REGIONAL CORONAVIRUS DIFFERENCES: But still no regional health guidelines.

Gov. Asa Hutchinsons daily coronavirus update included a new peak on the number hospitalized and he said he wasnt ready to announce a regional approach to easing of state guidelines on business operations.

Hed indicated last week he might have an announcement this week. Today, he was more cautious.

He said the regions of the state are different and their trend lines are different. But he said the future spread of the coronavirus is not predictable. He said he doesnt believe the rise in cases being experienced is related to past easing of restrictions. But he said increased testing is important. He said self-discipline and social-discipline still must be practiced. And he emphasized again that the economy must keep moving. He said these factors will influence future decisions on easing restrictions.

But nothing today. Were leaving the options open, he said. The weekend numbers clearly were a disincentive. He said hed thought earlier the state was on a decline on the whole, but circumstances changed. The options he considered Friday had some weaknesses. He said, What might be a safe region today might not be tomorrow.

The daily COVID-19 count

The state reported 314 new cases today, increasing yesterdays total of 9,426 to 9,740. Deaths rose by one, to 155. Hospitalizations increased by 26 to 171, a record so far. The rise inc ases followed increases Saturday of 450 and Sunday of 325.

4,131 tests were done over the last 24 hours.

The growth in new cases continued in Washington County (86) and Benton County (41). The governor said 41 of the cases in Washington County were clustered in 15 households. He also said the average age of those infected was fairly young, perhaps a hopeful sign that theyll overcome the illness more easily.

Health Director Nate Smith said only 2 percent of new cases had visited a restaurant in the last 14 days; 1 percent to a barbershop; 1 percent to a church, and less than 1 percent to a gym or hotel.

He said the growth in hospitalizations was concerning, but he said the state was not near its capacity. He said that, with the growth in cases, it wasnt surprising hospitalizations would grow. He said the same could be expected of deaths, a lagging indicator.

Protest news

The governor opened remarks with news on the demonstration front. He confirmed the announcement earlier that he was deactivating National Guard hed called up in support of State Police and local police.

He said the unified command structure created by his executive order remains in place, though the number of State Police dedicated to the job will be reduced. He said the Little Rock police will remain at work protecting property and demonstrators. The governor praised local demonstrators, but he said some outliers whod come in to cause trouble had been discouraged and deterred.

He also said hed been meeting with protest leaders and planned to deliver at 11 a.m. Tuesday an executive order hed promised them. He gave no details, but he said it would deal with police training, certification and standards.

Economic recovery

Steuart Walton, the billionaire Walmart heir appointed by Hutchinson to lead a recovery task force, said Arkansas is doing better than some neighboring states in economic recovery. He said his groups website is now available in Spanish. He said the group was trying to encourage businesses to get people to follow guidelines on wearing masks (they could be more effective than a vaccine in preventing contraction of the disease, he said.) and following other social distancing guidelines. He lauded the governors targeted approach to balancing health and economic concerns.

The Q&A session didnt cover much new ground, with some discussion, but little enlightenment on whether the mass demonstrations were a potential breeding ground for virus cases or whether any new cases had been reported as a result.

More here:
Coronavirus today: 314 new cases and a record number hospitalized. No regional easing yet, governor says. - Arkansas Times

Keeping yourself busy is easier said than done at the moment. After the umpteenth week staring slack-jawed at Netflix, taking part in repetitive Zoom quizzes and idly tapping through everyone elses Instagram Stories, things can start to feel a bit Groundhog Day.

What you really need is a hobby and a calming one at that. While theres a time and place for playing adrenaline-soaked video games, throwing yourself into high-intensity exercise and putting yourself on a deadline to write your first book, all of these high-pressure pursuits can add to the current stress and anxiety, which isnt what you need right now.

Here, weve found 10 super-calming hobbies that wont test your patience. Try one of these ideas for soothing your nervous system, relieving tension and improving your mental health.

1. Knitting

As well as helping you to save money on your wardrobe, knitting is a fantastic craft hobby for chilling out after a stressful day of working from home.

A 2007 study by Harvard Medical Schools Mind and Body Institute found that taking part in a knitting session can lower your heart rate by an average of 11 beats per minute. In fact, knitting is so relaxing that the study authors compared the enhanced state of calm it produces to that of taking a yoga class.

2. Adult colouring

With restaurants, pubs and gyms closed, your screen time is likely to have increased, which isnt great for your mental health.

Give yourself a break and try some adult colouring instead. A study published in the journal Art Therapy found that the intense attention to detail needed can reduce anxiety and improve mindfulness.

3. Painting

Its no surprise that splashing paint onto a canvas is good for your stress levels. Studies have suggested that art therapy can be helpful for treating both anxiety and depression, as well as PTSD, trauma and phobias.

If youre not sure where to get started, there are lots of online tutorials to follow on YouTube. Makings and Musings are also streaming live classes with demonstrations on how to master new painting techniques during lockdown.

4. Caligraphy

If youre feeling stressed and overloaded with a constant barrage of emails, news articles, WhatsApp messages and catch-up calls, calligraphy is a fantastic escape.

You can put your phone on mute, stick on some relaxing music and start creating at your own pace. There are lots of printable worksheets online which you can make your way through, tracing the letters and creating a beautiful page of handwritten art.

5. Needlework

Thanks to Instagram, needlework has had a resurgence in recent years, as the hot item to have hanging on your wall. If you want to lower your stress levels and save some money in the process, you can have a go at creating your own at home.

There are lots of beginner kits you can buy online, YouTube tutorials to follow and The Royal School of Needlework offers introductory classes with video instructions on how to get started.

6. Baking

If youre one of the thousands of people baking banana bread in lockdown, then youll know just how comforting all that weighing, mixing, sieving and eating can be.

Whether youre a fan of cakes or you prefer a loaf of sourdough, baking can form part of a mindful practice called grounding, where you use a hands-on activity to help you be present and connected in the moment.

7. Cocktail making

Theres a reason why everyone from children to parents are finding solace in learning TikTok dance routines at the moment.

Research dating back to the 1980s has suggested that dance can have a significant effect on our anxiety levels, helping to boost our mood, express our feelings creatively and release those feel-good exercise hormones.

