During these challenging times, an important component of promoting brain and body health, and fighting brain and body illness is finding healthy ways to cope and stay connected. There are many tools and resources available for managing stress and building resilience as you adapt to the temporary changes in the way you live, learn, work, and spend time together.

Here are five tips for staying connected and building resilience.

1. Get five daily Brain Health Boosts. Good-for-you foods, a good night’s sleep, thinking positive thoughts, writing down something you are grateful for, and a good amount of exercise every day, for example, can help manage stress while protecting your brain and body health. Next week join the Brain Boost Challenge.
2. Stay connected with technology. Reach out to family and friends, colleagues, and community groups in whatever way you can—calls, texts, video chats, and more.
3. Spend time in spaces where COVID-19 is not the focus. Don’t let the pandemic take over what you read, watch, or talk about. Turn off the TV and don’t be afraid to ask friends and family to talk about something else.
4. Reduce anxiety by reducing your risk. Stay safer at home. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. Stay at least 6-feet apart while running essential errands at the store, pharmacy, or gas station. Knowing you’re doing everything you can to stay healthy can help you worry less and boost your brain and body immunity.
5. Monitor your anxiety levels. Everyone’s reaction to stress is different. Normal reactions to stress may include difficulty concentrating or sleeping, irritability, fatigue, and even stomach pain. But if you find that persistent anxiety is overwhelming your ability to cope with everyday life, reach out to a medical professional for help. 

Remember, you are not alone. We are all in this together. By working together, we are resilient.

Join the Keep Calm and Carry on Community Meditation.