The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.
A lot has changed in just a few days and lots of things feel very unknown and uncertain as it relates to the coronavirus or COVID-19. This week I'm sharing a few thoughts to perhaps give you some context for how you might be feeling and to some tips that might help you out in the coming weeks.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Hyay. Welcome to the Therapy for Black Girls podcast, a weekly conversation about mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves. I'm your host, Dr joy hard and Bradford, a licensed psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information or to find a therapist in your area, visit our website at Therapy for Black Girls dot com. While I hope you love listening to and learning from the podcast, it is not meant to be a substitute for relationship with a licensed mental health professional. Hey, y'all, thanks so much for joining me for such a one forty seven of the Arapy for Black Girl's podcast. Wow, a lot short can change in a matter of days. Huh. The next few weeks and likely months will probably look very different from many of us, and the uncertainty may at times feel overwhelming. I was talking to my therapist this week about how this all feels like a movie that isn't coming to a resolution anytime soon, and it's hard to even make a good guess about what the ending will be like. If you're feeling similarly, I want you to know that you're not alone in this. I know I shared a few tips for managing anxiety you were feeling about the coronavirus and session, but I wanted to share a few more thoughts this week to perhaps give you some context for how you might be feeling and to share some tips that might help you out. Now more than ever, you want to be paying attention to how much news you're consuming. We're starting to see the first accounts of people sharing their experiences with coronavirus, and we're also starting to hear more about the depths. It may feel like you need to stay connected to all of this information as a way of protecting or preparing yourself, but I want you to think long and hard about whether this is actually helpful for you, or if it's really making your anxiety worse. It might be a good idea if within your circles, you all take turns being the one to send out a news blast at the end of the day of information that is absolutely critical for you to know, and otherwise you completely disengage from any information related to the coronavirus. Related to this, I want you to get creative and thinking about how you're going to stay connected to your support system even though we should all be practicing social distance as much as possible right now. That doesn't mean you have to be isolated. Now is a good time to think about scheduling periodic check ins with your people. I've heard of groups getting together virtually to play trivia, to have happy hours, and there's even a Chrome extension called Netflix Party that allows you and anyone who joins your party to watch a show at the same time and chat. And don't forget about our own community, the Yellow Couch Collective. If you enjoy spending time in the comments section on our social media channels, or if you love the content shared here on the podcast, y c C would be an excellent place for you to come and connect with some other sisters right now. A large part of what maybe contributing to the anxiety you're experiencing is likely related to there being so many unknowns about this situation. We don't know who will contract the virus, we don't know everything about how it's treated, etcetera. So to help manage some of this anxiety, I want you to take control of the things that you can control. First, I want you to make sure that you're clear about the symptoms and how the coronavirus looks different from the seasonal flu and allergies. If you're like me and struggle with allergies at this time every year, that little tickling your throat might be making you very just right now, but I want you to think about how your allergies typically present and if what you're feeling is typically what you feel. By all accounts, fever is a hallmark symptom of the coronavirus, so I want you to make sure you have a thermometer that you can use for yourself or your family. My understanding is that tests across the country are still an incredibly small supply, and even if facilities have them, they're only administering them under certain circumstances. So I want you to stock up on the supplies that you might need to take care of yourself if you were to have symptoms, things like pain relievers, plenty of fluids, and perhaps you want to try calling your primary care physician to discuss a plan for what should happen if you experience some symptoms but might not meet the criteria for hospitalization. Arming yourself with the knowledge and supplies to have a plan in place might help you to feel less anxious. It's also important for you not to forget about taking care of your mental health in the midst of all of this. If you're working with the therapist, check in with them about whether they offer virtual sessions. Or if you're feeling overwhelmed by everything that's happening and think talking with the therapist might help you right now, then definitely try to find one. In our therapist directory at Therapy for Black Girls dot com session directory, you can find therapists who offer virtual sessions as an option, so that would be a great place for you to start your search. Additionally, if you're in the