- Behavioral Health, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAs families continue to adjust to the “new normal” of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, both parents and children may feel anxiety and fear. The boundaries between work, school and home have gotten fuzzy, often leading to emotional burnout. It’s important to remember this whole situation is new for everyone. There is no right way to get everything done. With so much change and uncertainty, it’s more important than ever for parents to take care of their mental health so they can continue to laugh, have fun and appreciate every family moment. Here are some tips on how to stay positive while juggling a full schedule. Prioritize self-care: There will be a lot of unknowns this year, so it’s important to remain calm and remember to breathe when dealing with the unexpected. Each day, take time to do at least one thing that’s just for you. That could mean taking a few minutes in the morning before everyone wakes up to enjoy the quiet, mediate, write in a journal, read a book or watch your favorite television show. Be flexible: Keep an open mind, especially when it comes to virtual learning. If you don’t stress over changes, your child will be less likely to stress. Have a daily routine: While flexibility is key, it’s still important for parents to set and maintain a daily routine during the hours that school is not is in session. Even if the plan needs to change, having a road map for your day will make it more manageable. Set boundaries: If possible, have separate spaces for work, school and relaxation. No parent wants to feel like they are living at work, and no child wants to feel like they are living at school. Having designated spaces for each part of your life will make it easier for everyone to stay focused when they need to focus, and relax when it’s time to relax. Stay in the loop: Don’t be afraid to communicate with your child’s teacher about how they are doing in school. Teachers can offer amazing tips on how your child can stay engaged with school virtually. Staying informed will help both you and your child be less anxious. Have a support system: Ask for help. Many parents all over the country are trying to work, take care of their households, and make sure their children are doing well with virtual learning. It’s not easy, and some days, the whole family may need one big cry and one big hug. Everyone is in this together. Parents set the tone for how children will respond to a virtual learning experience. The calmer and more positive you are, the more excited your child will be about jumping into that virtual school day. Author Jennifer Williams, MA, LPC, LCPC, is a mental health professional at Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Mental Health Specialists, located in Annapolis. To reach her, call 410-573-9000.
- Behavioral Health, Pediatrics, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been particularly hard for kids. When school turned virtual last spring, students lost daily contact with friends and teachers. Many students may feel disconnected from school since they are at home. Or they feel isolated without their classmates around. Like many of us, they might be feeling like there are no boundaries between home life and school life. Despite these challenges, it is possible to remain confident and positive. Even if the school year looks different. Here are a few tips to help boost your child’s mental health while attending virtual school. Follow a daily routine: Sticking to a schedule for school days is important. Getting a good night’s sleep is necessary for mental health. Make sure your child goes to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning, leaving enough time to go through a regular morning routine. That may include taking a shower, brushing teeth, changing out of pajamas and eating breakfast. Talk to friends: Kids should talk with friends during breaks in the day as they normally would. FaceTime or set up a Zoom chat during lunch with friends. Try to avoid mid-day naps during break periods. Make sure your child continues to talk to friends after school and on weekends to avoid feeling disconnected. Go outside: Set aside time to have your child go outside at least once during the school day. If they start to feel sad, anxious, or frustrated, have them step away from the computer and go outside to walk, run or play. Have them try a few slow deep breaths to regulate their body and calm their heart rate so they can go on with the rest of the day. Have a designated classroom space: No one wants to feel like they are at school all the time. If possible, have a designated space that is just for schoolwork. Go to that room once the school day starts, and leave when it’s over. This will help your child draw boundaries between school and relaxation time. Make time for laughter and fun: We’re all going through something new and uncertain. Mistakes will happen, and that’s OK. It’s still important to make time for fun with friends and teachers, and maybe even start a new hobby. More fun means less stress. If your child is feeling overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to reach out for support whenever necessary. Don’t feel like you are expected to do everything alone. With a positive attitude and positive thoughts, you and your child can have a great school year. Author Jennifer Williams, MA, LPC, LCPC, is a mental health professional at Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Mental Health Specialists, located in Annapolis. To reach her, call 410-573-9000.
