arms, hands, neck, and head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n