US, remember that you have access to the Crisis text line, which is totally free and available seven so if you find yourself in need of someone to connect with, you can text the word Tribe t R I b E to seven four one seven four one. In addition to paying attention to your mental health, I don't want you to forget about your physical activity. I know it might be difficult if you can't get to your favorite class as us your gym right now, but there are other ways to make sure that you're keeping your body moving. Personal trainers across social media have been sharing quick workouts you can do in your home, and you can also search YouTube for workouts to do from home, or check out one of the many apps that are available for this kind of stuff. I'm a Platon fan and they just announced that they're making their app free for ninety days for all new users, and there are tons of workouts, boot camps, meditations, and other things that you can do with the app that don't involve the bike or the treadmill. But whatever it is that you choose, just don't forget to keep yourself moving and relateds in that trying to get some sunshine when and if you can. This might mean hanging out in your driveway, sitting on your balcony, or just making sure your curtains are open so that the light can hit you. Sunshine is good for us, so try to squeeze it in when you can. As many people are now working from home, I've seen lots of people share schedules and tips for productivity, and while I think that stuff is great, it can probably be useful for some people. I also want you to recognize what's actually happening around us. We're not just all on an extended break with our good snacks for the next couple of weeks, we're all inside our homes because of a global pandemic. That's actually pretty scary. So if your productivity isn't where it typically is, or you can't throw yourself into all the projects you thought you'd have time to do right now, it's totally okay. And I hope that if you're an employer listening, you'll have some grace with your team and understand that throwing yourself into work is not the answer for everybody. If that feels comforting for you and helps to normalize things for you, then by all means, go for it. But I want you to know that it's okay if you don't feel that way either. Because times are uncertain right now, it may feel difficult to find joy, or you might find yourself feeling guilty for laughing or having joyful experiences right now. But joy is important and necessary right now, so find out where you can. In music, artists have been coming together to give concerts from their homes. On i G Live today, John Legend performed, and I've heard rumors that Miguel might be performing soon as well. You can search the hashtag together at Home for more information on that and today Wednesday the eighteen, Debbie Allen is having a dance class on i G Live. And if you are a fan of Frozen two, Disney just released Frozen two on Disney Plus months early, so if you're looking forward to that kind of thing, then you have that as an option as well. Finding joy and having some levity in these kinds of situations is really important, so try to create it or find it when you can. Speaking of Frozen two, lots of us are home with our kids out of school, and we found ourselves thrust into the position of home schooling. I've seen some incredibly helpful lesson plans and schedules and resources that parents and teachers have shared, so if you're looking for those, they're definitely out there. I'll share a few in the episode notes. But I also want you to make sure that you're being compassionate with yourself right now. There will likely be a little more screen time than typical reruns of Doc Max. Stuff ins might dominate your mornings, but it will all be okay. This is an adjustment for all of us, so be gentle and patient with yourself and with your kids. Try to create a schedule, but remain flexible, and finally, I want to offer an opportunity to hold space for any grief that you might be experiencing related to the world not looking like what you expected it to look like right now. Senior years have been canceled, friends are now displaced, celebrations have been postponed, trips are up in the air. It's okay to be sad about these things, even in the face of everything else that's happening. It doesn't mean that you don't understand the gravity of the situation. It means that you're human and fully capable of experiencing a range of emotions. Make sure you take the time that you need to process your feelings in a way that feels okay for you. So chime in and let me know how y'all are feeling. How are you doing? Use the hashtag tv G in sessions so that I can follow the conversation, and don't forget to share this episode either on Twitter or in your I G stories. As we move forward, it's likely that the podcast will go back and forth between covering topics related to what's happening in the world and other things to give you an opportunity to distract for a minute. If there are topics related to how the coronavirus is impacting your mental health that you'd like to hear covered, We've made a form for you to add your suggestions and you can find it at Therapy for Black Girls dot com slash c V support. Remember that if you're searching for a therapist, you can search in our directory at Therapy for Black Girls dot com slash directory. Think y'all so much for joining me again this week. I'm looking forward to continuing this conversation with you all real soon. Take Gke care of yourself. What