10. Gardening

Spending time in the garden feels good for so many reasons. As well as being outside in the fresh air, using your hands to plant and pot after a day of typing can feel therapeutic, and there are pleasant sights and smells to take in, too.

A study from the Journal of Health Psychology found that gardening can help to improve your mood and even reduce the stress hormone cortisol. Even if you dont have a big patch of land to play with, you can still enjoy the mental health benefits by planting a few pots and planters on your doorstep.

Read more from the original source:

10 calming hobbies to take up now - BreakingNews.ie

Anyone who has laid awake in bed staring at the clock, mentally calculating how many hours of sleep they will get if they fall asleep right now, knows the struggle of insomnia.

The sleep disorder is incredibly common, with acute cases affecting as many as 25% of Americans a year, according to a study from the University of Pennsylvania.

Insomnia can manifest in different ways for different people. Some have trouble falling asleep, others have trouble staying asleep, and some have difficulty with both.

However, when those sleep issues start to have a negative impact on your daily life, that's when it goes from just a few days of bad sleep to a concerning case of insomnia.

Insomnia can last for days, weeks, or even years. Generally, it is considered acute insomnia when it lasts for less than a month at one time, and chronic insomnia when it continues for longer, usually three months at one time.

The symptoms of insomnia, whether acute or chronic, are similar. They include:

The severity of the symptoms generally worsens the longer insomnia persists.

Ashley Moore, a licensed clinical professional counselor and lecturer at University of New England, says that for an acute case of insomnia, "the level of physiological and cognitive symptoms we are going to see are probably not going to be as severe as someone who has been experiencing insomnia for months."

Moore says many of her clients experience acute insomnia, typically during a time of stress or major change. The causes are usually psychological in nature, such as:

Having anxiety about insomnia is a major concern because it can prolong the insomnia, or even worsen it.

Imagine someone has trouble sleeping for a few nights. "Now every night [they are] going to bed they are fearful that they're not going to be able to sleep," Moore says. "So, their anxiety level is up and now their anxiety is actually making it harder to sleep."

While acute insomnia can turn into chronic insomnia, it usually won't about 75% of those with acute insomnia will recover, meaning it takes them fewer than 15 minutes to fall asleep, or who spend fewer than 15 minutes awake during the night at least five times a week.

Most of the time, insomnia resolves itself when the stressor triggering it is resolved or at least addressed. For instance, if your insomnia is triggered by anxiety over starting a new job, it will likely go away once you have settled into work.

"It probably is going to resolve itself for most individuals," Moore says. "But there always is an individual's own tendencies and coping strategies and baseline anxiety that is going to play into that."

Before you panic that you will never get another good night's sleep, Moore suggests trying to pinpoint what is triggering your insomnia and address it, if possible.

At the same time, improving your sleep habits, referred to as sleep hygiene, can help. This includes avoiding caffeine, alcohol and nicotine before bed, getting regular exercise, and skipping long daytime naps. Moore says most of the time, lifestyle changes will be the most beneficial.

Here are some more lifestyle tips to get better sleep:

This might seem obvious, but it's critical: make sure your room is quiet and dark. Light can disrupt your circadian rhythm, delaying the release of melatonin, a hormone that helps you sleep.

People who live in areas with bright street lights are more likely to report trouble sleeping, according to a 2016 study. Especially for light sleepers, noise can disrupt sleep. Things like white noise machines or ear plugs can help with that, and black out curtains can block outside light.

The second part of creating a sleep-friendly room may be harder for most of us. You should only use your bedroom for two things: sleep and sex. The idea is to condition your mind and body so that being in your bed triggers sleepiness.

This is called stimulus control, and it's been used as treatment for insomnia since the 1970s, according to a review published in 2012. That means no watching TV, eating, working or even texting from bed.

Speaking of TV and texting, it's also a good idea to limit screen time before bed. The blue light that comes from electronics is particularly good at suppressing melatonin, the hormone that helps make you sleepy.

Harvard researchers found it suppresses melatonin twice as long compared to green light. Cell phones and computers often have "night mode" features that reduce the amount of blue light your screen emits. Blue light blocking glasseshave also become popular in recent years, although the science is split on how much they really help.

Light issues aside, there is another problem with watching TV or scrolling through social media before bed. It is mentally stimulating.

"People are often talking about experiences or fears or grief on social media. We're being exposed to this psychologically stimulating content," Moore says. "It's things that will peak our anxiety a little bit even those of us who don't tend toward a trace level of anxiety."

Turn off the TV and put down your phone an hour or two before bed, and try doing something you enjoy that is also relaxing, whether it is reading a book, crocheting, listening to music or doing gentle yoga.

Don't lay in bed for hours trying to sleep. It's only going to make it harder. For one thing, you don't want to condition your mind to associate your bed with lying awake.

This goes back to the concept of stimulus control. Lying awake in bed trains your brain to associate bed with wakefulness rather than sleep. It's also likely that the longer you lay in bed, the more anxious you will get about not being able to sleep.

"We tell ourselves things like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm going to have a hard time falling asleep again' and 'Oh my goodness, I'm so tired and I have to work in the morning,'" Moore says. "Those types of stories come into our brain and can increase our anxiety and actually make it harder to fall asleep."

Try going to bed at your normal time, but if you are still awake after 20 to 30 minutes, get out of bed or read a book (just stay away from screens). Once you feel tired enough to fall asleep, try getting back in bed. Moore says this applies even to people who wake up in the middle of the night.

Finally, experts suggest keeping a regular schedule. Again, it has to do with how our bodies become conditioned to our routines.

"That's the last thing people want to hearwhen I tell them if they get up at 7 o'clock in the morning on the weekdays they should get up at 7 o'clock in the morning on the weekend, too," Moore says.

But, it is important. It helps condition our bodies and can lead to better, longer sleep. For example, a study published in BMC Public Health looked at 160 university students. Researchers found that the more irregularity in a person's bedtime schedule, the less sleep they got a night. The study also suggested the quality of sleep decreased with irregular bedtime schedules.

In a similar study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital found students with irregular sleep schedules had delayed release of melatonin and even had lower grade point averages.

Not keeping a regular sleep schedule can also disrupt your circadian rhythm, or your body's internal 24-hour clock. If you have ever had to switch your sleep schedule for shift work or traveled to a different time zone, you've likely experienced this.

