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How Do I Talk to My Child About COVID-19?
Dr. Stacy Lekkos • March 8, 2020
Several cities around the world are on lockdown, people are under quarantine, and retailers and schools are closing down. March break is right around the corner and many families are contemplating canceling their travel plans for a less anticipated staycation. The culprit responsible for this widespread panic? Coronavirus (COVID-19). The uncertainty of the virus and its ramifications is unsettling for most adults at the best of times. Can you imagine how scary this must be for children? How do you talk to your child about this? Here are some practical tips:
First, Process Your Own Anxiety
Educate yourself about the Coronavirus. People’s fears are often exacerbated by a lack of information or misinformation. Talk to your family doctor and avoid reading the results of Google searches. If you still feel anxious, talk to a psychologist or other mental health professional who can help you work through your anxiety. Why is it important for you to decrease your anxiety and be calm around your child(ren)? Because children look to their parents for cues on how to respond to novel situations. If you have a calm demeanor your child will model your calm behaviour.
Ask Your Child What They Know
It is likely your child has heard rumors at school and other misinformation about the virus. Your child may not have a clear and complete understanding about the virus and its effects. When this is the case, children will fill in the gaps with misinformation and anxiety-laden interpretations which they have heard from others or created from their own fears or confusion.
Listen and Validate
Listen to what your child has to say. Let your child express their feelings and validate their emotions and concerns without judging or criticizing them. You can say something like, “It sounds like you are very worried about this.” Let your child feel heard and understood.
Provide Facts, Not Excessive Reassurance
Explain to your child that this novel virus is much like the flu and that right now the risk of contracting the virus is low. Most people who get it will end up with flu-like symptoms and recover fully. Explain, in age-appropriate language, that doctors and scientists are working very diligently to develop a vaccine and to learn new ways about how to keep us safe. If your child asks a question you do not know the answer to, be honest; it’s okay to tell your child you don’t know. Try to avoid reassuring your child by saying things like, “Don’t worry, you will never get this virus” or “It’s not going to happen to you, you’ll be fine.” Reassurance serves to maintain and even increase anxiety. Instead of excessive reassurance, provide information, correct inaccuracies, and teach coping skills. One coping skill you can teach your child is to use logic when thinking about their risk. After providing your child with factual information, ask them, “What do you know now about the virus?” “What do you know about using good hygiene?” (see next tip), “Do you think what you were worried about has a good chance of happening?” These questions will help your child think more logically about their fears. Check in with your child periodically to see how they are feeling and remind them that they can talk to you at anytime.
Teach Good Hygiene
Teaching your child good hygiene will give them some control over the situation. Teach your child to wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Also, to cough or sneeze into the bend of their arm or to use a tissue, dispose of it properly, and then wash their hands. Also teach them to avoid touching their mouth, eyes, and nose and to wash hands before meals, after using the washroom, and after returning home from public places. Keep in mind, your child may occasionally forget to wash their hands or will wash improperly. This is not a reason to become overly concerned or anxious, especially not in front of your child. Taking immune boosting vitamins, like vitamin C, eating a healthy diet, and having a good sleep routine will help keep your child’s immune system strong and will help them feel more in control.
Keep Routines, Do Not Engage in Avoidance
Keep your child and family’s routine unless there are government advised changes, school closures, etc. Keeping routines consistent gives your child the message that things are “normal” or “okay” and this will help to curb anxiety. Avoidance will increase anxiety over time so it is best for you and your child not to avoid doing things you would normally do.
If your child had anxiety prior to the Coronavirus outbreak it is likely their anxiety will increase significantly. Look out for the following symptoms:
- Physical complaints such as headaches, stomach aches
- Increased irritability or changes in mood (sadness)
- Separation anxiety
- Sleep disturbances, including bed-wetting, insomnia, nightmares
- School refusal
- Withdrawal from friends and/or family
- Difficulty concentrating/focusing
If your child is exhibiting any of the above symptoms and they are interfering with school, sleep, socializing, and your child’s happiness you should seek professional help. Find a local psychologist who can help your child learn to cope with their anxiety.
