Today I had nearly 10 phone calls from individuals seeking counseling to support with the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The common factor impacting everyone was accessibility. During each phone call, a person would request to have counseling online for the time being.
Typically, this is not an issue. Santos Counseling PLLC, since day one of operation has always provided counseling in the office and through teletherapy (online therapy).
What I found interesting about today was the number of phone calls and the concern shared by everyone. It seems that anxiety and stress are rising. We as a community are day by day becoming more anxious and worried about how the COVID-19 will continue to impact our life and the very things that we enjoy doing.
During one particular phone call, I was able to connect with an individual seeking counseling for her child, I found myself experiencing so much of what was shared. As many of you already know, Greensboro, NC like the surrounding areas have schools closed. My wife and I have two kids. One in Pre-K and the other in Kindergarten. With the impact of COVID-19 routines have changed. My kids are having to get used to mom and dad be the teachers. While myself and my wife, have to take on the daring role of teaching. In the simplest word, it’s a roller coaster.
With this particular individual, we were able to get her child set up with online therapy. Which works great in my opinion with the younger generation.
Another phone call I had pushed me to open up more availability. I was on speaker phone with a couple. They shared with me that their relationship was in trouble. That they wanted to stay together but didn’t know how. For those of you that know me, I truly enjoy working with couples.
I’m on a mission to reduce the divorce rate!
The couple shared that they are now both working from home. Which can sound pretty awesome. They shared that it’s tense at times. Neither have the space to leave to work as they used to. They are now always with each other. We spent about 45 minutes on the phone. I didn’t want to end the conversation without giving them a few strategies to implement before the first online counseling session. I shared with them that we can pull through. We can set up online counseling that allows all three of us to be live on video.
All of this I’m sharing with you because our office Santos Counseling PLLC, is here to help in any way that we can.
CLICK HERE to schedule an online counseling appointment.
The COVID-19 appears to be causing a change in the way we live our life’s. Parents do not have the space to leave kids at school. Kids do not have the space to go to school, socialize, and grow. Right now, there is an intense worry of being close to people. The very people that we love and care about. We are hesitant to go out to do the things that we used to enjoy. Like going to the local gym or getting a beer on a Friday night.
As a mental health professional, I’ll be the first to share with you how important structure is. After all, we are creatures of habit. Many of you, just like me, already feel the impact.
As you wake up each day, I hope that you continue to move forward. I hope that you find ways to be creative in replacing past routines and habits.
Here are 5 Routines that you can implement in your life as we ride the COVID-19 wave.
- Home based workouts using YouTube. On YouTube, I follow Yoga With Adriene. Try it out and see what you think.
- Keeping a Journal. For me, I like to write about my thoughts and feelings for the day. I also like to document how I am doing with my goals (personal, family, work, and more).
- Gardening Indoor/Outdoor. This is one of my favorite. I went ahead and started laying the foundation for my garden.
- Continue to practice healthy hygiene each day. It is really easy to let go when we do not have the push of accountability. Remember that hygiene is all about you. You feeling better each day!
- Engage with music and art. You can research online for free tutorials such as how to paint with watercolor.