If your insomnia is lasting more than a few weeks, and creeping into chronic insomnia territory, it may be time to reach out to your doctor or therapist.

This is especially true if the stressor that triggered your insomnia has resolved but you are still having trouble sleeping.

While sleep aids both over-the-counter and prescription may be able to help, trying to improve sleep hygiene through lifestyle changes should come first.

Read the rest here:

What is acute insomnia? How to diagnose and treat your short-term sleeping troubles - Insider - INSIDER

In a perfect world, our anxiety would only help to warn us in the face of danger, saving us from risk. However, more often than not, our anxiety only serves to cripple us and jeopardize our health. With the fear and worry plaguing us during these uncertain times, its clear that our levels of anxiety are more than likely to skyrocket in the coming weeks and months.

With the implementation of plans to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and prevent future contractions, its safe to assume that many of us will spend the next few weeks in a form of self-isolation in the comfort of our own homes. Now while this is meant for our own good, were all plagued by fears when it comes to the coronavirus, and those fears are likely to be heightened as we confine ourselves to our homes as we may begin to feel helpless and out of control.

Now while you shouldnt feel ashamed about your anxiety, in fact, its better to acknowledge it, it should be noted that you can place your health at risk if your anxiety reaches a debilitating level. So, if youre planning on spending the next few weeks in isolation but are worried about the impact on your mental health, below are tips that will not only help to ease your anxiety but may even help provide you with a new perspective on things.

Youd be surprised how your favorite song can help you alleviate some cabin-fever induced anxiety.

According to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE, music listening induces stress-relief, having a very calming effect on your body and mind.

If your favorite songs are a little too fast-paced for you, you can try listening to classical, Celtic, Native American and Indian music as they have been found to be the most calming (1).

There are different forms of deep breathing exercises, but the most notable is diaphragmatic breathing.

This form of breathing involves pushing the stomach out while inhaling.

According to a study published in the Frontiers in Psychology journal, diaphragmatic breathing helped to relax the body to the point where cortisol (the stress hormone) levels had lowered.

Another breathing exercise you can try is the four square breathing technique. Simply breathe in slowly to a count of four, then hold your breath for a count of four. Afterward, exhale slowly through pursed lips to a count of four. Following this, you should then rest for a count of four (without taking any breaths), before taking two normal breaths. Once done, start from the beginning.

It would be advisable to do this throughout the day, especially if you find yourself spending too much time on social media or working from home becomes too stressful. Speaking of which, that brings us to our next point.

The World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus a pandemic, so of course, its important that you stay abreast with all the latest news. However, theres a difference between staying informed, and obsessing over fact and tidbit that makes its way through social media. In fact, the latter will only serve to misinform you and increase your anxiety.

In fact, a study published in the journal Science Advances found that people can become more emotionally responsive to news reports of natural disasters or terrorist events, which then increases their anxiety and concerns about future occurrences.

Now were in no way suggesting that you should stick your head in the sand, as its important to know whats going on in the world. However, you should try not to get sucked into the sensationalized news that makes its way through your timeline. Rather, once or twice a day, get your information and updates from reputable websites like the CDCor the WHO.

Also, if you feel that the news you receive adds to your anxiety, practice breathing exercises, read a book or play some relaxing music.

If you have a stick of gum lying around the house, or in your bag, you may want to chew on it as you check the news for the latest updates surrounding the coronavirus. This is because chewing gum has been found to reduce stress.

In fact, research published in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Research found that chewing gum not only improved mood, but also reduced anxiety and even symptoms of depression.

The worlds leading medical authority has declared a global pandemic and various countries have implemented shutdowns in all spheres of life. Suffice to say, you most likely have a lot of feelings about this so perhaps you should write them down?

We all experience negative thoughts and feelings now and then but these thoughts can soon become toxic, especially if we continue to mull over them. However, recording these thoughts can help us to better process them. In fact, a study published in the Acta bio-medica: Atenei Parmensis journal found that writing helped to reduce both physical and psychological symptoms.

So, put aside some time before bed every day and grab a journal and write out your thoughts. In fact, dont just write about your fears and concerns. Go further by jotting down what youre grateful for, as practicing gratitude can help to ease some of your anxiety.

Yoga boasts a number of health benefits for individuals who practice it, and one of them includes inducing a calming effect.

According to a study published in the International Journal of Yoga, practicing yoga can help to reduce stress, lower anxiety and even improve depression symptoms.

Now chances are all yoga classes in your neighborhood have been cancelled but there are a number of freely available yoga videos online, as well as apps that will help you find your center and relieve your stress and anxiety.

In addition to yoga, practicing meditation can also help to alleviate any anxiety and stressed out emotions.

Meditation appssuch asHeadspace,Insight Timer,and Calm can help you combat the anxiety-inducing effects of negative thinking, and provide you with a more positive outlook on the current situation.

Now with you working from home, your sleep routine may be going through some changes but its important that you stick to your regular sleep routine. Anxiety can affect your sleep schedule so its important that you do your best to keep your sleep routine as consistent as possible.

Not doing so will definitely amplify your anxiety levels and sleep deprivation and high anxiety levels are the worst things you could do to your health.

Do your best to get at least 7 hours of sleep as this will help increase your ability to deal with stress and anxiety during the day.

As youre spending more time at home. your diet may be taking a hit as you begin reaching for caffeine, sugar and processed snacks. That said, its important that these foods may boost your anxiety.

So, instead of reaching for the sugary stuff, and drinking more glasses of wine than usual, rather consume a healthy, green-rich diet as this will help you keep focused throughout the day and keep your mood at an even level.

Exercise is the best thing you can do to combat your stress (and it can also help to strengthen your immune system). With most gyms closed down, you may find it harder to stay fit but there are ways you can keep fit in the comfort of your own home.

In addition to at-home exercise apps, such as Sworkit, there are some great at-home workouts that will keep you fit throughout your time at home.

It may be hard to do during this time, but you should definitely be laughing more at home. This is because laughing can not only improve your immune system, but it can also relieve stress and tension in your muscles.

Try watching your favorite TV show, or calling up an old friend and having a good laugh.

Just because you may be asked to self-quarantine in the following weeks, doesnt mean that you should completely isolate yourself. Yes, you may not be able to physically interact with your friends and family, but you should be doing your best to talk with your loved ones, friends, and even colleagues.

