ELBOW Cough into it

(StatePoint) As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, many people are staying in their homes to help prevent the spread of the disease. Feeling lonely from time to time is natural, but this unprecedented time of social distancing could lead to increased loneliness.

There are some easy ways to feel connected to others, even when you aren’t seeing them in person. Consider these tips from Dr. Doug Nemecek, Cigna chief medical officer for behavioral health. • Use technology… but not too much. Social media is a favorite and easy way to stay connected to family and friends, but too much use can leave you feeling lonely. Cigna’s 2020 U.S. Loneliness Index found that 72 percent of very heavy social media users identify themselves as lonely. Balance technology use with disconnecting and taking time for yourself. Use real-time interactions with others, like video chats, to build meaningful connections and limit time spent passively scrolling social media. Read a book, take a walk or do a puzzle after

Amid this worldwide coronavirus pandemic, each of us faces unique challenges to our mental health and well-being.

Some people are living alone, facing a deep sense of loneliness being quarantined apart from loved ones, church families, communities and friends. Others are suddenly navigating a chaotic world with our children at home all day, trying to balance home-schooling with parenting duties, housework and a full-time job. Others are facing the loss of their job, their business, their employees while still others are devastated by the loss of a loved one due to complications from COVID-19 — and unable to grieve with family.

The immediate and numerous difficulties we’re all facing are nothing like our world has seen, causing some to resort to an auto-pilot existence, ticking off the many tasks just to get through each day, while the anxiety and stress mount. It’s understandable. Yet we must find ways to prioritize for our mental health and well-being.

Be Focused About Caring for your Mental Health

May is Mental Health Awareness Month – an important reminder to find ways to care for your mental health, especially during this trying time.

In a normal year, about one-fourth of all Americans experience a behavioral health condition, while over a lifetime, about fifty percent will meet that criteria.

People from all backgrounds suffer from mental illness, with depression and anxiety being the most common conditions. And importantly, mental well-being and physical health are both important to overall health.

Undoubtedly, the ongoing COVID-19 crisis can take a serious toll, which is why I want to share some of the programs and resources available to help our members, employees and the public cope during this unique time.

screen time. It may help you feel more connected when you spend time online. • Join a virtual club or group. There are plenty of resources available to find virtual book clubs, craft communities or even fitness challenges. You can start a new hobby, learn a skill or find others who are interested in the same things as you, remotely. Once the guidelines for social distancing are lifted, you’ll have new friends you can meet in person. • Spend time outdoors. Simply leaving your house to take a jog around your neighborhood or to walk your dog a few blocks could improve your spirits, refreshing you for the next time you virtually connect with others. • Ask those you reach out to how they’re really doing. How you connect with those in your network makes a significant difference in how lonely you feel. People tend to feel less lonely when connecting on a deeper level. Cigna’s study found that those who do not feel they have close relationships that give them emotional security and well-being have an average loneliness score of nearly 15 points higher than those that do. When video chatting with friends, ask them for their most honest response when you ask how they’re doing. Everyone will likely feel better for it. • Rethink working hours. We spend approximately 90,000 hours at work over our lifetime, so how we spend that time will play an important role in how we feel overall. Improving your work-life balance and connecting with colleagues can reduce loneliness. Your employer may also benefit from you feeling less lonely. Lonely employees are less productive, produce lower quality work and miss more days of work. So, talk to your boss about slight changes you can make to how you spend your working hours. This could help you feel less lonely and benefit your company.

Being unable to spend time with others in-person will likely cause many of us to feel lonely, but there are ways to help lessen those feelings during this challenging time.

Coping With Stress During Uncertain Times

For our members, we’re expanding telemedicine and waiving copays for behavioral health services. Through Blue Cross Online Visits, members have 24-7 access to U.S. board-certified doctors – and they can make an appointment to see a psychiatrist.

Help is just a phone call away if you’re feeling anxious or need support, which is why we’ve created a 24/7 COVID-19 Crisis Hotline (1-833- 848-1764) and are reminding members about access to our 24-hour nurse’s line.

And to assist those with substance use disorders, telehealth programs with behavioral health providers have been expanded for some patients to undergo detoxification and treatment at home.

We’re supporting providers and primary care doctors, with funding to expand telemedicine practices. We’ve also extended prior authorization limits and enhanced delivery options for mail order medications, as well as other measures, to ensure people have easy access to medications they need.

Addressing the impact COVID-19 is having on the behavioral health of our members and community is an immediate priority for Blue Cross during this unprecedented time.

If you or a loved one are struggling, know that you are not alone. Help is available.

