Building Your Resilience (Part 3 of 4)

Build Your Resilience (Part 3 of 4)

Learn Coping Skills

Develop coping skills during COVID-19 is something everyone can do to help us better adapt to the emotional ups and downs we are experiencing. Here are some helpful coping strategies.

• Deep Breathing: Deep breathing can reduce stress by calming the central nervous system. Stress and anxiety will alter breathing patterns causing tension in the upper back and neck muscles. Deep breathing:
  • helps you to focus on rhythmic smooth breathing patterns and will relieve muscle tension
  • brings more oxygen to the body and helps nourish the brain
  • sends more oxygen to the thinking parts of your brain, which helps you to feel a little calmer and be able to think a little more clearly when you're emotionally distressed.

Try Square Breathing: Trace a square in your palm and count as you draw each line: Inhale, two, three, four; hold, two, three, four; exhale, two, three, four; hold, two, three, four. Repeat tracing while you count four times.

• Meditation and Visualization: A number of apps can assist with getting into the habit of clearing your mind of stress and visualizing positive outcomes. Many apps are free to download. Here are a few to try: Calm, Headspace, Inscape, Simple Habit, Buddhify, or Stop, Breathe & Think.