Doing so will definitely help to ease both your fears and it will also help remind you that you are not alone and whatever the new normal becomes, we will adjust and move on.

Our immune system is the most important system in the body, especially during these times. That said, a lot of us may be adopting habits that are harming, rather than helping it. If youre guilty of these 11 habits that are harming your immune system, then you may need to stop them and stock up on some vitamin C.

Jiang, J., Rickson, D., Jiang, C. (2016). The mechanism of music for reducing psychological stress: Music preference as a mediator, The Arts in Psychotherapy, Volume 48, Pages 62-68,

ISSN 0197-4556, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2016.02.002.

Ma, X., Yue, Z. Q., Gong, Z. Q., Zhang, H., Duan, N. Y., Shi, Y. T., Wei, G. X., & Li, Y. F. (2017). The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults.Frontiers in psychology,8, 874. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874

Smith A. P. (2016). Chewing gum and stress reduction.Journal of clinical and translational research,2(2), 5254

ThomaMV, La MarcaR, BrnnimannR, FinkelL, EhlertU, et al. (2013)The Effect of Music on the Human Stress Response. PLOS ONE 8(8): e70156.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070156

Thompson,R., Jones, N, Holman,E, Silver R. (2019). A 3-year longitudinal study of a U.S. national sample shows that media exposure to mass violence can fuel a cycle of distress, SCIENCE ADVANCES, 17 APR 2019: EAAV3502

Tonarelli, A., Cosentino, C., Artioli, D., Borciani, S., Camurri, E., Colombo, B., DErrico, A., Lelli, L., Lodini, L., & Artioli, G. (2017). Expressive writing. A tool to help health workers. Research project on the benefits of expressive writing.Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis,88(5S), 1321.

Woodyard C. (2011). Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life.International journal of yoga,4(2), 4954. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-6131.85485

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12 Easy Ways To Calm Your Anxiety During The Pandemic - Longevity LIVE

Who? Carolines

What? Taxi

Why we love it? A high energy indie-rock anthem filled with attitude, strong vocals, and a hook so catching it will be stuck in your mind for weeks. Taxi showcases Carolines on top form with excellent songwriting, detailed musicianship and tons of charisma. (Lloyd Best)

FFO: The Fratellis, Arctic Monkeys

Who? Dream English Kid

What? I See Red

Where? Manchester

What they say? I See Red was written a few years ago; a product of growing up in a confusing and weird world. We really tried to capture the feeling of uncertainty and darkness in the lyrics, whilst also generating this weirdly positive energy we get from feeling so lost. The drive to make something good and express a feeling which seems prevalent amongst our generation. We revived it recently and recorded, mixed, and made the artwork ourselves, which is important to us as we feel like this has been the best way to capture our collective emotion within the song and keep it as our own.

Why we love it? Moody, dark and melodically delicious, draped in layers of smooth vocals and swirling guitars. I See Red sounds like it was pulled straight from the soundtrack of a cult classic from the silver screen. It marches forth with such confidence and by the end, we are surrounded by a storm of drums and guitars, its truly beautiful stuff. (Lloyd Best)

FFO: Daughter, Perfume Genius

Who? Cub Sport

What? I Feel Like I Am Changin

Where? Australia

What they say? I wrote this song at the end of 2019 upon arriving home after months of back-to back touring. I was so happy to be back in Brisbane and it felt like I was seeing everything through fresh eyes; all the beauty that had been there all along. Theres freedom and joy to be found in a mindset of abundance and thats really what this song feels like to me gentle and soaring freedom.

Why we love it? Beautiful, dreamlike, and tender. Soft vocals graze over the repetitive drums and pull us deeper into the serene soundscapes crafted by Cub Sport. Theres a timeless quality to this song that gets better with each listen. (Lloyd Best)

FFO: Allie X, Caroline Polachek

Who? Riun Garner

What? Fabric

Where? Vancouver

Why we love it? Theres a quality of pure honesty on show in Fabric that elevates the track beyond its indie-acoustic roots. The simplicity of the instrumentation allows us to focus on the vocal which sits beautifully over the track, highlighted with a clunky piano with an oddly beautiful tone, its the perfect track to kick back and relax to. Sit back and surround yourself with its beauty. (Lloyd Best)

FFO: Mumford & Sons, Mystery Jets, The Maccabees

Who? Pat Lok

What? No One (No One)

Where? LA

What they say? Musically, I set out to write a dancier record, shifting towards the club with classic sounds (and hardware synths) and an almost pan-Asian sonic palette. My family is from Singapore originally, so I used various bits of percussion and melodic inspiration from the broader region (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand).

Why we love it? Sometimes its the right choice to go back to basics and present a song that follows its roots, this house number from Pat Lok is an instant classic. Dressed up in detailed production, stunning tones, and memorable melodies it doesnt do anything unexpected and flows all the better for it. (Lloyd Best)

FFO: Calvin Harris, Anoraak

Who?Ivan Dorn

What?Wasted

Where?Kiev, Ukraine

Why we Love it? Dorn is a fascinating character in himself. A massive pop star, DJ and TV personality in his native Ukraine, hes taken an unexpected but delightful leftfield turn of late, teaming up with Ninja Tunes Seven Davis Jr and experimenting with UK garage and freaky soul influences. This track is culled from his last LP OTD, its dusting off justified by a truly spectacular Hollywood-standard promo created by visual effects specialist Denys Shchukin (Fantastic Beasts, Logan, Final Fantasy XV). The perfect visual accompaniment to this hyper funk workout, we love the fireballs and explosions a lot and Dorns unconvincing purple-wigged transvestitism evermore. (Ben Willmott)

FFO:Stevie Wonder, Prince, Mark Ronson.

Who? Ailsa Tully

What? Edge

Where? Cardiff/London

What they say ? Ailsa Tully is creating an ethereal world that is rooted in folk with darker undertones. Inspired by choral music, folk, and indie her sound is haunting, tender, and powerful. Her lyrics are both honest and poetic, often exploring feminism and her experiences of being female in her writing. Ailsa has an all-female band which brings her songwriting to life, from modal harmonies and driving rhythms to tender emotive melody lines.

