It’s hard to sift through the messages and information coming at us. Worse, the “unknown unknown” (not knowing what you don’t even know) can cause even greater anxiety for those of us who are panic-prone.

What you can do

1. Remember that knowledge is power. Understanding the factors that affect a person’s immune response to COVID-19 will matter as much as, understanding the virus.

2. Don’t accept everything you read or hear. Look beyond rhetoric and arm yourself with information. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides information and frequent updates on the COVID-19’s spread, severity, risk assessment, etc. To subscribe to the CDC’s email and text message service, visit CDC Subscription Service.

3. Get your emotional support system in place:

• Maintain familiar routines in daily life as much as possible; take care of your basic needs and employ helpful coping strategies: eat healthy food and engage in physical activity.
• Stay connected with others and maintain your social networks: Have the emails and phone numbers of close friends and family at your fingertips. Stay connected via email, social media, video conference and telephone.

4. Take control and incorporate preventative measures

• Wash your hands. See the CDC’s list of preventative measures.
• Be supportive to others. Assisting others in their time of need can benefit the person receiving support as well as the helper.

I’m quarantined or working from home – lonely and isolated even further – what can I do?

What you can do while working from home

• To help overcome uncertainty, normality and routine that mirrors life’s daily patterns and practices can be helpful. If working from home, we encourage you to create a structured, dedicated work environment and build in self-care as well as daily benchmarks of achievement.
• Structure and routine may be helpful. We encourage you to maintain a regular routine with the work hours that are usually worked, including keeping up with morning rituals. Dressing in regular work attire and taking regular breaks, including lunch time, may also be helpful.
• Research tells us that seven percent of communication is accomplished through our words, including email. 38 percent is voice and a staggering 55 percent is body language and visual. For many of us, the lack of face time can be challenging. Using technology to simulate this can offer a solution to bridging this gap. Be mindful of opportunities to integrate video into your conversations with colleagues. Consider using the video function on Skype, zoom or Teams for internal and external meetings.

Here are some free Self-Care activities that can bring some beauty and joy into your day as part of your self-care practice.

• Yoga Practice
• Fitness Workouts
• Insight Timer meditation app
• Stay Home, Take Care
• Quarantine Chat
• NPR Tiny Desk concert series
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cam
• Nightly Livestreams from the Metropolitan Opera