April 14, 2020
Dear Friends,
I hope you are still faring well as our 29th day of sheltering in place in the Bay Area begins to wind down. While this experience is unsettling and stressful, it appears that California’s bold efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19 have been working. Thank you for all you are doing to flatten the curve!
I want to continue to remind you to look after your wellness and think about using this time to reset your wellness practices which we are going to need in the long run. Last week, California’s Surgeon General, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, published the Stress Relief during COVID-19 playbook, a simple and easy-to-use tool to help us all understand and manage stress during this pandemic.
Dr. Burke Harris emphasizes that
"While we keep our physical distance, our social supports to maintain emotional and spiritual connection are more important than ever for our physical and mental health."
Among many other essential details, the playbook illustrates six strategies to reduce stress.
The Six Stress-Busting Strategies
From the California Surgeon General’s Playbook: Stress Relief during COVID-19
Safe, stable, and nurturing relationships can protect our brains and bodies from the harmful effects of stress and adversity. Healthy nutrition, regular exercise, restful sleep, practicing mindfulness, staying connected to our social supports, and getting mental health care can help decrease stress hormones and improve health.
If you haven’t seen the playbook yet, I highly recommend downloading, reviewing, and putting it into practice as a way to safeguard your health and wellness during this stressful time.
And, if you or a loved one are struggling with stress or mental health, please see the list of resources at the bottom of this email. It is normal to feel complicated emotions right now. You are not alone, and there are people and resources to help you.
Finally, if you have young people in your lives, we welcome you to join our complimentary virtual event on Friday, April 24, 2020, at noon with nationally-recognized child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Jess Shatkin. Dr. Shatkin will share advice and evidence-based strategies for helping our youth both now and beyond our current crisis. Please register here.
Please take good care of yourselves and your families during this unsettling time. Thank you for your ongoing support of Caminar and our divisions. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything. We can be reached at 1-650-372-4080 or info@caminar.org.
Be well and stay healthy,
Mark Cloutier, MPP, MPH
Chief Executive Officer
