7 Mental Health Tips during a Crisis

During a crisis, do you feel the panic around you? Are you feeling the panic held within yourself? Our bodies hold what our minds and spirit feel in this world, and currently we are not exposed to a great deal of peace and joy. It still exists all around us, but when tensions are high, it can be hard to see. Check out our mental health tips below to calm your brain down for a moment and check out our wellness course on teachable: Panic to Peace.

Disclaimer: This article has resources about restoring wellness, and is based on my research and my experiences. This information is not meant to take the place of counseling or therapy. If at any time you feel uncomfortable or need to talk to someone, wellness resources may be helpful.

Mental Health Tips During a Crisis

Our days are filled with fear right now, especially with the unknown and routines changing during this crisis (PBS). When we experience fear, our minds often race and cause the sensation of panic.

I imagine many of us are working from home by now, maybe your kids are home too and everyone is just trying to do their best! So with our brains going a million miles an hour, what can we do? That question is important right now, so we are gathering resources to help you.

The crisis resources in this article are gathered from reliable sources, such as CDC, PBS, and NPR.

1. Be safe & Wash your hands to a 20 second song

We’ve all heard it, but what’s the big deal about washing your hands. May seem trivial during a crisis, but our brains get so consumed on what we cannot control that we often forget that we can do a major service to the world by taking control over our hygiene habits.

And from a mental health stand point the sensory affect of water running over your hands with the smooth sensation of soap.
Rhythmic motion of hand washing can force your brain to sit a semi-hypnotic state for a few moments, just long enough to knock your anxiety down a peg- or more!
Washing your hands for 20 seconds or longer with soap and water can significantly lower the spread of bacteria.
- “Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, I’m begging of you please don’t take my man. Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene. Please don’t take him just because you can.”
- Sing the first verse of “This Little Light of Mine.”
  (and more on NPR)

people standing far apart for social distancing

2. Social distancing during a Crisis (not isolation, stay digitally connected!)

Not sure how to social distance? First, social distancing is keeping safe distance between yourself and others to keep from spreading the virus (CDC). This does not mean we have to socially isolate ourselves, that can lead to depression and more anxiety.

We can stay connected in creative ways:

Video calls & video conferencing (skype, Facetime, zoom)
- Call a friend you haven’t talked to in awhile
- Talk to a neighbor, you can stand fat least 6 feet apart and still connect
- Hold a virtual living room meal
- Have a FaceTime game night
- Get out the family pictures and videos and take a trip down memory lane
- Write a letter, email, message someone
- Reach out to a helping professional (licensed counselors)

Tips on social distancing during a Crisis:

Try being at home and not in public places, always stand 6 or more feet from others, and avoid all one-on-one breathing distance conversations that you can for the next few(ish) weeks (CDC).

Quick Talking Points with Social Distancing

Try out these quick talking points for the next time you find yourself wanting to be up close and personal.

“Hey neighbor! (from 6 feet or more away) how your flowers doing this season?”
“Our apartment is so small, I just want to leave the house! I’m going stir crazy! But I know I can’t leave, I’ll go put on a relaxing youtube video of waves rolling in, or maybe some panoramic shots of mountains!”
“I want to bake a cake more than ever, but I don’t have brown sugar! Oh man, I’m going to write down in my planner a few weeks from now to bake a cake on our first day back in the regular office!”

3. Breathing Exercises

Every time you want to scream, especially when in a crisi… whether it be from frustration or anxiety, take 3 short inhale breaths then one long exhale.

Breathe in … 1… 2…. 3… breathe out slowly.

Do it once more and then take a deep breath in through your nose and out through mouth.

Breathe in … 1… 2…. 3… breathe out slowly.

One more time, slowing your breath down a little at a time.

Breathe in … 1… 2…. 3… breathe out slowly.

I am sure everyone says it, but just try it and see what works for you! It might take a number of supportive measures to get you calm, so keep at it!

The more you practice slow breathing, the more your body will regulate & calm down your heart rate, blood pressure, stress levels, physical tension, negative thoughts, and overwhelming feeling.

4. Journaling & BUJO

When we can talk out or write out our thoughts, it allows us to see them as separate for a moment and less encompassing of our thoughts.

Try one of these journaling prompts:

Did you know that writing anything out by hand actually slows down our brain … in …. Slow… motion…. which…. Helps …. us ….. slow…. down … our …. Thoughts. Try it out, write for 10 minutes and see if your brain calms down a bit.
Writing requires paying attention to the present moment. The more we write, the more our brains are so focused on the present moment that our brains focus less on the unforeseen future.
BUJO (Bullet journaling) is such a great tool to use when enhancing your mental health, from tracking to doodling.
(I’d love to see your BUJO pages about Mental Health.
I’m gathering pictures for a blog article… and could feature yours with credit to you.)