Written by Dr. Stacy Lekkos, C. Psych.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a widely used approach in mental health care that focuses on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It may offer individuals valuable tools for managing stress and anxiety. By exploring how these elements interact, CBT aims to help people understand and modify patterns that contribute to their distress. The importance of managing stress and anxiety cannot be overstated, as these conditions can significantly impact overall well-being and quality of life. CBT addresses these issues by helping individuals recognize and change negative thought patterns and behaviours. Through cognitive restructuring and behavioural activation, patients can work on altering unhelpful thinking and engaging in positive behaviours. Cognitive restructuring involves identifying and challenging distorted thoughts, while behavioural activation encourages participation in rewarding activities to counteract depression and anxiety. These methods may empower individuals to handle challenges better and improve their mental health. Understanding how CBT can be integrated into personal care routines may benefit those seeking to enhance their psychological well-being. How CBT Addresses Stress and Anxiety Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) offers valuable strategies for addressing stress and anxiety. By identifying and challenging negative thought patterns related to stress, CBT helps individuals recognize how these thoughts can contribute to their stress levels. Techniques such as cognitive restructuring aim to change these stress-inducing thoughts, while behavioural interventions work to modify the behaviors that often accompany stress. For instance, someone overwhelmed at work might learn to break tasks into manageable steps and develop healthier work habits through CBT. When managing anxiety, CBT can be particularly effective in reframing anxious thoughts. Through techniques like exposure therapy, individuals gradually face their fears in a controlled manner, which can reduce anxiety over time. CBT sessions often teach coping strategies and skills that help individuals manage their stress in various situations, such as deep breathing exercises or structured problem-solving. The benefits of CBT for stress and anxiety include a better understanding of personal thought patterns and the development of effective coping strategies. This approach may offer long-term relief from stress and anxiety by equipping individuals with the tools to handle their challenges more effectively. Consulting with psychologists in Toronto can provide further insights into how CBT may support personal mental health goals. Consulting with a Psychologist Consulting with a psychologist for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can provide valuable support in managing stress and anxiety. During your first CBT session, you may discuss your concerns and goals with the psychologist, who will work with you to develop a treatment plan. This plan may include strategies to address negative thought patterns and behaviours contributing to your stress and anxiety. Finding a qualified psychologist in Toronto, such as those at Toronto Psychologists, can be a crucial step in accessing effective CBT. In summary, CBT may offer significant benefits for managing stress and anxiety by providing a structured approach to understanding and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours. If you are considering CBT, consulting with a psychologist may be a helpful next step in finding personalized support and exploring how this therapy can work for you.
When an individual expects something to happen, many processes go on in our brains and bodies to meet these expectations.
Let’s put something into perspective here: each day consists of 24 hours. Of those, it is recommended that each person sleep approximately eight hours per night. According to these numbers, we spend one third of our entire lives asleep, yet for some reason the majority of us are choosing to ignore the importance of this inevitability. Sleep alone can improve our stress , memory functioning, alertness, mood, immune system, hormone functioning, and weight, to name a few. There are no quick fixes or super pills anyone can take for instant success but sleep is truly one of the closest natural aspects we can improve on in order to benefit almost EVERY aspect of our lives. So what can we do to improve our sleep? Define Your Why A recurring theme when deciding to make changes in our lives is defining our ‘why’. Any meaningful action requires meaning or purpose for it to be achieved. No matter how complex or simple it is, when you have a reason to do something, you are more likely to actually follow through with it. Remember to remind yourself why you want to focus on this area of your life. This will be particularly important when the going gets tough or if you fall victim of your previous routine way of functioning. Remember, meaningful change (in this case, sleep) does not happen overnight. Limit Blue Light Exposure Cutting out screen time before bed is one of the most effective ways to improve sleep quality. However, I’m fairly confident that most of you reading this will end the last moments of your night on a screen, whether it's a phone, computer, iPad, or the television. Throughout human evolution, humans evolved to be awake when the sun was up and to fall asleep when the sun went down. The problem with blue light specifically is that it has shown to stimulate the brain in areas that are active during alert day hours, disorienting the body’s natural preparation for sleep. Furthermore, blue light suppresses melatonin production (the hormone that makes you sleepy) and elevates cortisol (the hormone associated with stress ). Mariana Figueiro, PhD., found that two hours of screen time before bed displayed a suppression in melatonin levels in the brain (Figeuiro