JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — We're almost a full year into the coronavirus pandemic, and whether you're caring for your children or older parents, it can affect your mental health.
About four in 10 family caregivers find their situation highly stressful amid COVID-19. That's according to the National Alliance for Caregiving.
“This is really difficult and taxing on people and on the system," Dr. Cheralyn Leeby said.
Dr. Leeby's schedule is full during the coronavirus pandemic as a marriage and family therapist and fortunately, she recommends a system to keep your mental health in check caring for your family at home.
The five-step system is called "HEART."
The "H" stands for "healing old wounds."
“Politically or environmentally or anything with COVID we’re getting triggered by can be a piece of information to figure out, ‘Hey, I’m getting really triggered. This is old stuff,’” Leeby said.
“The "E" is "energetic." We take on all that stress energetically, and it gets held in the body," Leeby said.
Dr. Leeby says exercise is a good way to release that energy.
"A" stands for "affirmation." Dr. Leeby says it means to focus on what you want to invite into your life.
The "R" stands for "reframe."
“When we’re stuck in stress for a really long time, we need something to reframe the mind and shift us," Leeby said.
The "T" stands for gathering your "team" or "tribe."
“The other part of the ‘T’ is ‘Thanks,’ giving thanks and working in gratitude for what we do have right now can also shift the mindset out of burnout," Leeby said.
The well-being of working caregivers is lower than 70 percent of the population, according to a Gallup study.