Taking care of your emotional health
It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief, and worry during and after a disaster. Everyone reacts differently, and your own feelings will change over time. Notice and accept how you feel. Taking care of your emotional health during an emergency will help you think clearly and react to the urgent needs to protect yourself and your family. Self-care during an emergency will help your long-term healing.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends these steps to help cope with a disaster. For all of the details, read the full article here.
- Take care of your body
- Connect with others
- Take breaks
- Stay informed
- Avoid too much exposure to news
- Seek help when needed
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or need someone to talk to about the stress of the COVID-19 outbreak, you can call SAMHSA's helpline 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year at 1.800.985.5990. This service is available to anyone in the United States and its territories. Help is available in multiple languages as well.