I encourage you to prioritize and care for your mental health, which can also help you navigate the challenges of this crisis and ensure better overall health. And if a loved one is suffering, share these resources with them so they can get the care they need, too.

We are all in this together, and we will get through it by helping each other.

This article was provided courtesy of miblueprespectives.com

(StatePoint) Stress is an important and natural stimulant that compels us to adapt to a new environment or lifestyle change. It causes a physiological response that helps us either flee or fight the threat or stressor. But spending too much time on high alert can have damaging health effects.

Prolonged, unwanted and unmanageable stresses like the ones so many people are facing during the pandemic can take a toll, causing anxiety, irritability, nervousness, sleeplessness and digestive upsets. Stress can also aggravate or even trigger chronic diseases.

Here are some easy, natural ways to cope: 1. Write a gratitude list. Grab a blank piece of paper and write down a list of things that you are grateful for. This has been proven to drastically improve one’s mood and completely change their perspective. You might even consider making this a daily habit and keeping a journal. 2. Do a random act of kindness. Consider donating to an organization feeding those in need or asking an elderly neighbor if you can pick anything up for them at the store. Give a colleague a compliment. It feels good to do good.

3. Reach out to someone you haven’t

6. Use homeopathy. Homeopathic medicines offer a simple, low-risk solution as they do not suppress the cause of stress itself, but provide enough relief to help you face it and react appropriately.

“Solutions are not always simple. Stress pills, or anxiolytics, relieve tension and some physical symptoms of stress, but unfortunately, they have unwanted side effects, like drowsiness, and can be habit-forming,” says Dr. Ken Redcross, author of “Bond: The 4 Cornerstones of a Lasting and Caring Relationship with Your Doctor,” and founder of Redcross Concierge. “However, homeopathic medicines provide an easy, lower-risk treatment option.”

Consider using Sedalia from Boiron to relieve nervousness, hypersensitivity and fatigue due to everyday stress, and Quietude to address occasional sleeplessness or restless sleep. Claims for these products are based on traditional homeopathic practice, not accepted medical evidence. They are not FDA evaluated. To learn more, visit shop. BoironUSA.com.

While a certain amount of stress is normal and natural, too much of it for too long can have harmful health impacts. To cope safely, take natural steps to relieve tension and worry.

Helping our children cope during COVID-19 May is Mental Health

Awareness Month

By Laura Boros J ob loss, social isolation, shortages of paper products and school closures have not only challenged the best of coping tools but dramatically exacerbated existing mental health challenges in adults and children prior to Covid-19. While binge watching Netflix, eating fast food and living in pajamas has trended across social media, it actually creates more anxiety and encourages children and teens to resist returning to previous expectations.

In the last three months we have been expected to adapt to how we make money, communicate with our families, shop for essentials, spend our free time and celebrate special occasions. As we continue to feel cut off and drift from daily habits, underlying or preexisting challenges such as depression, suicidal thoughts, trauma, panic, mood disorders and substance abuse can become barriers to well -being.

Similar to being on a boat, rough water can make even the most seasoned sailor sick to their stomach. Focusing on the horizon is to sea sickness what returning to a routine is for good mental health. Make daily expectations for yourself and the family to wake at a reasonable time, shower, dress for the day, clean the home, prepare and cook meals, exercise, read, communicate with teachers, coworkers, and respond to emails and phone calls. Try to save evenings and the weekend for gaming, movies, TV and outdoor activities.

Although many schools have advocated that students will not be penalized for incomplete work, a sixmonth break from school is outside the norm and opens the door for behavioral problems. At the very least, set aside an hour or two each day of the week to help your school age child complete homework. At this point, most school districts have provided some type of on-line learning curriculum or sent home packets. For distracted or resistant learners, build in breaks, snacks and get creative with learning to keep them engaged.

Children and teens react, in part, on what they see from the adults around them. When parents and caregivers deal with the COVID-19 calmly and confidently, they can provide the best support for their children. Parents can be more reassuring to others around them, especially children, if they are better prepared.

Not all children and teens respond to stress in the same way. The Center for Disease Control offers some common changes to watch for in your child: • Excessive crying or irritation in younger children • Returning to behaviors they have outgrown (for example, toileting accidents or bedwetting) • Excessive worry or sadness • Unhealthy eating or sleeping habits

• Irritability and “acting out” behaviors in teens • Poor school performance or avoiding school • Difficulty with attention and concentration • Avoidance of activities enjoyed in the past • Unexplained headaches or body pain • Use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs

Ways to support your child:

• Talk with your child or teen about the COVID-19 outbreak. • Answer questions and share facts about COVID-19 in a way that your child or teen can understand. • Reassure your child or teen that they are safe. Let them know it is ok if they feel upset. Share with them how you deal with your own stress so that they can learn how to cope from you. • Limit your family’s exposure to news coverage of the event, including social media. Children may misinterpret what they hear and can be frightened about something they do not understand. • Try to keep up with regular routines. If schools are closed, create a schedule for learning activities and relaxing or fun activities. • Be a role model. Take breaks, get plenty of sleep, exercise, and eat well. Connect with your friends and family members.

