May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month falls at a time when many of us can use some extra support. The stress and anxiety of COVID-19 has put a new kind of pressure on us. It’s more important than ever that we take care of our emotional well-being during this time. If you or someone you know needs help, Santa Barbara County’s Behavioral Wellness has services that can help and a 24 hour hotline: 888-868-1649.

The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department has put together the following strategies for coping with isolation:

  • Practicing mindfulness and relaxation exercises
  • Stay connected by phone and electronically
  • Keep current connections strong
  • Stay informed through reliable sources
  • Limit your screen time
  • Eat healthy and drink plenty of water
  • Call elderly and house-bound friends and neighbors to see how they are feeling. Bring them meals and special treats, being mindful of their vulnerability and susceptibility.
  • Play board games with your kids
  • Read to your children and have them read to you
  • Take on a home project, paint that wall that you have been thinking about
  • Work in the garden
  • Have push-up contests or do yoga together
  • Make special meals and involve the whole family, eat healthy!
  • Order in meals from favorite restaurants that you don’t think normally do takeout
  • Get outside – go for walks, runs, and hikes (maintain social distancing)
  • Assign someone at work as your Morale Officer to focus on your team’s wellness

Learn more at https://publichealthsbc.org/emotional-wellness/.