Page 9 - HealthcareNews Jan_Feb 2021

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM 9
Alane Bur- gess (left) and Kristy Navarro say the first step to dealing with anxiety and mental- health stresses is talking about them.
with the family for a week to get away from the cold weather.”
That said, many activities are still possible, Na- varro said.
“What is it you like to do? If we’re able to continue to do those things that we enjoy doing, we can feel better,” she explained. “And also, what in this situa- tion can you control? We know that COVID is out of our control. So, what is it that you can control in that context? Maybe the only thing you can control is wearing your mask outside and not being around other people. So control that piece, and have owner-
“I liken it to a hamster on a wheel, and the hamster is going way too fast. You need
to either slow down the wheel or get the hamster off the wheel altogether.”
ship over what you are able to do.”
Alane Burgess, clinic director at BestLife, tells
clients to take some time every single day — even if
Please see Impact, page 10
be afraid to ask for it.
Take Control — but Know When to Let Go
Navarro said much of the anxiety and depression related to the pandemic has to do with isolation — and not just physical isolation.
“We’re asking people to physically isolate,” Navarro said. “What’s more concerning is when we emotionally disconnect from people — the inability to reach out, or to get the support we need when we feel we need it.”
Kenton agreed. “Our lives have been completely
turned upside-down. We’re supposed to be social beings; that’s part of our underlying nature. Now ev- eryone has lost that element. We have elderly people who have been completely isolated and haven’t seen loved ones since March.”
It doesn’t help that many things people like to do to escape from their troubles — and get some exer- cise — have been eliminated or limited.
“They gain weight, they don’t eat well, they get depressed or drink more alcohol. It’s a vicious cycle,” he said. “We already have difficult winters in the Northeast, between the snow and the cold; we can’t do much of anything, and now we’re completely isolated at home. We can’t even take a trip to Florida
Staff Photo