People of all ages may still be struggling with the COVID-19 crisis and self-isolation.
This is especially true for parents as kids have been away from school for the past couple of weeks and aren’t expected to return anytime soon.
Linda Kelly is a Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist and Chief Executive Officer of Kelly Mental Health in Thunder Bay and she was a guest on the CKDR Morning Show today (Friday) to offer tips on coping.
Kelly says for parents “Healthy Boundaries is about stating your expectations and your needs. Respecting yourself as well as respecting the people that you’re telling this to. So, saying ‘I would appreciate if you would give me space for about an hour so I could cool down.”
She says if you feel uncomfortable or irritated, bring it up right away and never assume someone is intentionally trying to get on your nerves.
In terms of discussing the health crisis with your kids, Kelly suggests letting your child lead the conversation.
“You need to be the one to tell your child what’s going on. They need to be able to trust you to be truthful, not to give them trauma and scare them.”
She notes this is critical as most kids turn to social media where they can encounter some ads that are meant to make you scared.
The cloud of uncertainty hanging over all of us right now may be causing some anxiety.
Kelly suggests some mental health exercises such as deep breathing and progressively relaxing each of your muscles in your body.
She says it’s important to take advantage of online resources as she’s anticipating a lot of mental health issues and people struggling to cope as time goes on.
For more information on Kelly Mental Health visit https://www.kellymentalhealth.com/