Why we love it? Swimming in reverb, a scruffy instrumental tangle @!$/parred back arrangements, the Edge is an affectingly personal exploration of a summers evening she spent by Kings Cross canal when she realised she was stressed about absolutely nothing and was incapable of relaxing like everyone else. Dreamy yet sharply honest, Tullys bruised vocal balancing delicate pretty melodies that are shot through with introspective heart on the sleeve quality that indicates artistic depths. (Bill Cummings)

FFO: Rozi Plain, Fenne Lily, Phoebe Bridgers

Read more from the original source:

Track of the Week #106 - God Is In The TV

Over the years, training and upskilling in-home care workers has been a key strategy to improve retention for providers struggling with turnover. But as the COVID-19 public health emergency continues, providers who are actively recruiting will now have to navigate new obstacles when preparing recently hired caregivers to work in the home setting.

Since mid-March, some states began mandating shelter-in-place orders and implementing social-distancing measures as methods to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Such preventative actions made it more difficult for in-home care providers to recruit and train workers, but it didnt stop those things entirely.

We have a lot of clients that continue to need our, Kim McGraw, vice president of HR, talent acquisition and client care services at FirstLight Home Care, told Home Health Care News. We want to be in a position to provide that care, so weve continued to recruit throughout COVID-19.

Cincinnati-based home care franchise company FirstLight operates in more than 30 states, providing companion care, personal care and dementia care services, among others.

The franchise system has hired between 450 to 500 new caregivers per week over the past several weeks in order to meet the increased demand for its services, Jeff Bevis, co-founder and CEO of FirstLight, previously told HHCN.

FirstLight isnt alone in its recruiting efforts. In April, Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE: BKD) announced plans to hire 4,500 health care workers with 10% of the positions in the companys home health and hospice segment.

When it comes to training, FirstLight has worked to shift existing processes into the virtual realm, according to McGraw.

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We do training virtually, she said. We have a learning management system that helps us do this. This helps us not only train the caregivers, in general, but also in specific things that are most relevant to COVID-19.

The COVID-19 emergency has resulted in many providers leaning on some form of virtual training. CareAcademy a Boston-based training platform for home care professionals recently saw this first hand.

Weve seen agencies really have to reimagine what it takes to train and scale their workforce, turning to us [more often] and relying on us, Helen Adeosun, founder and CEO of CareAcademy, told HHCN. Weve had a number of hospitals [also] reach out to us for help supporting their direct care worker opportunity. We are seeing companies who have never even considered training technology do so in this moment.

In March, CareAcademy made one of its training courses publicly available. To date, the class has over 80,000 views.

Thousands of people have completed certification through that publicly available class, Adeosun said.

In addition to online courses, some FirstLight owners doubled down on training by having new caregivers connect with company veterans.

Theyll have the [new] caregivers go through the courses and then set up a call with a [our current] caregivers and then have them dialogue, in terms of what they learned and how they can apply it, McGraw said. This allows for a virtual element, but it also allows the owners and trainers to have more of a direct line and an opportunity for interaction with the new caregivers.

During the COVID-19 emergency, FirstLight began emphasizing additional topics during its training of new caregivers. Those topics included a focus on hand hygiene, infection control for health care professionals and self-care practices.

From a compliance standpoint, some in-home care providers must follow local, state or federal policies on training new hires. On its end, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made a handful of moves to waive regulations around training.

In April, for example, CMS announced a number of blanket waivers, including the postponement of the 12-hour annual in-service training requirement for home health aides.

At the end of March, CMS provided flexibility around the Conditions of Participation (CoPs) related to on-site home health aide supervision, allowing caregivers to complete this remotely.

Plus, under the CARES Act, the 14-day home health aide in-person supervisory requirements are waived.

For Selfhelp Community Services, the coronavirus brought recruiting to a temporary standstill in March. When Selfhelp Community Services eventually began recruiting again, the organization turned to digital tools like Zoom for interviews, Amy Leshner Thomas, the organizations vice president of home care, told HHCN.

When it comes to training, Selfhelp Community Services hasnt fully made the move to virtual services. The organization still partly utilizes in-person training.

The Department of Health hasnt approved any total online training, Thomas said. Weve done a lot of the functions in an online capacity, but we still have a skeleton crew of staff. Weve had situations where we make sure that only one person at a time comes, or weve done small orientations where we never have more than a few people in a room. They are socially distancing and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), and weve taken their temperatures at the door.

Founded in 1936, Selfhelp Community Services is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit organization. The organization has a home care services line that serves over 1,000 clients, as well as a Medicare-certified home health agency.

Additionally, Selfhelp Community Services offers New York State Department of Health-approved home health aide and personal care aide training programs. As a workforce investment program, the Selfhelp Community Services training programs serve caregivers throughout the state not just the organizations caregiver hires.

While Selfhelp Community Services potentially looked to move its personal care aide training program online, this proved challenging.

In May, the organization slowly began to return to in-person training while making sure to adhere to health department guidance, according to Thomas.

We did it like an experiment, she said. We had two training rooms that meet the square footage requirement to train 20 students each. We had these folding doors between the rooms, we opened the folding doors, and a class that would have fit 40 students and we worked with 13. We had plenty of space to social distance, and only took small groups of three or four students into the lab portion.

While Selfhelp Community Services does some aspects of training online, Thomas stresses that it will never be a complete substitute for hands-on training.

Think of your own grandma, she said. Would you really want an agency to send someone to care for her that they only knew through online training? I believe a lot of the class can be taught online, but how do I evaluate what the person is learning, if I cant see how they interact with people?

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Recruiting in a Crisis: Why Home Care Agencies Are Overhauling Their Onboarding Programs - Home Health Care News

17 soothing products for self-care at home(Photo: Amazon/Da Bomb)

Recommendations are independently chosen by Revieweds editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.

These are stressful, uncertain times live in, as the world grapples with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and thousands of Americans protest police brutality after thedeath of George Floyd. With everything going on in the world, the nonstop coverage and seemingly endless stream of negative news can be overwhelmingand, as a result, it's easy to feel more stressed or more emotional than usual.

In moments like these, it's important to stay informed on the latest updates and to continue having meaningful discussions about what's going on. However, it's also important to look after your own mental (and physical) health. That's why self-care is such a hot topic these days. It's not about ignoring the news and current events, but rather finding ways to cope unwind when you need it.

