CLEVELAND — While we are all thinking about our physical health, the stress from all of the unknowns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic can have a big impact on your mental health, too.
Dr. Amy Sullivan is a health psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic. She said feelings of stress, anxiety, fear, and disappointment are normal right now.
“I think it's okay for us to have this disappointment and these feelings of, you know, stress and anxiety during this time. I think it's normal. But I think what we have to make sure we do is to process these disappointments,” she said.
It’s important to have an outlet.
“Process these disappointments with families and friends, you know, maybe writing some of these down, mailing a letter to get some of the emotions out, instead of really letting that sit within your body and wreaking havoc,” she said.
There are ways to give yourself a mental break, go for a walk or a run, call a family member or friend, read a book or watch a movie and don’t constantly search for information about COVID-19.
“My suggestion is get the information that you need and make sure that you're not inundating yourself with it. It can't be the only thing that you're listening to day in and day out,” said Dr. Sullivan. “Some diaphragmatic breathing is something that I would recommend. These are very simple, deep breaths that we can take that really relax the sympathetic nervous system and help us to kind of get to the to the rest and relax phase.”
Dr. Sullivan noted if our nervous systems are constantly in fight or flight mode it can make us vulnerable for other health conditions like gastrointestinal or cardiac issues.
If you feel like your mental health is struggling, there are resources out there to help you:
- Cuyahoga County Warmline 440-866-5950
- Crisis Text Line- Text ‘4hope’ to 741741
- NAMI Helpline 216-875-7776
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1800-273-8255
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Read our daily Coronavirus Live Blog for the latest updates and news on coronavirus.
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Ohio, a timeline of Governor Mike DeWine's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Northeast Ohio, and link to more information from the Ohio Department of Health, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, the CDC and the WHO.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
Here is everything you need to know about testing for coronavirus in Ohio.
Here's a list of things in Northeast Ohio closed due to coronavirus concerns
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
