Top 5 things psychological literature indicates you can do to cope and prevent mental distress in a pandemic

1. MENTAL HEALTH
AND WELLNESS
DURING A
PANDEMIC?
Lacey L. Schmidt, PhD

2. The Mental Marathon…
Optimism Pessimism

3. Top 5 Things That Help
1.Sleep Hygiene
2.Create Routines and Certainties
3.Mindfulness
4.Limit Exposure to Anxiety Triggers
5.Creative Social Play

4. 1. Sleep Hygiene
◦Winding down routine
◦Consistent timing and amount
◦Comfortable climate and space
◦Document racing thoughts if needed
◦Use relaxation techniques as often and long as
needed (even rest helps)

5. 2. Create Routines and Certainties
◦Stick to a schedule. Get up. Get dressed. Take a shower.
Feed yourself. Sounds basic, but it will make a world of
difference.
◦ Small scale counts a lot
◦ Exercise of any kind for even two minutes a day helps
◦ Lay or list out resources available so you can see them
◦ Make a date
◦ Create a tradition or celebration (e.g. Taco Tuesday!)

6. 3. Mindfulness
◦GO OUTSIDE
◦Journaling your emotional experience and what
happened a couple of times a week seems to be a
sweet spot…
◦Right here, right now, I hear, see, taste, feel…
◦I’ve heard this before, but what words are they using to
tell me this time?
◦Enjoy your treat, totally.

7. 4. Limit Exposures to Anxiety Triggers
◦ When you’re stuck at home all day in times like these, it can be easy to get sucked
into an endless hole of news updates. Schedule a few dedicated times throughout
the day to check in with the news and get the most important updates. No need for
the minute-by-minute play-by-play of COVID-19 happenings to make you spiral.
◦ Deal with anxious people in doses as much as you can.
◦ Say NO to demanding tasks that offer you little control over how or when you do
them as much as you can.
◦ Manage your social media to follow only those who educate or entertain you. Scroll
past or unfollow folks who are posting to complain about anything. (Contrary to
popular belief “venting” is not beneficial for anyone’s mental health)

8. 5. Creative Social Play
◦ Connectedness is easier when we meet up to play together or pursue
common interests/ hobbies
◦ Social play can be asynchronous and/ or additive too
◦ Forget posting for likes or making the best content. Use social media
to connect with the people you miss seeing every day
◦ Learning something new that excites us helps us create positive flow
and focus
◦ Try more Affiliative and Self-Enhancing Humor (i.e. limit how much
sarcasm and self-deprecation you indulge in)

9. GREAT Resources
◦ Mental Health Screening Tool https://mentalhealthscreening.org/
◦ NAMI Texas http://www.namitexas.org/
◦ NAMI National http://www.nami.org/
◦ Crisis Intervention of Houston http://www.crisishotline.org/
◦ Harris Health System https://www.harrishealth.org
◦ Harris County Psychiatric Center (HCPC) http://hcpc.uth.tmc.edu/
◦ Harris County Sheriff’s Department Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) 713-221-6000
◦ Houston Police Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) http://www.houstoncit.org/
◦ The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD http://www.mhmraharris.org
◦ The Council on Alcohol and Drugs Houston http://www.council-houston.org
◦ American Psychiatric Association http://www.psych.org/
◦ American Psychological Association http://www.apa.org
◦ Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) http://www.adaa.org/
◦ National Institute of Mental Health http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
◦ National Suicide Prevention http://www.texassuicideprevention.org/
◦ UH Employee Assistance Program (EAP) https://www.uh.edu/human-resources/PowerUP-Wellness/EAP/
◦ IAmAlive Online Crisis Chat https://www.imalive.org/
◦ Crisis TEXT Line (24/7 and available internationally) https://www.crisistextline.org/

10. QUESTIONS?
Lschmidt@uh.edu