- Men's Health, Weight Loss, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe majority of our decisions about what to eat are on autopilot and often happen without us even thinking about them. Did you know that when you decide to change your diet, over 200 food-related decisions per day are impacted? From eating out to grocery shopping, all of these decisions are well rehearsed. On average, a grocery store will carry over 39,000 different items. Though variety is considered the ‘spice of life,’ the vast amount of food variety plays a role in overconsumption in our society. Research on food variety and its effects is emerging. In one interesting experiment done with M&M’s candy, researchers wanted to see what would happen if they gave moviegoers more color choices. They found that those who were given 10 different colors ate 43 percent more than those given the same amount of M&M’s in seven colors. READ MORE: What’s for dinner? New school year brings new pace of life You make fewer decisions over the course of the day when you automate your healthy choices , which helps you make it easier to choose healthier options. One way to eat healthier is to automate by meal planning. Too often, we let convenience, busy schedules and mindless eating derail our best intentions. Willpower is a resource that gets used up as the day goes on. The more decisions you have to make, the less willpower you have by the end of the day. If you automate your healthy choices, you make fewer decisions over the course of the day, which makes it easier to choose healthier options later in the day – a prime time for overdoing it. You are ahead of the game because you can choose something automatically instead of trying to use willpower. Here is a helpful guideline on how to automate by meal prepping: Eat the same breakfast and lunch every day. At least the template should be similar – a protein, fruit, vegetable and milk or starch. For breakfast, you could have oatmeal with fruit or a veggie omelet and fruit. For lunch, you could warm up some soup or a sandwich and pair it with some fruit. Alternatively, you could have some leftover chicken and green vegetables with seasonal fruit. You can mix things up at dinner and use the remaining willpower. Make meal planning and grocery shopping a given. Pick a block of time for planning your meals (perhaps in the car when commuting or transporting kids to activities) and then make your grocery list. Try to shop and prepare meals about the same time every week so it becomes part of your routine. Prep food ahead of time. Sundays are usually down days, which leaves time to tackle the preparation. If you really dislike cooking or prepping, consider purchasing prepared foods that fill the bill, such as already cooked chicken breast or various vegetable salads. Freeze meals. While prepping on Sundays, also pull out the crock-pot and make chili, a hearty soup, spaghetti sauce, lentil stew, etc. This will help you freeze and fill any unexpected gaps. Find foods you enjoy and that fit in the five food groups to slowly build a repertoire of satisfying meals. The effort in the beginning will be more time consuming, but the payoff will be worth the effort and repetition leads to balanced, healthy meals. Enjoy! Authors Ann Caldwell and Maureen Shackelford are nutritionists and registered dietitians at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach them, call 443-481-5555. Originally published July 8, 2019. Last updated Sept. 2, 2020.
- Behavioral Health, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed our lives in ways we never could have expected. For many people, these changes have been difficult. Now more than ever, it is important to reach out for help if you are beginning to suffer mentally and emotionally. Here is what we want you to know. Support groups can help For people already dealing with mental health concerns, isolation has been one of the hardest parts of the pandemic. Humans are social creatures. Many who had relied on community resources for support, such as senior centers, day programs, and wellness centers, were left in vulnerable positions when those gathering places closed. Many people are also experiencing grief as a result of the pandemic, even if they haven’t lost anyone due to COVID-19. Some people may have flare ups of depression and anxiety as a result. People may even develop new cases of depression and anxiety, even if this wasn’t previously an issue. Mental health support groups can be a huge help. It’s comforting to know that someone else is going through the same thing you are, that you are not alone. They also give you the opportunity to learn from others. And because many groups are virtual due to the pandemic, it’s easy to log on from whatever device you choose. Anne Arundel Medical Center’s (AAMC) COVID-19 Loss and Grief Support Group is one of those groups. Sessions are held via Zoom and are for anyone affected by the virus. The group, led by AAMC’s Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, meets Wednesdays from 5-6:30 pm. To join, email [email protected]. Support for Children Keep in mind that these are hard times for our kids, too. Their lives – including school routines, activities and gatherings with friends – look completely different today than they did a year ago. A recent study by the American Psychological Association found that 71% of parents worry about the effect the pandemic has had on their children’s social skills. Meanwhile, 55% of parents say their children have been acting out more since the pandemic started. Kids thrive on structure. This is important to remember as the school year begins and many are enrolled in online classes. Build breaks into their schedules and make sure they are getting outside. A little fresh air and sunshine can do wonders. We encourage parents to make time to talk to their kids and find out how they are coping. Even if you don’t have a lot of extra time these days, a five-minute conversation can make a difference. Pay attention to changes in their eating and sleeping habits and call your doctor with concerns. AAMC is also working on setting up a COVID-19 support group for teens. To learn more, email [email protected]. But don’t forget, parents need to look out for their own mental health, too. You can’t take care of anyone else if you aren’t first taking care of yourself. We are safe, ready and open If you or someone you love is experiencing mental health issues, whether it’s because of COVID-19 or something else, please don’t hesitate to seek help. Early in the pandemic, we set up telehealth services for patients, allowing them to get care from the comfort of their homes. AAMC’s Psychiatric Day Hospital along with our outpatient clinics offer both in-person and online services. Our hospital, including our Emergency Department, Pathways and the J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center, all have procedures in place to protect against the spread of COVID-19. We are safe, ready and open for you. There is always help, and there is always hope. Authors Eric Anderson, MD, FAPA, is the medical director of the J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center. Cindy Radovic, MA, BSN-BC, is clinical director of Emergency and Inpatient Mental Health Services at Anne Arundel Medical Center.
