03 Apr Note to BKR Clients and Friends
April 3, 2020
Dear BKR clients and friends,
While we are all doing our part to promote and protect physical health, it is just as important to promote and protect mental health during this global pandemic. Local family and child therapist, Kerrie Siegl, LMFT, offered the following insights and tips regarding mental health on her Facebook page today. With her permission, we are reposting it here. She reminds us that we are all mourning the loss of something right now. Please review her advice and do your best to nurture your emotional health right now. And if you, or someone in your household is struggling emotionally during these challenging times, please reach out to mental health professional right away.
“We have never in our lifetime dealt with the loss of our lives as we have in this moment. What you choose to do with your days, your kids, your thoughts and your routine can shape outcomes that will impact you for months to come.
If I had a book on this I think it would say:
- Set a routine. Sleep especially. Don’t nap all day and don’t stay up all night. Put your kids to bed a little early to decompress. Sleep is our reset button. Take melatonin if you need to.
- Exercise. I don’t care what you do but no one is going to feel well if you do not move for days at a time. Drink water, walk, exercise videos, bike, or lift weights (or small children 😂.)
- Don’t feel the need to have perfection in any area of life right now. Performance and stress are linked to increased agitation and a number of health issues. Eat an Oreo, skip an e-learning assignment or forgo making a fancy warm dinner and instead have cereal if it helps. Give yourself some grace! Especially all your type a friends.
- Get ready for your day. Shower or put on fresh clothes. Do your hair. Wear real clothes if it helps.
- Go outside. Inhale deeply. Hear the birds. Smell the buds blooming. Feel the sun and wind on your skin. Take it in. Look at the creation, the beauty… feel small for a moment.
- Always have a list of things to do when you’re bored. Boredom is good for creativity, innovation and targeted goals. You’ll be amazed at what you can do if you turn off the screens and just think about what you can do. Think projects you’ve wanted to do, closets you wanted to clean…
- Don’t watch the news for more than an update. If images are too intense, just read an article from a trusted source. It does no good to know every fact about the virus. Likely it’s doing more harm than good.
- Get online groceries. Limit your experiences in stores or the public if you’re getting panic attacks.
- Social distancing is a false word. We just need physical distancing. Call your grandma, best friend, your sister and your mama. Call your coworkers, college roommate and zoom chat your tribe. No one said be a hermit…
- Check in with your people. Are they ok today? Say one emotion word and if it’s not positive talk through what might help. A walk, bubble bath, a Disney plus marathon?!? Whatever works!
- It’s ok to be sad, angry, anxious, terrified, happy, lonely, or grieving. This is a global trauma. It will effect some more than others. Be kind, help others, and more important, ask for help!
If you need help during this time, please call a therapist. We are all working together to provide support and resources. We all have training in helping with grounding, emotional regulation skills and stress reduction. You are not bothering us! We want to help you! (Almost all insurance carriers have approved telehealth and some are even providing it for free!). Call your carrier today and ask for in network providers in your area. Meet online and if you need to, keep meeting even after distancing.
Be safe! Wash your paws, wear a mask, and tell your people you love them.”
Nissa M. Ricafort
Parenting Coordinator and Family Law Group Partner
Broyles Kight & Ricafort, PC
8250 Haverstick Road, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46240
317-571-3601 General
317-571-3610 Fax
[email protected]