Here at Reviewed, we're devoted to helping you find the best things for every aspect of your lifeincluding self-care. We've rounded up 17 of the best products for self-care and relaxation below, including the popular Gravity weighted blanket and an inspiring journal from Michelle Obama. These are products that our own staff have personally tested and loved or that have hundreds of five-star reviews onlineand that will help you take care of yourself during this difficult time.

Choose 15, 20, or 25 pounds for the Gravity Blanket.(Photo: Gravity)

2020 is the year of the weighted blanket. Not too heavy, not too light, the Gravity Blanket (which is the best weighted blanket we've tested) provides just the right amount of pressure that some say helps you fall asleep or calm your anxiety. Plus, ithas a super soft velvety cover that's perfect for snuggling up.

Get the Gravity Blanket from Gravity for $189

Let the First Lady guide your journaling.(Photo: Amazon)

No matter who you are, where you live, or what you believe in, we all have a lot of thoughts on our mind right now and we're all experiencing a lot of emotions. One way to process those feelings is by writing them out in a journal like this one, which is based on Michelle Obama's best-selling book, Becoming. The journal is filled with prompts and inspiring quotes to help you put pen (and emotions) to paper.

GetBecoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice from Amazon for $9.99

Skin care = self care.(Photo: Dr. Jart/PTR)

Showing yourself a little TLC can start with showing your skin a little TLC. Enter this pumpkin face mask, which multiple Reviewed staff members swear by and say it leaves your skin feeling fresh and glowy (plus, it smells like fresh-baked pumpkin pie!). Another great optionthat's also more budget-friendlyis a Dr. Jart sheet mask. The brand has a cult following for its masks that do everything from hydrate to brighten to soothe.

Stop, drop, and roll (out your mat).(Photo: Lululemon)

As a yoga teacher, I might be a little biased but there is nothing that helps my mental health as much as spending some time on my mat, breathing and flowing. And speaking of yoga mats, here at Reviewed, we recommend the Lululemon Reversible Mat. I own this mat myself and love that it has a non-stick surface (so you won't slip around) and enough padding to keep you comfortablewhile you're in down dog.

Get the Reversible Mat from Lululemon for $68

It hurts so good.(Photo: Theragun)

There's a reason people can't stop talking about (or buying) the Theragun. The battery-powered handheld massager claims to relieve muscle pain and sorenessand our staff can confirm it does just that. When we tested out the Theragun, we liked how powerful it is and how it can get to even the hardest-to-reach spots.

Get the Theragun Elite from Theragun for $399

Headspace can help you channel your inner zen.(Photo: Headspace)

Meditating may seem intimidating but it doesn't have to be thanks to Headspace, an app that thousands of people are obsessed with. Ithas a whole library of guided meditations, relaxing sounds, and daily bedtime exercises that you can access directly from your phoneand all you need is 10 minutes. Our experts even dubbed it the best meditation app of 2020.

Download the Headspace app for your iPhone

Choose from scents like lavender, lotus flower, and white orchid.(Photo: Da Bomb)

No list of self-care ideas would be complete without taking a bubble bath. And for that, you'll need one of these top-rated bath bombs. With a 4.5-star rating from nearly 1,000 reviewers, these glittery bombs come in a bevy of delicious (and relaxing scents) and, according to happy shoppers, last longer than other bath bombs. Perfect for a long, luxurious soak after a stressful day.

Get Da Bomb Bath Bomb from Amazon for $4.99

You can feel the benefits in as little as 5 minutes.(Photo: ProSource)

One of my personal favorite ways to decompress when I'm feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious, is by lying on this acupressure mat (which has over 7,300 positive reviews on Amazon, too!). I love that the needles instantly relax my muscles and that when I stand up, I feel refreshed and rejuvenated.

Get the Prosource Fit Acupressure Mat and Pillow Set from Amazon for $19.99

You and your skin will feel so much better.(Photo: Roselyn Boutique)

For a quick burst of self-care in the evenings, one of our Reviewed writers 10/10 recommends a face roller like this one from Amazon, which has over 4,300 rave reviews. While she uses it on her face (specifically her jaw, where we all tend to hold tension) for five minutes each night, other users say they've rolled other areas of their body that tighten up when stressed or need a little boost of circulation.

Get the Roselyn Boutique Jade Roller from Amazon for $19.95

So comfy, so relaxing.(Photo: Moon Pod)

If kicking back on the couch just isn't cutting it when it comes to your stress levels, you might want to try a Moon Pod instead. The uniquely-shaped beanbag chair claims to mimicthe sensation of anxiety-reducing flotation therapyand our home editor, who tested it out for herself, says it does just that. She also likes that it's the perfect balance of supportive yet soft and that it helps her destress

Get the Moon Pod for $299

Choose from 30 different sounds.(Photo: Reviewed/Jess Rose Photography)

While you shouldn't ignore your feelings or ignore whatever is going in the world, sometimes you just need to press pause and tune everything out for a few moments. That's where a sound machine like this one comes in. It's our experts' favorite because it's loud enough to drown out any outside noise and has a wide variety of soothing white noise and nature sounds to choose from.

Get theSound + Sleep by Adaptive Sound from Amazon for $71.21

Don't knock this quirky massager until you try it.(Photo: Body Back)

I bought this massager as a gift for my then-boyfriend a few years agoand ended up buying one for myself after we broke up because I had become hooked! It's so easy to use (simply move it up and down gently over your head) and it feels absolutely amazing (like the scalp massage you get whenever you go to the salon). I use it every single night after work and it relaxes me in just a few seconds.

Get theBody Back Scalp Massager from Amazon for $6.49

This unisex robe has a traditional design and high-quality materials.(Photo: Parachute)

There's something about wrapping yourself up in a warm, luxuriously plush bath robe that instantly makes you feel better. One of the most popular robes right now is this one from Parachute, which is made from soft Turkish cotton. Our writer who owns it herself says it delivers on both comfort and quality, so it will last for years to come.