et. al., 2011). In fact, even when our eyes are closed, we have photo-receptors all over our skin that absorb light just as our retinas in our eyes would. Thus, having screens on anywhere around our sleeping areas is problematic. Tips to manage blue light exposure: Setting a screen time curfew Wearing blue light protective glasses Turn on blue light blockers on devices, i.e. phones and computers (f.lux and Nightshift are recommended for iOS users and Twilight for android users) Instead of watching TV, movies, or YouTube before bed, listen to a podcast or audiobook with the screen off or on sleep mode. Ensure your room is completely pitch black at night, with no lights on, curtains closed, and any technology still on should be covered. For those of you who sleep with a light on, it’s recommended to buy a red light for your bedroom. Not only do these look cool but red light on the visible light spectrum has been shown to have little to no effect on both melatonin and cortisol levels. This is hypothesized to be due to the fact that humans have evolved sleeping by fire throughout human history (Stevenson, 2016). Caffeine Consumption Before getting into what you can do to manage your caffeine consumption, let’s take a simplistic look at what caffeine actually does to the brain that impacts our sleep. During normal functioning hours, the brain slowly accumulates a chemical called adenosine that binds to receptors to slow down brain activity and make you feel tired. The longer you are awake, the more tired you feel. Where caffeine comes into play is that it is shaped very similarly to adenosine and it binds to brain receptors. When these receptors are blocked by caffeine instead of adenosine, this tricks the brain into thinking it's not tired. Caffeine has a half-life of about 6-8 hours. A standard cup of coffee has roughly 150g of caffeine in it. What this means is that after about 6-8 hours there is still about 75g of caffeine in your system. Therefore, the timing of your caffeine consumption is just as important as the quantity. With this being said, the best strategy involves setting a caffeine curfew in order to reduce the amount of caffeine in your system by bedtime. It is recommended to cut out all sources of caffeine approximately 8 hours before bed. This includes coffee, caffeinated teas, espresso, or any other source of caffeine. Change Your Mindset in Regards to Sleep Although the other two points mentioned will probably apply to most readers, this one was the most influential point towards improving my sleep. I associated sleep with a negative outlook, specifically with loss of time. I knew through research and extensive thought that if I was going to improve my quality of sleep I was going to have to change my mindset. That isn’t the easiest task, especially when you spend years of your life thinking you dislike something. Some things that I did that helped me with this was reinforcing my why . The more I thought about why I was addressing my sleep, the easier it became to desire wanting sleep. Once I slowly worked towards this, I found that my anxiety associated with loss of time began to reduce and I was able to associate sleep with a positive mindset. Meditate Mindfulness is the act of becoming aware in the present moment, without judgement. The practice of mindfulness through mindful meditation can provide an opportunity to create mental space at bedtime and to help you feel more relaxed. Mindfulness can also help you to cope with negative thoughts surrounding sleep and to help you shift your focus to your body and to be present. This technique is easily accessible by downloading free apps or using beginner guided sleep meditation videos on YouTube. Other Minor Tips to Improve Your Sleep Journaling is an excellent release before bedtime, especially if you are an over thinker. Letting out the thoughts on paper and getting them out of your head will allow you to focus more on sleep and less on what’s on your mind. Invest in a good mattress. As mentioned earlier, we are going to spend about one third of our lives sleeping so why not ensure that we get the best sleep possible? If you are not in an ideal financial situation at the moment, perhaps investing in a proper mattress isn’t realistic. For you, I suggest buying a memory foam topper or just a mattress topper. This is an inexpensive way to improve sleep quality. Sleep and wake at consistent hours. Our super complex yet lazy brain loves to work off of routines so do your brain a favour and go to bed and wake up around the same time. This will make the process easier on yourself and will make you less likely to give up from frustrations of not being able to accomplish what you set out to. Do not, and I repeat do not, do any work or eating or anything in your bed besides sleep. The brain works off of associations so don’t confuse your brain into thinking your mattress is an office, movie theater, or a kitchen table. This is just the beginning when it comes to ways to improve your sleep, as solutions often depend on one’s specific sleep challenges. However, trying any of these tips can be beneficial as improving our sleep is crucial to improving our physical and psychological well-being. Best of luck on your sleep journey and sweet dreams. Written By: Erik Michalik, M. Psy Candidate, BASc, Edited/Reviewed by : Chantal Legere, M. Psy References Figueiro MG, Wood B, Plitnick B, Rea MS. (2011) The impact of light from computer monitors on melatonin levels in college students. Neuro Endocrinol Lett .; 32(2):158-63. PMID: 21552190. Stevenson, S. (2016). Sleep smarter: 21 essential strategies to sleep your way to a better body, better health, and bigger success . New York, NY: Rodale Books. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
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Ever get the feeling that you're not good enough at what you are doing? Or that other people are going to think that you're a phoney?
