From Me to You, Here's a COVID-19 Mental Health Care Package

One of the things I love most about my mom is how wonderful she is at sending care packages.

Across my college days, my Peace Corps days and even into my mid- and late-20s, my mom would, wherever I lived in the world, send me thoughtfully curated, beautiful care packages.

Tins of homemade cookies, scented soap, socks and underwear, favorite magazines and always a handwritten note from her with maybe a sticker or two on it. These packages were like tangible hugs across the miles and sometimes oceans.

Comfort in a box. Something sweet amidst hard times.

Today, the world collectively turns its attention to the new-to-humans coronavirus (COVID-19) that affects your lungs and respiratory system, causing symptoms such as a fever, cough and shortness of breath.

As we feel and face our way through it all, you may be struggling.

You may feel anxious about getting sick, concerned about your vulnerable loved ones.

You may feel worried about economic losses and what you see the stock market doing.

You may have your trauma triggers rearing up right now, impacted by all the not knowing.

You may be having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, feeling grounded, feeling steady.

You may be having a really hard time.

Please know this is normal and natural.

There is no one “way” we’re supposed to feel amidst a global pandemic.

Anxiety is a normal and natural response to the unknown, and let’s face it, there’s plenty of that these days. And still, though, we want to try and support our nervous systems however we can as we cope with this added stress. When you can’t calm down your nervous system, when you’re running on high alert all the time, it’s like trying to run a marathon at a sprint pace.

You will burn out. You will feel the huge physical impacts of it.

We may be facing a proverbial marathon-like situation since we don’t know how many months it will take for COVID-19 to become manageable.

It’s a proverbial mental health marathon right now and we can’t have your nervous system on high alert (AKA sprinting) across all of that time.

To that end, while I can’t send each of you an actual tangible care package, today’s post is my 2020 equivalent of what my mother has always done for me: a digital care package of comfort to see you through hard times.

It’s a curated “package” of my words, thoughts, tools and resources (including a guided audio meditation spoken by me and a book I’m making free to you), all designed to bring you a little comfort, a little more ease for your nervous system and more peace for your mind in these trying times.

I hope any, some or all of it feels supportive to you. I hope even one post or one sentence can help support your nervous system to regulate. I hope this post feels good to you.

I care about you. We will get through this.

Warmly,

Annie

For more on the coronavirus, check out the following stories from our community:

• What to Do If the Coronavirus Health Guidelines Are Triggering Your Anxiety or OCD
• How Can You Tell the Difference Between Anxiety and COVID-19 Symptoms?
• 7 Things to Do If Social Distancing Is Triggering Your Depression
• Feeling Calm in the Midst of the Coronavirus Pandemic Might Be a Trauma Response
• 6 Tips If You’re Anxious About Being Unable to Go to Therapy Because of COVID-19

Visit Annie Wright Psychotherapy to sign up to receive your care package.