Tips to Minimize the Traumatic Effects of Coronavirus

By Michelle Woodward, LPC

In the recent months, we’ve had to face unexpected changes and hardship of a pandemic and there is no doubt that we are in the beginning stages of a huge mental health crisis involving psychological trauma. COVID-19 will leave a large percentage of our population traumatized and not knowing where to get the help they need. I recently watched a video by Bessel Van der Kolk, leading expert in trauma and author of The Body Keeps Score.  In the video he discusses Psychological Trauma in the Age of Coronavirus. I've highlighted six points from the video on how we can minimize the impact of this trauma on ourselves throughout (and after) quarantine.  Though the video was created specifically with Coronavirus in mind many of the points can be applied to all traumas.

So, what sets people up for trauma and what can we do about it? See these helpful tips below:

• Lack of Predictability -- It’s human nature to want to organize our lives in predictable a way.  We do this by making schedules, setting up the order of the day and living a life where we can plan and predict.  Van der Kolk suggests continuing this habit even in quarantine.
  • The day starts and ends with your bed! Try to wake at the same time, daily, even if you don’t have a job or plans. This is the same for bedtime. Try to maintain consistency for the day. Arrange the day with specific activity times: Exercise class 9am every day, 12:30 make lunch, 3pm go for a walk and talk to a friend, 5pm watch TV show, 7pm dinner and 10pm bedtime. Plan your day and plan your week to overcome unpredictability. 
  • He discusses the importance of planning out into the future as well-weekly zoom times through June, set a hike for next Sunday, plan the drive by birthday parade for your best friend in 3 weeks.  
    
  • Create a schedule of putting yourself in a time frame where you can look forward to contact and activities. Make it concrete and easy to follow by making a calendar of connections and activities and writing it down on a calendar or piece of paper and share with others.
    

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