2020 May Articles Archives

How to Combat Loneliness during Social Distancing

Social distancing can cause us to feel very isolated, which can affect our mental and emotional health. Here are some easy tips for combating loneliness during the Coronavirus crisis, and helping you to stay connected to those you care about.

Make Time for Virtual Meet-Ups

Meeting up with your friends in person might not be possible right now, but you can stay in touch with everyone via technology. Download a trusted app and use it to chat, share updates and pictures, to keep your spirits up when things are tough. You can also set up group videos chats and catch up “face to face”.

Keep up communication with friends, family and colleagues online using these platforms:

WhatsApp > Download https://www.whatsapp.com/download
Zoom > Download https://zoom.us/download
House Party > Download https://houseparty.com/

You can also make group chats fun with a creative theme like “Crazy Hat Wednesday”. Many people will soon start looking forward to their regular virtual “night out”.

Normally, many of us would rather use messaging that pick up the phone, but now is the time to get in contact the old-fashioned way. Just hearing a friend’s voice can help reduce loneliness and anxiety, and help us to feel more connected. We are also more likely to open up when we hear a human voice, than when we’re typing in a static environment.

Plan Home-Based Activities

Finding constructive ways to keep ourselves busy can also help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. With many of us stuck at home, now is the time to get on with the things we haven’t had time to do before.

You can set yourself challenges at home too, such as reading something new or trying a recipe for the first time. Learn a new language or complete an online course you didn’t have time for until now. The sense of achievement helps to boost your mental wellbeing, while helping to pass the time productively.

Structure your Day

Having to stay at home all the time can make the days merge into one and seem endless. Because of this, it’s important to try to stick to a routine, even when things are different and strange. Getting up at the same time as normal and having lunch at a certain hour can help make us feel more settled and provide a sense of normality.

Taking back control over how you behave is really important right now. Break up your day into morning, lunch, afternoon and evening. Set a task for each “quarter” of the day to include:

Something constructive (cleaning a cupboard that is long overdue),
Something social (connecting with friends),
Something physical (stretching, yoga, scrubbing the bathroom),
Something restful (a nap, meditation, TV, music or podcasts),
Something educational (reading, taking an online course),
Something creative (drawing, painting, trying a new recipe).

Look After Yourself

Keeping physically healthy can help to boost your mood and ease loneliness too. If you can’t get outside, there are plenty of online exercise videos to follow indoors.

Eat well. Avoid empty calories and try not to snack more than normal. Stick to set meal times and follow a balanced diet. Vitamins and minerals from fresh fruit, vegetables and fish can not only boost your immune system, but improve your overall health.

Reach Out for Help

Helping and supporting each other is a great way to feel gratitude, and helps to calm worrying thoughts.

If you are struggling with loneliness or your mental health, reach out to a trusted friend or family member, join an online support group, or research mental health professionals offering online therapy sessions. You can also call LifeAssist to speak to one of our professional counsellors, and find the support you need.

Sources:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/za/blog/

zara2021-04-01T13:16:20+00:00

Supporting Teenagers and Young Adults during the Coronavirus Crisis

Having teenagers confined at home during the Coronavirus crisis may not be as labour-intensive as being holed up with small children, but it still definitely has its challenges for moms and dads. While younger children may be thrilled at the prospect of having parental attention 24/7, adolescents are likely to feel differently.

Here are some tips for parenting teenagers (or young adults staying home from college) while your family is on lockdown or in quarantine:

Emphasise Social Distancing

The first challenge with teens and young adults may be getting them to comply with the guidelines for social distancing.

Teenagers tend to feel invincible, and they are likely to be well aware that the new coronavirus is not as problematic for their age range as it is for older people. This means parents are getting a lot of pushback when teens are told they can’t go out and get together with friends.

It’s important to explain to your teens that even if they feel fine or are at lower risk, they still run the risk of infecting others – like their parents, grandparents or loved ones with compromised immune systems.

Understand their Frustrations

For teenagers and young adults, socialising is hugely important, and that’s normal; bonding with peers is one of the essential developmental tasks of adolescents.