5. Look Online for a Course

We at Moore Wellness see the panic in crisis that is going on around us. Even after this passes we will still have moments of panic throughout our lives.

Working towards peace is a conscious effort and we know during all of this transition we may just need a little help moving from panic to peace.

Panic to Peace: a coping skills course

Checkout our first wellness course: Panic to Peace
This course is coping skills for the mind-body-spirit:
- DIY self care peaceful kit
- Fun family activities & videos for all ages
- Positive affirmation printables
- Relaxing meditation scripts & videos
- Mindfulness art videos with peaceful music
- Spiritual practice videos, such as Tai Chi Easy

We walk you through
- Grounding yourself in this creative meditation for the whole family!
- Centering your spirit with a Tai Chi Easy practice, including giving thanks and deep breathing.
- Practice mindfulness & self regulation with this family-friendly drumming activity for all ages!
- Mindfulness art watching a relaxing rose being painted in watercolor with soothing music in the background playing.
- Plus printable story prompts for kids!

6. Talk about it with a friend

Saying you are anxious in the moment immediately alerts others and your conscious self that something is not right and puts most of the actions at halt. From there you can determine what was making you anxious by introducing one thought or action back into the mix at a time.

Talking to others when you feel overwhelmed & in the middle of a crisis can surround you with support to get through it together.

Currently mental health therapists are all working from home with Telehealth. Check out our counseling services in Louisiana @ Moore Wellness. Live in another location? Check out counseling services on Psychology Today for licensed & specialty trained mental health professionals.

7. Complete a task!

When you are feeling overwhelmed in the middle of a crisis or even afterwards, it is helpful to complete one major task and two small tasks per day in order to gain a sense of control over your environment.

Major tasks could vary according to energy levels and resources at hand.

Accomplishing a task and feeling success helps build confidence and motivation to strive towards the next goal.

"Feeling stressed? From Panic to Peace: mind-body-spirit. www.moorewellness.life" written on a beach

A coping skills course: From Panic to Peace

We all yearn for a peaceful place to get away and restore our souls. So, we have come up with videos and printables to help you do just that.

Come away with us in spirit, as we help you bring peace into your lives.

Checkout our first wellness course: Panic to Peace

Peaceful Practices in Mind-Body-Spirit

Check out these peaceful practices for all ages, from 3 years old up.

DIY SELF CARE peace kit
BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM with peaceful practices
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES: TAI CHI EASY video & script
FAMILY ACTIVITIES for all ages
MINDFULNESS ART video with peaceful music
RELAXING MEDITATION video for all ages & script

All these peaceful practices can be found in this online course for all ages.

Checkout our first wellness course: Panic to Peace

More peaceful coping skills coming soon

And this is just the first of a series of wellness practice videos and printables we will be bringing to you!

Get in on the launch, this is an affordable way to bring peaceful practices into your daily life.

Checkout our first wellness course: Panic to Peace

DIY SELF CARE KIT: PEACE

We know how hard it is to find peaceful spaces, yet alone be able to afford all those luxurious spa days.

So, we have created a DIY Self Care kit with pictures and step by step instructions. This is the first in a series of DIY Self Care kits we’ll be bringing you, woohoo!

Checkout our first wellness course: Panic to Peace

P.S. Make sure to sign up to our newsletter to hear about the latest DIY Self Care Kits.

We want to help you during this crisis!

During these hard transitions of our new normal with the current crisis, social distancing does not mean social isolation.

We want to connect with you and help you on this journey.

As a community, we can get through this together! We can help each other and inspire new beginnings.

Want to be able to receive wellness ideas, connect with other people who love wellness, and encourage holistic wellness in mind, body, and spirit?

How can I receive Wellness ideas?

First, join Moore Wellness Tribe at moorewellness.life
Second, receive an email and click confirmation that you joined Moore Wellness Tribe.

Congratulations!! You are a member of our wellness tribe!!

You’ll receive weekly encouragement, life coping skills, and authentic ways to improve your wellness.

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All 27 tips & activities included in the Ultimate Hope List are actually in more detail here in this blog post.

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Have you ever forgot about yourself? Sometimes, you may work so hard for everybody else in your life, that you’re exhausted?

You take care of your children, your spouse/partner, your parents, your family, your friends.

Self care is more important than caregiving. How? Check out this article.

Connect with Our Wellness Community

I’d love to hear about your journey and what obstacles are in the way of creating peace and wellness. Please… shoot me a quick email or tell me about it on FaceBook J