By Dr. Holly Holmes-Meredith, D. Min., MFT, Board Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist
and Bill Yarborough, CHT and Certified EFT Practitioner
If your stress level has exploded during the Coronavirus pandemic, you are not alone. As reported by CNN, the federal government’s Disaster Distress Helpline (1-800-985-5990) provides counseling to people during natural and human-caused disasters. In March, the helpline saw a 338% increase in call volume over February and an 891% increase compared to March of last year.
In our last month’s emotional health column, we offered suggestions to boost your immune during the Covid-19 pandemic by reducing chronic fear and anxiety. Some of our suggestions included peaceful music, exercise, stretching, and walking while following local requirements such as social distancing. To take your mind off pandemic worries or loneliness you can also engage in creative activities, like completing a jigsaw puzzle, gardening, cooking, painting, writing, or quilting.
Another key step that can help boost your immunity is avoiding bad sleeping and eating habits and excessive alcohol consumption. Changing such behaviors is not always easy, but there are professional practitioners who can work with you via video conferencing. They offer a variety of techniques such as hypnotherapy, teaching self-hypnosis, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), and others to address the underlying emotions that drive addictive behaviors. Additionally, there are sites on the internet that demonstrate techniques such as EFT, which are easy to learn and involves tapping on body pressure points to get release from negative emotions. Professional practitioners can also assist you with depression, grief, anger, and other emotions triggered by the pandemic, and there are teaching professionals who often have interns charging minimal amounts.
In this month’s column we explore additional ways to cope with the fears of contracting the coronavirus, surviving economic hardships, and the challenges of sheltering-in-place. Experts emphasize the vital role of a social community in maintaining both emotional and physical health. With the shelter-in-place requirements many people have experienced the sudden loss of community gatherings and socializing with family and friends.
Many social organizations now have virtual meetings on Zoom, Skype, streaming or other video conferencing services. These include churches, service clubs, social clubs, exercise classes, etc. Their websites typically have instructions on how to access virtual gatherings and activities. For example, if you miss your exercise class, many gyms are holding classes on-line, where you can follow your familiar exercise instructor or find a new one. There are other social activities to explore on-line such as computer game applications for Scrabble, Pictionary, bridge, and others, which can be interactive and involve multiple participants.
You may also want to establish your own virtual connections. Rather than just reaching out to family and friends via phone, you can create small or larger gatherings using Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, Google Duo, and other services. Even if you feel technology challenged, these services may be easier to use than you think and are often free. For example, Zoom offers free unlimited video conferences for up to 40 minutes, and you can download their application for no charge. A number of people have converted cocktail hours, book clubs, and dinner gatherings to virtual video chats.
With the new mask requirements in Contra Costa County, you may want to learn how to make masks. There are many sites on the internet that show you how. Individuals who have done so report it can have a calming influence and provides a sense of purpose when donating them to those in need.
If your mind is swirling with the frightening “what if’s” of the pandemic or you’re now working at home alongside your partner and school-age kids, you may prefer an inner journey to find quiet time and peace. There are a variety of methods to help you do so, including prayer, deep breathing, Tai Chi, meditation, and Reiki, an energetic palm-healing technique. Mindfulness is another helpful practice to contend with stress. It involves the sense of being more present in the moment as well as observing your thoughts, feelings, and habits. This can help lead to greater focus on what you can do as opposed to things you cannot control. There are online resources to assist you with these practices, such as meditation apps and on-line Reiki classes.
With the extra time you may have at home you could take stock of your life and refocus on things that are important to you—or open yourself up to something new. In the Chinese language, crisis and opportunity are the same character, and there is no telling what you could discover if you venture down new avenues.
We look forward to discussing further emotional health issues in future columns. If you have questions, please reach out to us via the contact information on our websites: www.hypnotherapytraining.com or www.billyarborough.com.