If your teen is sulking about being stuck at home with their parents and siblings, a direct conversation can help them to vent and feel understood.

Acknowledge that you know it’s frustrating for them to be cut off from friends.
Listen to what they’re feeling, validate those feelings and then be direct about how you can work together to make this situation bearable.
Loosening rules about time spent on social media, for instance, will help compensate for the socialising time lost with school closings.
Encourage them to be creative about new ways to interact with their friends socially.

Support Remote Schooling

Many parents are also feeling a bit overwhelmed and confused about how to help kids with remote learning. With younger children, it’s more a matter of finding fun activities that can be educational. But with older students, keeping up with expectations from school can be challenging, especially for those with ADHD, learning disorders or organisation issues.

You can help high school and college students to create a realistic schedule for getting work done in defined periods. Build in breaks and times for socialising, exercising and entertainment. The idea here is: Do a session of work first, then reward yourself with something relaxing.

Encourage Healthy Habits

Teens and young adults will do better during this stressful time if they get enough sleep, eat healthy meals and exercise regularly. Keeping a consistent sleep schedule, with predictable times to wake up and go to bed, is especially important to maintaining a positive mood and helping them to focus on their tasks for the day.

These healthy habits are especially important for young people struggling with anxiety or depression. Losing the routines you’ve come to rely on can be a big source of stress.

It’s important to be aware that adults should avoid sleeping too much when they’re housebound, and find ways to stay active every day. Establish a family routine that includes eating properly, sleeping at regular hours, being social with each other, and engaging in fun recreational activities (like a game of soccer in the back yard).

Validate their Disappointment

For many teens, the most painful part of the Coronavirus crisis will be losing out on important experiences: high school sports seasons, matric dances, theatre productions, graduation ceremonies.

Some will also be worried about missing activities expected to help them with college applications and scholarships. Kids are understandably wondering how this will affect their futures.

The best thing you can do is give them room to share how they are feeling, and acknowledge the real stress they may be under. Then express confidence in your child’s ability to rebound.

Help them Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness techniques can be very helpful in this kind of situation, where our routines are disrupted and we may be feeling a lot of frustration and disappointment. Mindfulness teaches us to tune into our emotions in any given moment, and experience them without judging them.

This advice can help parents of teens to better support their children during this uncertain time.

Sources:

Child Mind Institute https://childmind.org/

zara2021-03-17T11:25:25+00:00

Is COVID-19 keeping you awake?

Sleep is essential for good health, and unfortunately, under the current stressful circumstances, many of us are struggling to get a good night’s rest. Sleep deprivation can leave you feeling overtired, irritable and depressed, and this, in turn, can affect your body’s immune system, making you more vulnerable to bugs and germs.

The struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep is called insomnia, here are some tips for dealing with insomnia, to make sure you get the good quality sleep you need.

What is “Sleep Debt”?

Most sleep experts agree that adults need approximately eight hours per night. Prolonged lack of sleep slowly but surely builds up to what we call “sleep debt”, and your body will take “payment” in the form of poor concentration, impaired functioning or fatigue.

What keeps you awake at night?

You can probably relate to this: Your mind starts racing as soon as your head hits the pillow. You’re thinking about your to-do list, that thing you should (or shouldn’t) have or shouldn’t have said, or running through ‘what if’ scenarios to try to find some solutions in uncertain times. Then you catch a glimpse of the clock, and realise how late it already is.

At some point, it’s hard to tell whether you’re having trouble sleeping because you’re anxious, or you’re anxious because you can’t sleep. The answer may be both. It’s a two-way street: Stress and anxiety can cause sleeping problems, or worsen existing ones; and lack of sleep can also cause an anxiety disorder.

Common sleep debt symptoms may also include:

Depression
Brain fog
Struggling to concentrate
Not meeting work deadlines
Impaired immune system
Weight gain
Low sex drive
Relationship conflict

Getting the Sleep You Need

Here are some ways to prevent sleep loss and keep your “sleep debt” from stacking up while you’re stuck at home.