Get the Classic Bath Robe from Parachute for $99

You can adjust the height and heat for maximum comfort.(Photo: Amazon)

Sticking your feet in this massager does more than just soothe your tired toesit also gives you a few moments of much-needed "you time," which is important when you're stressed out or feeling anxious. With over 3,700 reviews, the massager is praised for how well it gets rid of any pent-uptension and the fact that it has a heat setting for even more relief.

Get theNekteck Foot Massager from Amazon for $65.99

Essential oil diffusers are safer than candles but still fill your home with smells that make you happy.(Photo: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar)

If you're a believer in the powers of aromatherapy, an essential oil diffuser is a must-have. Of all the ones we've tried, we like the InnoGear the best because it has such a large capacity that it can run for up to 11 hours straight and it's easy to switch out the scents of your choosing (like lavender or eucalyptus for calming).

Get the InnoGear Upgraded 150ml Diffuser from Amazon for $15.99

Like a foam roller but smaller and more targeted.(Photo: Pro-Tec)

If working out is your form of self-care, then you know that taking care of your body is important to keep it functioning (and to keep you feeling good). Plus, dealing with an injury or not being able to go out for your daily run certainly won't help your mental health so recovery is key. One of our staff members uses this massage ball daily to relieve stress and tension in his body (and mind) and it has a 4.7-star rating for how well it increases flexibility and massages your muscles and deep tissues, too.

Get thePro-Tec Athletics Orb from Amazon for $13

For when you aren't sure what you need.(Photo: Uncommon Goods)

You know you need something to feel better but you aren't sure what. Yoga? Journaling? A bubble bath? If you aren't sure where to start with your own self-care, this "bucket list" can help. The deck contains 100 cards broken into three categories (life, love, and laughter) with ideas for all different mood boosters and mental health aids, from unplugging from social media for a day to volunteering to doing a random act of kindness.

Get the Self-Care Bucket List from Uncommon Goods for $50

The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

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17 things to help with self-care and relaxation at home - USA TODAY

The artist Celos paints a mural in downtown Los Angeles on May 30, 2020 in protest against the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

The artist Celos paints a mural in downtown Los Angeles on May 30, 2020 in protest against the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.

Protests against the violent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others are emboldening and expanding the movement to fight racism. But to make progress, many of us may need to adjust our thinking and our actions. We talked to several African American and Hispanic psychologists and leaders for strategies to fight racism.

You know that old adage: "Don't talk about race and politics at the dinner table. Well, we've got to get out of that," says Polly Gipson, a clinical psychologist and associate professor of psychiatry at Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan.

And while many African Americans have the talk with their kids about how to avoid altercations with the police or what to say if they are stopped, it's important for white parents to talk to their kids about racism too.

"Yes. It's uncomfortable," Gipson says. "But we can't avoid things that are uncomfortable because this is part of the problem of why we're not as far along as we should be," in eliminating racial injustices. And the more people who join the conversation, the better.

"A lot of people of color are tired. We're tired of being the unseen and misunderstood," says Inger E Burnett-Zeigler, a psychologist and associate professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. She'd like to see more voices at the table.

"I think it's important for everyone, regardless of race, to ask, 'What is my role in this system?' " she says. Ask yourself, 'Have I been a passive bystander, and how can I change that?'

"Perhaps it's simply speaking up in situations where you may have been disinclined to speak up before," Burnett-Zeigler says.

These tragic events of recent weeks can also create an opportunity, because people are fired up. Given all the anger and frustration, experts say there are strategies to channel these emotions into action.

1. Listen To People Closest To You, And To People Of Other Races

Whether it's your work colleagues, teammates, your children or extended family, one way to change hearts and minds is to listen. When we stop talking and start listening, we validate others' feelings and emotions. And, we may find opportunities to educate.

For instance, "People will say, my kids don't see color, and kind of wear that as a badge of honor," says psychologist Gipson. But if a white person says this to a black person, it can be offensive. And, though it may be well-intended, the idea that people are colorblind is false.

"All kids, even infants, discern differences in race," Gipson says. "It also invalidates people of color who have a 'lived experience' that is not like their white counterparts," she explains. People don't want important parts of their identity to be erased, they want to be recognized and respected for the entirety of their person.

2. Use Your Voice In Your Community And Work Place

We don't all have the audience that sports figures have when they speak out against racism, but we all have a voice.

For instance, millions of people signed a petition posted by Color of Change, one of the nation's leading racial justice organizations, demanding charges against the officers involved in the death of George Floyd.

At the local level, identify a policy that disproportionately affects people of color. Pick an issue in your community whether it's access to healthy food, school boundaries, or bail reform.

Rian Finney, 17, grew up hearing gunshots from his bedroom window, and he witnessed the aftermath of the unrest following the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore in 2015.

"If I don't speak up and do something, who will?" Finney asks.

He's now involved with several youth organizations, including GoodKids MadCity and Baltimore Ceasefire, which recruits youth ambassadors to help raise awareness of gun violence. It has always been young people who push the civil rights movement forward, Finney points out.

And for adults, "look at your specific position and reflect on what power you might have to shift change to promote diversity and equity," Burnett-Zeigler says. If you're a manager, have you promoted or hired people of color? If you're a teacher, have you incorporated messages of racial diversity and civil rights into your curriculum?

3. Give Your Time

If you've thought about signing up to be a tutor or mentor, now's the time to do it.

"Tutoring is a great example, mentoring is a great example," Burnett-Zeigler says. "These are ways you can use your personal influence in private ways for good."

If you're looking for a way to get started, check out the many national civil rights organizations -- or find a local, grass-roots group, says Janet Murguia, president and CEO of UnidosUS, a group that aims to empower Latinos to make change.

"We've partnered with organizations like Color of Change, National Urban League, Black Lives Matter and Race Forward, [which] are all doing incredible work in this space," Murguia says.

For instance, Race Forward offers interactive racial justice training courses and classes. And she points to the race and healing collaborative supported by the Kellogg Foundation, which sponsors an annual National Day of Racial Healing event.

4. Speak Up By Using Your Creative Talents

"There are so many ways young people can use their talent and gifts," says Gipson. On social media, we see examples of artists, from painters to jewelry makers, selling their wares and giving proceeds to an organization pushing for change.

"I love that idea," says Wizdom Powell, a psychologist and associate professor who directs the Health Disparities Institute at the University of Connecticut.

