ZCS Employee Wellness Center

The outbreak of COVID-19 may be stressful. Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations.

Call your healthcare provider if stress reactions interfere with your daily activities for several days in a row.

We are here to support you. If you are ill, or for any reason unable to come to the clinic, you may keep your appointment and we can check in with you over the phone. You may continue to schedule an appointment and meet in person or you may ask for us to call you at your appointment time at phone number provided.

Things you can do to support yourself:

• Take care of yourself or you can’t take care of anyone else.
• Get the facts at cdc.gov.
• Avoid excessive exposure to media coverage of COVID-19.
• Take care of your body -take deep breaths, try to eat healthy, exercise regularly, maintain good sleep hygiene, avoid alcohol and drugs.
• Do not take responsibility for things you cannot control.
• Make time to unwind and remind yourself that strong feelings will fade. Engage in enjoyable activities.
• Try maintaining structure and routine. Try to foster a sense of normality.
• Keep connected. Maintain healthy relationships. Ask for support when you need it.
• Communicate with your child. Answer questions and share facts in an age-appropriate manner. Limit your child’s exposure to media coverage of the event. Limit social media use.
• Here is link you may find useful: www.npr.org
• Reassure your child they are safe. Let them know it is okay if they feel upset.
• Keep things in perspective. Maintain a sense of hope and positive thinking.

Nutrition and exercise tips for working from home:

• Keep your diet routine similar to as if you are at your workplace. Try not to graze on food all day as this can lead to excessive calorie intake.
• Continue to meal plan. Planning nutrient-dense meals will help you maintain or improve your health while working from home. Consider theme meals such as Taco Tuesday or Soup Sunday.
• Build balanced meals by making ½ your plate fruits and/or vegetables, ¼ minimally processed whole grains or starches, and ¼ plant or lean animal protein.
• To reduce snacking temptations, set-up your home office away from your kitchen table. Consider working in a living room, spare bedroom, or even dining room.
• Don’t be afraid to use frozen vegetables at meals. Frozen vegetables are frozen at their peak ripeness and therefore are just as nutrient-dense as fresh produce. Be careful with added sauces as these can add unwanted calories, fat, and sodium.
• Get in-tune with your body. Recognize your body’s hunger and fullness cues. If you find yourself reaching for a snack think to yourself, “Am I actually hungry or am I eating out of boredom, stress, anxiety, etc.?” If you are eating due to boredom, stress, anxiety, etc., try to refocus your energy by shifting to a new work task or by taking a break to do 5 minutes of meditation or yoga, go for a short walk, or do a household task such as cleaning, folding laundry, or sweeping.
• Stay active! Go for a walk, run, or bike ride on breaks. Take advantage of free online fitness classes. Try to get in a similar amount or more daily steps than if you were at your workplace. Here is a link to a pilates workout created and provided by our wellness coordinator, Monica Cronin.

Additional helpful resources:

www.nctsn.org

www.nimh.nih.gov

We are all in this together and will get through this together!