Lincoln Park-based Community Care Services provides outpatient treatment for mental health and substance use issues. For resources and links to helpful websites, visit www. comcareserv.org and check out the CCS School Based Program link. CCS will share new videos throughout May on its Facebook page to support and help parents maintain the education of ADHD students. About the author: Laura Boros MA LLP has been a master level psychologist in the downriver area for the past 14 years and has been with Community Care Services since 2014 where she currently serves as the School and Home-Based Program Manager.

Parents and the Struggle of Homeschooling

By Darlene A. White

Parents across Detroit have now become teachers, their children have become the students, and their home has become the classroom.

It’s been a little over a month since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that Michigan’s K-12 schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Kindergarteners to seniors were forced to swap blackboards for zoom — and parents are now forced to step in as teachers.

For most parents, homeschooling has become one of the most trying aspects of the pandemic.

They now have to play teacher’s aide, hall monitor, counselor and cafeteria worker — all while trying to do their own jobs under extraordinary circumstances.

Essential workers are in perhaps the toughest spot especially if they are away from home during school hours leaving just one parent, or no one at all, at home when students need them most.

Jessica Taylor, 35, of Detroit says homeschooling her children has not come as an easy task.

“The biggest challenge I have right now is that I have three kids and it’s hard giving each one the attention that they need,” said Taylor. “Also not having the tools that I need for them; I only have one computer, so it takes me hours to help with homework and get it all turned in.”

Taylor’s children ages 11, 7 and 6 attend Schulze Academy for Technology and Arts in Detroit. Their daily routine has changed tremendously since school has canceled face-toface learning.

“I really don’t have any down time during the day. By the time we get up it’s time for us to start the class assignments. That can take pretty much all day, because we only have the one computer. So, by the time I get done with helping them I am ready to go to bed,” she stated. Since start of homeschooling, parents are recognizing that school lessons have changed since the last time they attended school.

“The way that teachers are teaching kids is totally different than how I learned my class assignments. My son some

times has to show me the way it’s being done so I can help his younger brother with his schoolwork,” she explained. “Sometimes I may show them one way, but they will tell me I am doing it wrong and this is the way it’s supposed to be done, so YouTube is my friend, because I don’t want my kids to get behind, because mommy doesn’t know the new way of teaching them how to do certain things like math.”

Trying to teach a child material that is normally taught in a classroom setting can become overwhelming, but there are resources available to help students and parents get through this process.

In Southfield, Dr. Melissa Jackson, owner and operator of The Ark Developmental Center, remains open servicing children of first responders and offers distance learning for “scholars” as they’re called.

Jackson implemented safety and sanitation practices at her learning center prior to any “official” directives.

“From the first day we opened our doors at The Ark Developmental Center we have always had detailed safety and sanitation procedures in place to protect our staff and the families we serve,” Jackson said. “We created these procedures because of the specialized populations we have enrolled at our center. We considered the rules and regulations that we were mandated to have in place to be a licensed childcare center and added additional procedures that we felt were overlooked. For example, we implemented staggered pick-p and dropoff times in order to eliminate the gathering of parents at our check-in area and help reduce the risk of spreading illnesses in our center. “

For parents who are unable to send their children to a learning center during the pandemic, it is possible to home school by following these basic steps, Jackson says.

“Schedule and routines are a must,” she said. “I have three children of my own, I run a business and I am a special lecturer at a local university. Therefore, I understand far too well the demands that are now placed on parents to be productive in work and manage children’s distance learning needs.”

Parents must remember to give their children enough time to learn at their own pace, says Jackson.

“Be creative and pack your patience. Do not try to pack their schedules full of work. Instead, allocate time for breaks and exercise. A good schedule will avoid frustrations and help children to reach their full potentials.”

It is important to be forgiving to yourself and your student, this is everyone’s first time dealing with a pandemic, says Dr. Stephanie Griffin, assistant principal of West Bloomfield High School.

“Continue to ask teachers for help navigating assignments while homeschooling,” she added. “We will get through this in solidarity. While the start of the next school year remains in limbo, one thing remains certain: normal is no more. We must embrace our new normal.”