- Behavioral Health, Pediatrics, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogIn the last few weeks, we have all been learning how to live online while being asked to remain at home. Whether it’s grocery shopping, working or browsing the internet, doing so much from home has taught us how to transition into a more virtual world. Similarly, children have felt the frustrations of social restrictions and the challenges that come with adapting to online learning. And whereas before they could go to school or to the playground before, now they are home. It’s easy to scroll through your phone or sit in front of the TV and binge watch new and old shows. And it’s ok to do that once in a while. At the end of the day, we’re all learning a new way of life and how to navigate through a pandemic. But it’s also important to remember that smartphone addiction is a real thing and that balance is important, especially for mental health. Our phones are a big part of our lives. Sometimes, it even feels like they’re an extension of our hand — placing us at the mercy of whomever calls, texts or tags us next. Those posts and messages, despite our best attempts, alter our mood and decisions. Our kids are just as digitally connected, and are displaying a similar, sometimes more extreme, shift in behavior as a result. Studies also show links between social media and depression and anxiety. So how can you help combat this? Encourage your kids to put their phone or tablet down and reroute their focus to the present moment. Although there are social restrictions that limit us from going outside, there are plenty of things you can do with your children to help them disconnect from technology: Carve tech-free time into the family schedule. Make electronic devices off limits at specific times. Dinnertime and before bedtime are a good start, but additional breaks from technology each day is also ideal. You can also limit digital distractions by creating tech-free rooms in the house, such as the kitchen or living room. Designate a drawer, a shoebox or a shelf as the place where everyone puts their phones away for tech-free time. Set your goals. Are you trying to have more family time? Talk about your children’s worries or fears? Decrease the amount of time you’re on your screens? Whatever you’re trying to achieve, make it clear so everyone can participate and work toward the goal collaboratively and intentionally. Use tools for mindfulness. You can create cards with questions that will make your child think and initiate a conversation. For example, ask them about a time they had to handle a difficult situation and how they successfully overcame it. Your child can’t be present if they’re sitting on the other side of the table on their phone. When you’re talking, you’re learning about the other person and, even more importantly, gaining their trust. Trust is essential to a good relationship. Make things fun. Think of fun activities that can replace the time your kids spend on their phone and computer. You can suggest going out for a walk together around the neighborhood. You can also ask them to share their ideas of what you can do together as a family. Think about non-verbal messages. Non-verbal signals, like using eye contact, facial expressions, gestures and body language will help your child recognize emotions and understand the intent of a message. These non-verbal cues are lost when someone’s face is turned down to a screen. It’s a new way of life. We’re all individually learning how to best navigate this time of uncertainty and what works best for us. If you need to scroll through social media and laugh at memes or watch your favorite show, do what feels right to you. Just be mindful to take care of your mental health and the mental health of your youngest family members. What kids are going to remember is how they felt during this time. Carve tech-free time to talk and go over their worries and feelings. Try to make it a positive and rewarding experience for kids as much as possible – it will in turn be a more positive experience for you, too. Author Daniel Watkins is the nursing manager at Pathways, Anne Arundel Medical Center’s substance abuse and mental health treatment facility. You can reach him at 410-573-5434.
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