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a widely used approach in mental health care that focuses on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It may offer individuals valuable tools for managing stress and anxiety. By exploring how these elements interact, CBT aims to help people understand and modify patterns that contribute to their distress. The importance of managing stress and anxiety cannot be overstated, as these conditions can significantly impact overall well-being and quality of life. CBT addresses these issues by helping individuals recognize and change negative thought patterns and behaviours. Through cognitive restructuring and behavioural activation, patients can work on altering unhelpful thinking and engaging in positive behaviours. Cognitive restructuring involves identifying and challenging distorted thoughts, while behavioural activation encourages participation in rewarding activities to counteract depression and anxiety. These methods may empower individuals to handle challenges better and improve their mental health. Understanding how CBT can be integrated into personal care routines may benefit those seeking to enhance their psychological well-being. How CBT Addresses Stress and Anxiety Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) offers valuable strategies for addressing stress and anxiety. By identifying and challenging negative thought patterns related to stress, CBT helps individuals recognize how these thoughts can contribute to their stress levels. Techniques such as cognitive restructuring aim to change these stress-inducing thoughts, while behavioural interventions work to modify the behaviors that often accompany stress. For instance, someone overwhelmed at work might learn to break tasks into manageable steps and develop healthier work habits through CBT. When managing anxiety, CBT can be particularly effective in reframing anxious thoughts. Through techniques like exposure therapy, individuals gradually face their fears in a controlled manner, which can reduce anxiety over time. CBT sessions often teach coping strategies and skills that help individuals manage their stress in various situations, such as deep breathing exercises or structured problem-solving. The benefits of CBT for stress and anxiety include a better understanding of personal thought patterns and the development of effective coping strategies. This approach may offer long-term relief from stress and anxiety by equipping individuals with the tools to handle their challenges more effectively. Consulting with psychologists in Toronto can provide further insights into how CBT may support personal mental health goals. Consulting with a Psychologist Consulting with a psychologist for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can provide valuable support in managing stress and anxiety. During your first CBT session, you may discuss your concerns and goals with the psychologist, who will work with you to develop a treatment plan. This plan may include strategies to address negative thought patterns and behaviours contributing to your stress and anxiety. Finding a qualified psychologist in Toronto, such as those at Toronto Psychologists, can be a crucial step in accessing effective CBT. In summary, CBT may offer significant benefits for managing stress and anxiety by providing a structured approach to understanding and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours. If you are considering CBT, consulting with a psychologist may be a helpful next step in finding personalized support and exploring how this therapy can work for you.
When an individual expects something to happen, many processes go on in our brains and bodies to meet these expectations.
Let’s put something into perspective here: each day consists of 24 hours. Of those, it is recommended that each person sleep approximately eight hours per night. According to these numbers, we spend one third of our entire lives asleep, yet for some reason the majority of us are choosing to ignore the importance of this inevitability. Sleep alone can improve our stress , memory functioning, alertness, mood, immune system, hormone functioning, and weight, to name a few. There are no quick fixes or super pills anyone can take for instant success but sleep is truly one of the closest natural aspects we can improve on in order to benefit almost EVERY aspect of our lives. So what can we do to improve our sleep? Define Your Why A recurring theme when deciding to make changes in our lives is defining our ‘why’. Any meaningful action requires meaning or purpose for it to be achieved. No matter how complex or simple it is, when you have a reason to do something, you are more likely to actually follow through with it. Remember to remind yourself why you want to focus on this area of your life. This will be particularly important when the going gets tough or if you fall victim of your previous routine way of functioning. Remember, meaningful change (in this case, sleep) does not happen overnight. Limit Blue Light Exposure Cutting out screen time before bed is one of the most effective ways to improve sleep quality. However, I’m fairly confident that most of you reading this will end the last moments of your night on a screen, whether it's a phone, computer, iPad, or the television. Throughout human evolution, humans evolved to be awake when the sun was up and to fall asleep when the sun went down. The problem with blue light specifically is that it has shown to stimulate the brain in areas that are active during alert day hours, disorienting the body’s natural preparation for sleep. Furthermore, blue light suppresses melatonin production (the hormone that makes you sleepy) and elevates cortisol (the hormone associated with stress ). Mariana Figueiro, PhD., found that two hours of screen time before bed displayed a