Stick to a regular sleep pattern. Go to sleep at the same time every night, and get up the same time as usual, even over weekends and public holidays.
Take time to wind down. A healthy bedtime routine allows your body and mind time to slow down before lights out. Take at least half an hour to play quiet music, take a bath, or read a book.
Steer clear of stressful activities before bed. Leave the bill paying for earlier in the day, stay away from heated social media exchanges, and skip the evening news.
Put your to-dos on paper. Instead of letting your brain swirl with all the things that you don’t want to forget to take care of, write them down so your brain can relax and let go.
Keep your bedroom environment cool, dark and quiet. Your biological clock responds to these external signals, so make sure it’s getting the message “go to sleep” very clearly.
Finish eating and drinking at least one to two hours before going to bed.
Avoid or limit drinking alcohol and coffee in the evening. A good alternative is a caffeine-free herbal tea to help relax your body and mind.
Keep the TV and any other electronic devices out of the bedroom.
Calm your mind and get rid of stress before going to bed. You can do this with meditation, gentle stretches or breathing exercises.
Don’t lie in bed awake. If you can’t fall asleep for more than 20 minutes, give yourself a do-over. Get up, keeping the lights low, and do something relaxing (and ideally sleep-inducing). Have a glass of milk or cup of herbal rooibos tea and read a book. But avoid screens – the light that they emit can signal to your brain that it’s time to wake up.

By giving your body and mind the proper rest, you can help to keep yourself physically and mentally healthy, which is good news for your immune system, your mood and your overall wellbeing.

Still not sleeping? If you think that you might have more serious sleep problems, clinical anxiety, or depression, talk to your doctor. A specialist can help you find a treatment plan, so you can manage your symptoms and get the sleep you need.

Don’t lie awake worrying. If you need someone to talk to, reach out to a LifeAssist counsellor, any time day or night.

Source: Inspire Wellness

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-tips-to-sleep-better

www.sleepfoundation.org

20 April 2020

zara2021-04-01T09:39:12+00:00

Living with HIV and TB in the COVID-19 Crisis

With the global reach of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now more important than ever for those who are living with HIV or TB to adhere rigidly to their ART or TB treatment.

People who are most vulnerable to life-threatening complications are those who are immune-compromised. It is very important for people to know their HIV status and if they are at risk for active TB. Those who are on treatment for these conditions, would have an advantage over those who simply don’t know, or neglect taking their treatment.

We don’t want to add to the load in the healthcare system, but if you are going for a flu vaccination, ask if you can be screened for HIV (antibodies) and TB (symptoms).

Here is a story which explains why.

Imagine that, for a long time, you have been fighting a deadly duel with an opponent called Higgins. You are quite evenly matched. Initially, Higgins attacked strongly, but you quickly found ways to counter his attacks and suppress him. But he hid so that you could not finish him off completely and he continued to niggle and attack you. You are now exhausted and it has become increasingly difficult to suppress the relentless attacks by Higgins.

Suddenly an energetic, fresh opponent joins Higgins in attacking you. An opponent with different weapons and tactics that you know nothing about.

What chance do you have against both of them?

The new opponent is COVID-19. Higgins is HIV, and this is the situation you could face if you are living with HIV (or TB) and you are not getting effective treatment.

However, if you are taking ARVs as prescribed and they are working, this is like having a tough co-fighter with you, who wrestles Higgins to the ground and sits on him so he cannot move. HIV is suppressed to undetectable levels, freeing your body’s immune system to rebuild the strength it needs to fend off an attack by the coronavirus and other infections.

So, make certain that you have, and take, the ARVs / TB-treatment medicine you need throughout this COVID-19 crisis. This discipline will give you a better chance of surviving coronavirus infection.

If you are HIV positive, enrol on an HIV Disease Management programme through your medical scheme provider.

Contact LifeAssist for health coaching and advice.

Source: Inspire Wellness: Bridges of Hope Training: 15 April 2020

zara2021-04-01T06:24:20+00:00