Ongoing media coverage and public outcry among many upsetting incidents across our country have sparked rage, anger, sadness, and action across not only our country, but the world. Conversations around race relations and biases within ourselves and the justice system, against individuals of color have been building and growing. From George Floyd to Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown and other lesser known cases such as the beating of homeless grandmother Marlene Pinnock, psychology is an important topic within the discussion on racial inequality and racial biases in America.

One of the best ways to reduce anxiety is using a tool all of us have in our tool belts of skills all of the time: breathing. However, while breathing is something we all do, every day, there are certain types of breathing that help reduce anxiety and the more you practice them, the easier it is to use in difficult moments. Diaphragmatic breathing is one technique that can be beneficial for reducing anxiety.

Everyone has heard of the concept of “fight or flight” before. We know that when we perceive a threat exists (whether real or imagined) our sympathetic nervous system awakens. We’ve all had those moments where we experience a surge of adrenaline and our heart beats fast, our breathing quickens, muscles tense, etc. In this moment, our brains are evaluating whether the danger is real or not and whether you will stand up to it (fight) or run away (flight). However, there is a third option to the fight or flight response that we don’t talk about as often and this is “freeze”. We will explore this response, the benefits of this, as well as ways to reduce the impact this has on our bodies and minds.

As the pandemic continues and the way we typically work and play has changed drastically, we are spending more time at home, away from our friends and family. With limited social connection and disruption of routines, there will be an adjustment period for all. Prioritizing your self care during this time is crucial for your mental health and will help reduce stress and anxiety, boost your mood, and support your overall health and wellness.

Studies report that healthcare workers are and will continue to experience psychological distress along with symptoms of anxiety and depression, managing the many stressors they face on the frontlines and how this impacts their daily lives. How can we support healthcare workers? Here are a few strategies to care for you or a loved one’s mental health at this time, especially if you are working on the frontlines.

It’s easy to get sucked into a Netflix marathon or an eight-hour video game run. However, we know that sometimes too much screen time can have a negative impact on mental health so we are constantly told to to watch our screen usage. The problem is that during the COVID-19 pandemic, when we are told to remain socially distant from others, we are often using technology and having more screen time than is typical, in order to remain connected with others, which is positive. So how can we utilize technology in positive and healthy ways as we remain socially distant?

Thinking about expressing emotions to others can bring up feelings of uncertainty and fear. Many of our behaviors, both conscious and unconscious are learned early in life. Thus, if emotions associated with these behaviors were not validated growing up, it can feel overwhelming to try and share them as adults. Additionally, witnessing behaviors and behavioral patterns from important figures in our lives conditions us to develop beliefs about our emotions. For many of us we may have grown up in homes where no one discussed their feelings or in a home where certain feelings were linked to being “bad” or “good”. This can lead to difficulties in understanding how to regulate your emotional experiences. No matter what you may or may not have learned, it’s important to understand your feelings and emotions, including how they manifest in your body. Here are a few things that are important to keep in mind when we think of emotions.

Trauma-triggers often come up in both research and the popular media. The phrase “triggered” can often make others uncomfortable or dredge up negative emotions as it may make others feel they are seen as weak or too sensitive. The common misconception of the use of this phrase negatively impacts those who suffer from Post-traumatic stress and other trauma-related disorders. It’s important to understand the term and the implications this has for those recovering from traumatic events in order to support and validate their experiences.

Research reports that when you practice gratitude you can in fact reduce depression and anxiety by keeping positive thoughts in mind. We all can remember being told to be grateful from early on in our childhood whether it was for receiving a gift or praise of some kind. Unfortunately, these types of statements, though well-intended, often limit emotional space. We start to believe it is not okay to feel angry, sad, or disappointed when there is so much we should be grateful for. We all have developed internal beliefs, over time, that can become harmful if we do not tackle them. So how do you reframe your thoughts about gratitude, you need to identify how they developed in the first place.

Stress can occur any day, throughout the day. We all want to be our best selves regularly whether this is in work or our personal lives. Self-care practices can help us ensure we are on our A-game however there are times where we may not be able to get those practices in. There are times where we have so much stress that our bodies and minds shift to survival mode. In these times it is important to have self-soothing, survival skills to get through stressful events, distressing periods, and move forward.