suppression in melatonin levels in the brain (Figeuiro et. al., 2011). In fact, even when our eyes are closed, we have photo-receptors all over our skin that absorb light just as our retinas in our eyes would. Thus, having screens on anywhere around our sleeping areas is problematic. Tips to manage blue light exposure: Setting a screen time curfew Wearing blue light protective glasses Turn on blue light blockers on devices, i.e. phones and computers (f.lux and Nightshift are recommended for iOS users and Twilight for android users) Instead of watching TV, movies, or YouTube before bed, listen to a podcast or audiobook with the screen off or on sleep mode. Ensure your room is completely pitch black at night, with no lights on, curtains closed, and any technology still on should be covered. For those of you who sleep with a light on, it’s recommended to buy a red light for your bedroom. Not only do these look cool but red light on the visible light spectrum has been shown to have little to no effect on both melatonin and cortisol levels. This is hypothesized to be due to the fact that humans have evolved sleeping by fire throughout human history (Stevenson, 2016). Caffeine Consumption Before getting into what you can do to manage your caffeine consumption, let’s take a simplistic look at what caffeine actually does to the brain that impacts our sleep. During normal functioning hours, the brain slowly accumulates a chemical called adenosine that binds to receptors to slow down brain activity and make you feel tired. The longer you are awake, the more tired you feel. Where caffeine comes into play is that it is shaped very similarly to adenosine and it binds to brain receptors. When these receptors are blocked by caffeine instead of adenosine, this tricks the brain into thinking it's not tired. Caffeine has a half-life of about 6-8 hours. A standard cup of coffee has roughly 150g of caffeine in it. What this means is that after about 6-8 hours there is still about 75g of caffeine in your system. Therefore, the timing of your caffeine consumption is just as important as the quantity. With this being said, the best strategy involves setting a caffeine curfew in order to reduce the amount of caffeine in your system by bedtime. It is recommended to cut out all sources of caffeine approximately 8 hours before bed. This includes coffee, caffeinated teas, espresso, or any other source of caffeine. Change Your Mindset in Regards to Sleep Although the other two points mentioned will probably apply to most readers, this one was the most influential point towards improving my sleep. I associated sleep with a negative outlook, specifically with loss of time. I knew through research and extensive thought that if I was going to improve my quality of sleep I was going to have to change my mindset. That isn’t the easiest task, especially when you spend years of your life thinking you dislike something. Some things that I did that helped me with this was reinforcing my why . The more I thought about why I was addressing my sleep, the easier it became to desire wanting sleep. Once I slowly worked towards this, I found that my anxiety associated with loss of time began to reduce and I was able to associate sleep with a positive mindset. Meditate Mindfulness is the act of becoming aware in the present moment, without judgement. The practice of mindfulness through mindful meditation can provide an opportunity to create mental space at bedtime and to help you feel more relaxed. Mindfulness can also help you to cope with negative thoughts surrounding sleep and to help you shift your focus to your body and to be present. This technique is easily accessible by downloading free apps or using beginner guided sleep meditation videos on YouTube. Other Minor Tips to Improve Your Sleep Journaling is an excellent release before bedtime, especially if you are an over thinker. Letting out the thoughts on paper and getting them out of your head will allow you to focus more on sleep and less on what’s on your mind. Invest in a good mattress. As mentioned earlier, we are going to spend about one third of our lives sleeping so why not ensure that we get the best sleep possible? If you are not in an ideal financial situation at the moment, perhaps investing in a proper mattress isn’t realistic. For you, I suggest buying a memory foam topper or just a mattress topper. This is an inexpensive way to improve sleep quality. Sleep and wake at consistent hours. Our super complex yet lazy brain loves to work off of routines so do your brain a favour and go to bed and wake up around the same time. This will make the process easier on yourself and will make you less likely to give up from frustrations of not being able to accomplish what you set out to. Do not, and I repeat do not, do any work or eating or anything in your bed besides sleep. The brain works off of associations so don’t confuse your brain into thinking your mattress is an office, movie theater, or a kitchen table. This is just the beginning when it comes to ways to improve your sleep, as solutions often depend on one’s specific sleep challenges. However, trying any of these tips can be beneficial as improving our sleep is crucial to improving our physical and psychological well-being. Best of luck on your sleep journey and sweet dreams. Written By: Erik Michalik, M. Psy Candidate, BASc, Edited/Reviewed by : Chantal Legere, M. Psy References Figueiro MG, Wood B, Plitnick B, Rea MS. (2011) The impact of light from computer monitors on melatonin levels in college students. Neuro Endocrinol Lett .; 32(2):158-63. PMID: 21552190. Stevenson, S. (2016). Sleep smarter: 21 essential strategies to sleep your way to a better body, better health, and bigger success . New York, NY: Rodale Books. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
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