The COVID-19 pandemic has turned our everyday lives completely upside down. Social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders have resulted in social isolation, loss of work, financial pressures and a great deal of additional stress for most of us. 

While it's important to monitor your physical health during the pandemic and to seek medical attention if you experience any symptoms of the virus, it is equally important to monitor your mental and emotional health and to engage in self-care strategies and coping mechanisms to help you get through this difficult time.

The following are a few strategies that can help protect your mental and emotional health:

• Stay connected: Although you cannot gather with friends and family in the ways you normally would, you should still find ways to stay connected. Video calls are a great way to get face-to-face interaction, and there are always phone calls, texting and social media.
  
  
• Withdraw from negative news: If the constant cycle of negative and frightening news is damaging your emotional health, you should limit your exposure to the media sources that are most likely to distress you. If you do wish to keep up with the news, be careful about the news sources you use. Limit social media that will expose you primarily to rumors and seek out reliable sources like the CDC.
  
  
• Engage in healthy habits: There are simple changes you can make to your health and wellness that will make you feel better mentally, as well as physically. Get plenty of sleep, get regular physical activity, eat healthy foods, avoid abusing substances, limit your screen time and find some quiet time to relax.
  
  
• Find tasks to keep you busy: You may still have your hands full with work or children, but if you do find yourself with idle time, consider investing it in a hobby or project that will keep you busy. Having these sorts of distractions can keep your mind off the negativity that comes with a pandemic situation, while alleviating anxiety and depression.
  
  
• Set reasonable goals: It is easy to start falling into feelings of guilt that you are not getting enough done while you have more time on their hands during the pandemic. There’s no need to overwhelm yourself with long lists of tasks and projects if you don’t want to—set reasonable goals for yourself and prioritize the things you want to achieve. Allow yourself some rewards for when you accomplish your goals.
  
  
• Seek help when you feel you need it: Do not be shy about seeking help. For some people, connecting with a loved one or mentor will be sufficient, but you should also feel comfortable going to your primary care provider or mental health professional for advice or treatment. There are also organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that offer valuable resources.

This pandemic is a difficult time for us all. Please take care of yourself emotionally and physically, and implement whatever self-care strategies you need to do so. We hope you are staying safe and healthy, Mighty Cardinals Nation!

Congratulations, Chi-Hi Class of 2020 Graduates!

Enjoy our June 3 graduation processional photo gallery