April 30, 2020
Dear Friends,
Are you hanging in there? Staying put in our homes leaves us at odds with our best instincts. We cherish our freedom of movement. Many of our favorite activities have been replaced with virtual versions, leaving us longing for the joy of being face-to-face with the people we care about most. Be kind to yourself. When you experience moments of frustration or feelings of isolation, please remember that you are literally saving lives through your sacrifice.
I hope you were able to join our virtual Circle of Support event last Friday with nationally-recognized child and adolescent psychiatrist Jess Shatkin. Dr. Shatkin discussed mental health now and beyond COVID-19. A friend emailed her reaction shortly after the event:
“Dr. Shatkin was fantastic. I used some of his advice already when my daughter told me about the cancellation of her summer camp. I was able to get out of my ‘I need to fix it’ mode and give her the sympathy she needs; it’s okay to feel bummed.”
Among other things, Dr. Shatkin reminded us to put on our own oxygen masks first. If we as adults aren’t able to take care of ourselves, we certainly cannot take care of the people who rely upon us. Steps to protect ourselves first include:
Get dressed every day
Manage one’s own anxiety
Limit news and social media
Stay in touch with friends and family
Make fun plans
Maintain healthy habits around sleep, exercise, eating, and drinking
Expect some regression
For children, adolescents, and young adults in our lives, Dr. Shatkin suggests we encourage them to do the same things. Additionally, we can:
Empathize with their losses
Validate their disappointment
Role model positively
Help with distance schooling
I encourage you to watch his engaging and information-packed presentation here if you weren’t able to join us on Friday. Send me an email with what you learned from Dr. Shatkin—my team and I would love to know!
As a reminder, if you or a loved one are struggling with mental health or behavioral health concerns, please see the resources link at the bottom of this email.
Take care of yourselves and your families and thank you for your ongoing support of Caminar and our programs.Please contact us if you need anything by calling 1-650-372-4080 or emailing us at info@caminar.org.
Take good care,
Mark Cloutier, MPP, MPH
Chief Executive Office
P.S. If you find this information valuable, we invite you to support Caminar’s work with a donation.
