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COVID-19

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  1. What is a pandemic?
  2. Past Pandemics
  3. What does the COVID-19 pandemic mean for me?
  4. COVID-19 symptoms
  5. When do I need to talk to a health professional?
  6. How does COVID-19 spread?
  7. Why should I get vaccinated?
  8. Should I wear a mask?
  9. Should I wear gloves?
  10. What if I can’t physically distance?
  11. What if I don’t have a place to wash my hands?
  12. COVID-19 Variants
  13. Self-care during the pandemic
  14. Using drugs and alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic
  15. Having a weak immune system during the COVID-19 Pandemic
  16. Opioid overdose and COVID-19
  17. Quiz
  18. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
COVID-19 Self-care during the pandemic
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Lesson 13 of 18
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Self-care during the pandemic

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Tips for coping with stress and anxiety during COVID-19:

  • Accept that some anxiety and fear is normal in these uncertain times
  • Stay tuned in, but set limits on your news and social media consumption
  • Decrease other stressors in your life and set aside some time each day to do things that you enjoy
  • Try to meditate daily

Meditation is a simple breathing exercise that can be done easily under 2 minutes! It helps you relax and soothe out your mood.

To meditate, you can follow these steps:

  1. Find a comfortable position, either sitting or laying down
  2. Set a time on your alarm or timer for a duration you desire, it can be even 2 minutes
  3. Feel your breathing as you breath in and out
  4. If you mind wanders, simply focus it back to your breathing

Chair yoga:

Pose 1: sit up straight in your chair, your ears over your shoulders, shoulders over your hips. You should be nice and relaxed with your shoulders back. You can even close your eyes if you like. Start by lengthening your breaths; take 5 deep breaths, each one longer than the next. Pay attention to your breathing, feel the air fill your lungs and feel yourself relaxing.

Pose 2: on your next inhale, lift both arms up and over your head, bringing your palms together above your head, feeling the stretch in your shoulders. Exhale through your nose and bring your palms down in front of your chest. Repeat this 5 times at your own pace, feeling the stretch in your arms and warmth in your shoulders.

Pose 3: now inhale while reaching your left arm up above your head, and exhale leaning toward your right side, still with your arm stretched up. Feel the stretch along the left side of your body. Now inhale once more and move your body back to a centered and comfortable seated position. Repeat this pose with your right arm now. Alternate arms in this pose 2 to 3 times at your own pace, enjoying the stretch along the side of your body and the calming deep breaths.

Pose 4: on this next pose, take a deep breath in and lift your chest up to the ceiling, arching your back forward (A). When you breathe out, round your back and tuck your chin to your chest (B). Inhale once more and lift your chest once more, and round your back again as your exhale. Cycle through this exercise 2 to 3 times at your own pace.

Pose 5: take a deep breath in while you grasp your left knee and pull it towards your chest. Breathe out and let your left knee go back to its resting position on the ground. You can also grasp the back of the thigh if this is more comfortable. Now do this same thing but with your right leg, taking deep breathes throughout the exercise.

A simple at home COVID-19 workout:

Cardio walking workout

Warm up (3 minutes):

  • begin walking at a pace which is a bit faster than you would normally walk
    • you should still be able to carry on a normal conversation
    • you should start to sweat a bit
    • you should be breathing a bit faster than when not exercising
  • increase your pace as you continue with your warm up

 

 

Workout (4 minutes)

  • increase your pace so that you are working harder
    • you may be sweating a bit more
    • your breathing should increase
    • you should still be able to carry on a normal conversation

Slowing Down (3 minutes)

  • slow your pace just a bit
    • your breathing should be a bit slower now

Cool Down (3 minutes)  

  • as you progress through these 3 minutes, slow your pace to how you would normally walk when doing daily tasks, like cleaning or walking to the store
    • your breathing rate should return to where it is when you are not exercising

Exercise:  Instructions:  Modifications:  Sitting option:
Marching in place March in place, lifting your knees up high Easier: just lift your feet slightly off the ground, without worrying about lifting your knees highHarder: make circles with your arms while marching in place Lift your knees, one at a time, to your chest while in a chair
Squats Squat down as low as a nearby bed or chair, like you are going to sit down in, but come back up to a normal standing position, rather than taking a seat. Make sure to keep your back straight and your knees stay in line with your hips.  Easier: squat down so there is only a slight bend in your kneesHarder: squat down lower than a nearby chair or your bed. Instead of squatting you can do leg extensions: make sure you are sitting up straight, now straighten your left knee out so it is straight in front of you. Hold it there for 3 seconds. Return to resting position on the ground. Repeat with the right knee.
Arm circles Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Extend your arms out so they are parallel to the floor. Circle your arms forward using slow, controlled movements. Easier: make smaller circles with your arms and/or rest your arms at your sides when you need to, you can also do one arm at a time.Harder: make larger circles with your arms and continue through to the end of the exercise without rest This exercise can be done standing or sitting in a chair!
Bicep curls Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Have your arms at your sides and your palms facing forward. Keeping your elbows in tight at your sides, bend your elbows, then return your arms to your sides.  Easier: once your elbows are in the bent position, return them to your sides right away rather than holding them there. You can also take rests between repetitions if needed.Harder: hold your arms in the bent position for 3s, squeezing your bicep muscle (muscle on the front part of your upper arm). Complete all repetitions of this exercise without rest in between. This exercise can be done standing or sitting in a chair!
Walking jacks Start by standing with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Step out to the side with your left leg and stretch your arms up and over your head at the same time. Return your left leg to the center. Now do the same as before but with the right leg.  Easier: do this exercise very slowly, focus on mainlining good balance and posture throughout.Harder: as you get better at this exercise you can do it faster and focus on getting more repetitions in the same amount of time. You can do this exercise in a chair or just do the upper body portion of this exercise from a seated position: move your arms from their position at your sides to up above your head. You should feel this in your shoulders. You’re your legs out to the sides and straighten your knees. You should feel this in your hips and thighs. Remember to use slow, controlled movements.

I am feeling very lonely while in isolation, what can I do?

  • Know that you are not alone: many people are feeling this way, this is a very difficult time
  • Try contacting your family and friends by video call, chat, phone call or text
  • Tell them how you feel and listen to their stories
  • If you don’t have a cell phone and live in an SRO, let your support worker know. Ask if there are any phones in the building you can use or if you can apply for financial assistance to purchase a cell phone.