Wellness tips from psychologists during lockdown

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“I think it’s really important that we talk about our feelings right now, that we know that this too shall pass, that we relax, that we do things that we enjoy right now. Exercise, meditate, eat healthy, sleep and stay hydrated. These are things that we can control,” Dr. Lori Whatley said in a Zoom call from Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday (April 22).

“If you are sleep depriving yourself, you’ve weakened your immune system,” said Dr. Kevin Gilliland in a Zoom call from Dallas, Texas on Thursday (April 23).

To manage anxiety, doctors recommend limiting news intake to once or twice a day, to stay abreast of health experts’ recommendations while avoiding over-exposure that can trigger panic. They suggest watching comforting movies, video-chatting with family, and going outside as long as it does not conflict with health experts’ guidance. They also recommend acknowledging anxious thoughts, rather than repressing them – but then moving on quickly.

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Having Odd Dreams or Insomnia During the Coronavirus Quarantine? You’re Not Alone, Say Experts

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There’s a chocolate Easter bunny chasing you down the street. Or you’re desperately needing to find the right shoes for your high school prom — 20 years after graduating. You finally meet your cousin (on your dad’s side), and it’s Nick Jonas — social media is filled with people talking about the odd dreams they have these days, while staying home during the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. That is, if they can get to sleep at all.

Strange, vivid dreams and insomnia are common right now as everyone deals with the constant stress of living during a global pandemic.

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How to Cope with COVID-19 Stress When You Can’t Stay Home

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When it comes to coping with coronavirus—and the crippling stress of a global pandemic that’s unraveling the world you once knew before your very eyes—most of the general advice circulating involves staying home, avoiding contact with others, and not overconsuming news. But that doesn’t exactly apply if you’re an essential worker.

When you’re on the front lines—in a grocery store, hospital, delivery truck, pharmacy, or clinic—you can’t stay home. You can’t avoid all contact with others. You’re literally living in the news, so trying to avoid consumption of worldly events can feel pointless. You’re exposed, and it’s scary.

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Dr. Kevin Gilliland on kids, stress, and the quarantine

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Licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Kevin Gilliland on mental health during the quarantine, dealing with frustrated kids during the lockdown, and helping children deal with their stress.

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Muče vas čudni snovi i nesanica? Evo što bi moglo pomoći

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TIJEKOM ovog neočekivanog i neizvjesnog perioda, nije neobično imati čudne snove ili probleme sa spavanjem. Svi koji žive pod stresom zbog globalne pandemije mogu iskusiti navedeno.

“Okruženi smo neizvjesnošću i to se manifestira kao stres, a on utječe na nas i naše bližnje”, kaže psiholog Kevin Gilliland za časopis People.

Neobični snovi

Bila pandemija ili ne, stručnjaci se slažu da snovi sačinjavaju dio sadržaja iz našeg svakodnevnog života.

“Trenutno nam dane ispunjavaju tuga, otuđenje, strah, olakšanje, tišina, usamljenost i dosada pa je normalno da će se navedene emocije ušuljati i u snove”, pojašnjava dr. Gilliland.

“Tijekom dana pokušavamo filtrirati svoje brige, čak i želje, a kad spavamo, taj dio mozga se opušta i te stvari izlaze na površinu”, dodaje.

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Sering Mimpi Buruk atau Kena Insomnia Saat di Rumah Aja? Ini Alasannya!

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Suara.com – Apakah kamu sering bermimpi buruk, aneh, atau bahkan terkena insomnia selama berada di rumah aja?

Tak usah bingung, karena rupanya hal ini umum terjadi di tengah pandemi virus corona yang membuat banyak orang menjadi stres.

“Ini adalah saat-saat yang sangat menegangkan, baik kita sendiri yang terpengaruh atau orang-orang yang dekat dengan kita. Kita dikelilingi oleh ketidakpastian,” kata Dr Kevin Gilliland, psikolog klinis, dikutip dari People.

Dr Gilliland berkata bahwa para pakar tidur sepakat bahwa isi mimpi sebagian besar datang dari apa yang kita alami sehari-hari. Dan kini dengan kehidupan kita dipenuhi dengan beberapa emosi negatif terkait pandemi, maka normal jika hal-hal tersebut masuk ke dalam mimpi kita.

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This Is the Best Exercise for Anxiety—and It’s Absolutely Free

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Workouts have so much to offer: Yoga “creates space” in the body, Pilates works the tiniest nooks of your body, and HIIT gets your heart racing. Exercise works wonders for your mental health, but when we asked a psychologist to name the absolute best exercise for anxiety, he said one outpaces all the rest: running.

“If you choose the right activities, exercise can be a distraction that allows the part of our brain that works in anxiety to cool off,” says Kevin Gilliland, PsyD, a licensed psychologist and executive director of Innovation360. This region of your brain is known as the limbic system, and it rules over your emotions and memory. “Anything that’s a compound, complex movement is ideal for helping out with anxiety, because there is no way I can worry about a project at work and, say, stand in a complicated yoga pose,” says Dr. Gilliland. And when it comes to providing that sweet, sweet neuro-distraction, no movement works quite as well as running.

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Expert Tips for Staying Happy and Healthy at Home

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With social distancing in full effect amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, staying both physically and mentally fit is more important than ever. So we’ve reached out to experts for helpful tips for staying healthy and happy at home.

Stay Active

To find motivation to exercise, Dr. Kevin Gilliland, a clinical psychologist and director of Innovation360, an outpatient resource center in Texas suggests three things: create a schedule, move daily and set goals.

“Fight to keep your usual routine, because that helps you feel a sense of normalcy in such an abnormal time,” he explains. “So try to work out at the time you’re used to even if you have to change what you do and where you do it.”

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Salah Satu Gejala Pasien Positif COVID-19 Adalah Sesak Napas, Disamping Demam Tinggi Dan Batuk Kering. Namun Acapkali Gejala Ini ‘Bercampur’ Dengan Kondisi Lain.

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Hal inilah yang kemudian disoroti oleh seorang psikolog klinis, Dr. Kevin Gilliland. Menurutnya saat ini krisis kesehatan yang terjadi di dunia akibat wabah Corona wajar bila memunculkan rasa cemas. Kecemasan inilah yang kemudian memunculkan gejala psikosomatik serupa gejala COVID-19.

“Kecemasan dan rasa tertekan, semua bisa mempengaruhi pernapasan kita,” ujar Gilliland. “Yakni dengan memicu kondisi yang menyerupai asma (sesak napas) atau bahkan pneumonia.”

Namun tenang saja, ada cara untuk membedakan sesak napas akibat COVID-19 dan karena rasa cemas. Simak penjelasan Gilliland berikut ini.

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Coronavirus and Anxiety Has a Common Denominator: Shortness of Breath–Here’s How to Know the Difference and Cope with COVID-19 Threats

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Coronavirus and its Impact on Our Minds

There’s the fear of getting infected by the coronavirus, or that a loved one could suffer from COVID-19.

Getting isolated from our loved ones and barely seeing our families in fear of spreading an unseen enemy, is enough to cause even the sanest person to feel mentally and emotionally exhausted. Top that the physical exhaustion that medical frontliners had to experience on a day to day basis.

The news about shortages in protective gear, ventilators, and medicines, as well as the deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, is not helping us calm down, either.

The coronavirus pandemic is unforgiving, even to the minds of the people.

According to Forbes, 36% of Americans who answered an American Psychiatric Association poll said that the coronavirus pandemic has “had a serious impact” on their mental health, while another 31% of Americans said they are experiencing less sleep due to coronavirus anxiety, as per a PiplSay poll.

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