ABC interns Samantha and Gurpreet lead a guided meditation exercise for adults and young adults.
In light of COVID-19, many people may be experiencing a heightened sense of anxiety. That is okay. Follow Samantha and Gurpreet’s guided meditation to help alleviate any negative feelings you may have.
COVID-19 has caused a lot of stress and anxiety about our health and future. It is normal to feel stressed and anxious at the moment, but there are resources out there to help you cope.
Headspace, an online platform that promotes mental wellness through guided meditation, released a free collection of mental health resources at the request of Gov. Cuomo. This collection of meditation, sleep, and movement exercises was curated with New Yorkers struggling with COVID-19 in mind, but is available for free to everyone. My favorite was “Winter Park (Sleepcast),” which made me feel calmer instantly!
Calm, another online platform with mental wellness resources, posted a special collection of guided meditation, exercises, music, and sleep stories to help you feel and sleep better. Calm also posted guided meditation practice for children of different ages!
(Source: Headspace Website)
Acute stress can lead to changes in your energy level, sudden loss of appetite or urge to overeat, difficulty concentrating, prolonged feeling of hopelessness, and/or suicidal ideation.
If you or your child starts to experience acute stress, you can call New York State Office of Mental Health’s support line at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text Got5 to 741741. Staffed by volunteers who have received training in crisis counseling, this support line will offer free and confidential emotional assistance. NYC WELL also operates a support line – you can either call 1-888-NYC-WELL (1-888-692-9355), text WELL to 65173, or chat online.
If immediate intervention is needed, call 911. First responders continue to offer in-person crisis intervention to individuals expressing suicidal ideation, committing self-harm, or exhibiting a disruptive or explosive behavior. ABC’s own Children’s Mobile Crisis Team (CMCT), for example, responds to all children’s emotional crises in Manhattan within two hours, 24/7. You can also call NYC WELL or NYC-311 to be referred to our CMCT.
The Child Mind Institute, a non-profit dedicated to children struggling with mental health disorders, offers Facebook livestreams, phone consultations, remote evaluations, and daily tips for parenting during the crisis.
The Child Mind Institute is currently hosting twice-daily English, and twice-weekly Spanish livestreams on Facebook, which enable you to engage with an expert directly. If you choose, you can sign up for a phone consultation afterwards.
On their website, you can also find articles on topics such as how to explain COVID-19 to young children, engage with teenagers unhappy about the quarantine, and much more.
