PELICAN RAPIDS, Minn. — One of the hardest things for many of us amidst the COVID-19 pandemic is the toll it's taking on our mental health.
KARE 11's Bryan Piatt talks to Dr. Craig Sawchuk, clinical psychologist at the Mayo Clinic, about what we can do to take care of our minds.
Dr. Sawchuk says the top three things he's seeing right now when it comes to mental health are worry, sleep disruption and irritability.
He encourages everyone to stick to some sort of a daily routine - even if it's different than what we're used to. He also says that regular connection is very important, even if it's done virtually.
"These are really, really uncertain times for so many people. This is uncharted territory and I think that's an important thing to keep in mind. We're all struggling to a greater or lesser degree," Dr. Sawchuk says. "I want people to know that experience helps to change uncertain to be becoming more certain and as humans we're resilient. That's actually the trajectory that we're on. It may not be pretty and it may not be graceful with how we get there but being resilient in the face of stress and intense stress - we can get to a better place with this."
Dr. Sawchuck recommends the following resources to help with your mental health:
- Anxiety & Depression Association of America - tips for managing anxiety
- PsyberGuide - a resource for finding a mental health app
Understood.org - a resource to finding a supportive online community