The coronavirus pandemic is having a profound impact on communities around the world. It is forever changing what we do, how we do it and ways we need to make ourselves safe, both physically and emotionally. COVID19 shines a light on the need for mental health but how we create healthy communities will last beyond the life of this pandemic. Unfortunately, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders have once again been targeted for racial backlash. There is no question about it, racism is a mental health issue that can result in serious emotional stress and fear of one’s physical safety.
The healing process for the entire country will take a long time. Everyone wants things to go back to normal. It is completely understandable for many who face an uncertain future due to loss of income, loss of loved ones, and complete upheaval in one’s life but moving too quickly can have major consequences. The following are a few things we can all do.
Ways to stay emotionally/physically healthy:
Listen to medical advice from medical experts who actually know what they are talking about
Don’t panic, don’t hoard – take care of your needs but take only what you need.
Find ways to keep occupied if home bound – read a book, listen to music, do a Marie Kondo and clean closets, binge watch your favorite or new program
Maintain a routine to whatever degree is possible
Stay active. Exercise, get fresh air and go for walks if possible but maintain social distance guidelines
Understand that this is a very stressful time and being in close quarters can increase tensions
Be patient and take time away from each other if tensions rise
Practice relaxation techniques, meditate, breath deeply, stretch
Reduce isolation by staying in contact with others through social media of choice
Help others, this can actually improve our own mental health.
If possible, volunteer, donate food to homeless shelters, help deliver supplies to elders, make masks, be creative
Smile and say thank you at the grocery store, to the person who delivers the mail, to bus drivers, trash collectors…and all those who keep the country open
If possible, order take out to support local restaurants
Be proactive for things that help improve quality of life for all our communities
Do not accept racist actions, thoughts, beliefs
Claim for yourself what it means to be Asian American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Report incidents of racial harassment – being Chinese is not the cause of the coronavirus! …….refer back to first bullet!
Be kind, stay informed, be patient, stay safe. We are all in this together
Resources
AANHPI organizations addressing COVID19
Asian American Psychological Association https://aapaonline.org/ –
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations https://www.aapcho.org/
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum https://www.apiahf.org/
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance https://www.apalanet.org/covid19.html
Boat People SOS https://aapaonline.org/
National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association www.naapimha.org
National Council of Asian Pacific Americans http://www.ncapaonline.org/
National Federation of Filipino American Association https://naffaa.org/
OCA National Center COVID19 Toolkit https://www.ocanational.org/
South Asian Americans Leading Together COVID19 https://saalt.org/covid-19resources/
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center https://www.searac.org/covid-19-resources/
Mental Health Advocacy organizations
American Psychological Association https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19
American Psychiatric Association https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/covid-19 CV19
Anxiety and Depression Association of America how to talk to your anxious child or teen https://adaa.org/
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law http://www.bazelon.org/
Child Mind Institute, Talking to Children about COVID19 https://childmind.org/about-us/
Depression and Bi-polar Support Association https://www.dbsalliance.org/
Direct Online and Phone Support Services for LGBTQ Youth https://www.hrc.org/resources/direct-online-and-phone-support-services-for-lgbtq-youth
Futures without Violence addressing domestic violence https://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/get-updates-information-covid-19/
Mental Health America https://www.mhanational.org/covid19
National Alliance on Mental Health https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/NAMI-HelpLine/COVID-19-Information-and-Resources https://www.nami.org/covid-19-guide
National Association for School Psychologists COVID19 Resource Center https://www.nasponline.org/
National Domestic Violence Hot Line 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-799-7233 for TTY
National Council for Behavioral Health https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/covid19/
Suicide Prevention Lifeline https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Federal Mental Health Resources
US Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families https://www.acf.hhs.gov/blog/2020/04/stay-safe-and-be-informed-about-covid-19
Center for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/reducing-stigma.html
National Institutes of Health https://www.nih.gov/health-information/coronavirus
National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration https://www.samhsa.gov/coronavirus
Other in language resources
Government of District of Columbia https://coronavirus.dc.gov/page/translated-materials-0
Harvard Health Publishing – in-language COVID19 Fact Sheets https://covid19healthliteracyproject.com/#languages
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