Tips for Coping with COVID-19 Stress: Taking Your Stress Temperature

Posted on September 9, 2020 by Terri Foley

A first step in maintaining your resilience during stressful times is to learn to take your stress temperature. As you notice yourself getting

more agitated or anxious, here are four things to notice about yourself:

1. Physical Reactions to Stress — Are you exhausted? More clumsy than usual? Are you getting sick easier these days? Is it harder to get to sleep or harder to wake up?

2. Mood Changes During Stress—Are you fearful? Feeling more sadness than usual? Are you weepy or worrying more? Do you feel guilt and anger more quickly? Are your moods changing fast?

3. Cognitive Reactions to Stress—Is it harder to remember things? Do you feel less organized? Are you having trouble concentrating? Is it harder to make decisions?

4. Behavioral Responses to Stress—Are you working more? Are you withdrawing from others more often? Are you using substances like alcohol more frequently to cope? Do you find yourself more easily irritated?

Just taking a few moments to pause and do this assessment can actually help relieve stress and break your body’s stress reaction cycle.

Other strategies for coping include doing a quick deep breathing exercise such as Color Breathing where you imagine breathing in a calm, happy color. When you breath out, imagine a color that represents stress and anxiety leaving your body. This is a great way to help children deal with stress, too.

Movement like taking a walk down the hall or standing up from your desk for a stretch break can help calm your body and mind.

Talking out your worries and concerns is also a proven stress reduction strategy. Through early October, the LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation is supporting the free COVID-19 Staff Coping & Support Hotline. We invite you and your team to Call 612-455-8656 or email covidsupport@acp-mn.com to schedule a 20-minute coaching appointment.