"The idea here is to leverage your gifts and leverage your privilege, because we all have some of that," Powell says. She points to an art competition that her institute organizes around visualizing health disparities. Art can play a role in healing and activism for health equity and social justice, she says.

Andre Rochester created Next In Line following the killings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling two African American men shot by police in 2016. Rochester uses his art to raise money for positive solutions to create change. Andre Rochester hide caption

"The arts have long been a vital and important way to process emotions, especially difficult ones, into something tangible," says Jeremy Nobel, a physician who founded the Foundation for Art and Healing. "Expressive artifacts that make sense of the moment, bear witness and catalyze change."

In times of distress, people can use art to access and communicate difficult thoughts and feelings, especially ones that are hard to talk about," Nobel says. "[Art] offers a unique and powerful way to speak up, be heard, and be witnessed."

5. Self-Care Is Important

For people who are reeling from the recent spate of deaths and racial trauma, it can feel overwhelming, says GiShawn Mance, a psychologist at Howard University. She says, she feels it personally.

She leads healing circles, which can help people connect and grieve. She also facilitates restorative justice circles which aim to bring people who are trying to settle a conflict together.

But Mance says, in recent days she's needed to take some time for herself. "It's been hard to concentrate on work," she says. In addition to the national unrest and the COVID-19 epidemic, which has hit communities of color the hardest, she is pregnant and a close friend recently died. "It's a lot, and there have been tears," she says.

This is a traumatic and stressful time especially for African Americans and people of color. "People put a lot of pressure on themselves to act or do something in this moment," Mance says. So, her advice is this: "The fight for equity and justice is an ongoing effort; thus, do not put pressure on yourself to act or do something in this moment." And she says, "I'm particularly talking to people of color and black people who are experiencing this."

"It is difficult to help others when you are not OK," she says. So, though self-care strategies will vary, take care of yourself and your mental health first, she says. Then "you can move forward in action to help others."

Read more:
Beyond Protests: 5 More Ways To Channel Anger Into Action To Fight Racism - NPR

Faced with the uncertainties of life under lockdown, is it any surprise that many people are turning to methods of fortune telling such as tarot cards? Journalists are often tempted to ask whether this is a resurgence of pseudoscience. The history of tarot suggests not.

Tarot cards are decks that include four suits, much like standard playing cards, but with an additional set of trump cards, known as the Major Arcana, which depict mythological figures or archetypes such as Death or The Magician. Different tarot decks, such as the Tarot de Marseille or the Eteilla Tarot, contain different numbers of cards, Major Arcana and different illustrations.

These different forms of tarot have been many things for many people: a system of occult meaning or a dangerous fraud, but also a form of therapy, a source of practical advice and even of entertainment.

The history of tarot is overshadowed by two mythologies. The first, and more positive, was popularised by occultists in the 18th and 19th centuries in France. Men such as the pastor Antoine Court de Gbelin and the occultists Jean-Baptiste Alliette and liphas Lvi believed the cards were of ancient Egyptian or Jewish magical traditions.

Such theories are groundless. The earliest Tarot decks date from 15th-century Italy. Yet these myths inspired occultists to argue the cards encoded hidden ancient mysteries, and that understanding these complex meanings would give cartomancers card readers powers to tell the future.

At the same time, a negative myth of tarot was developed by the authorities in countries such as France. After the revolution of 1789, new provisions against fortune telling were introduced. The press, police and politicians agreed that the very use of tarot cards was evidence that an individual was defrauding people.

These twin myths of ancient wisdom and modern fraud still play a large role in how people respond to the cards. But they are not the only stories we can tell about the history of tarot.

Rather than the writings of occultists or the judgements of the authorities, historians can turn to what cartomancers and their customers said. As part of my research into witchcraft in France from 1790-1940, I have come across several hundred cases of cartomancy that reveal different sides to the cards.

For a start, tarot never dominated cartomancy. Fortune tellers were as likely to use standard decks of cards that lacked the Major Arcana. Clients often preferred these plainer methods of fortune telling, not least since they were cheaper.

Even when they did use full tarot decks, fortune tellers were unlikely to embrace the complex systems of symbolic meaning proposed by occultists. Instead, they stuck to simpler schemes. Two of the four suits were normally positive, and two were negative.

Fortune tellers might write quick reminders on the cards about their significance. The cards pictured below are from a set said to have been annotated by the famous cartomancer Mademoiselle Lenormand. The Wheel of Fortune signified a marriage will bring wealth, while the Tower of Destruction symbolised too much generosity.

Fortune tellers also developed their own interpretations of the images from the cards. In a case from Fougres, north-west France from 1889, for instance, the fortune teller pointed to two cards she had drawn and declared to her client:

Well now, the Queen of Spades is your wife, and the Ace of Clubs is money so your wife is stealing from you.

Other interpretations are harder to make sense of. In Besanon, eastern France in 1834, a fortune teller interpreted a card that looked like a monkey as evidence that the client was bewitched. Was it the monstrous, almost-human associations of the monkey image that connected it to sorcery? Some forms of historic symbolism are impossible to fully recover.

Although most of these examples are drawn from cases where the authorities actively tried to suppress scams, the fraud cases did not always go as the police hoped. Many clients proved reluctant witnesses in court. While the authorities saw them as naive victims, many demonstrated a more flexible understanding of what they were paying for. For instance, a young woman in Rouen in 1888 told a court:

I dont believe in all that nonsense. I went to the fortune teller just to please my friend.

Above all, clients thought of fortune telling less as a method of predicting the future and more as a way to address problems in their present.

In some ways, tarot could work as a form of psychoanalysis. In 1990, the writer Jose Contreras and the ethnologist Jeanne Favret-Saada drew on experiences with a cartomancer to argue that these methods of divining worked in the same way as modern therapy.

Many of the problems that tarot was used to address remain familiar today. Clients sought stolen and lost objects, the causes of mystery illnesses, news on employment prospects, and reassurances on romantic relationships.

There has been no shortage of scammers in tarots history who have used fortune telling to dupe clients. However, the cartomancers customers are not as naive as the critics of fortune telling have sometimes assumed, and the act of reading the cards has been more practical than mystical.

For the great majority, the cards have never been a misguided attempt to predict the future. They are a creative means of re-interpreting and coming to terms with an uncertain present.

More:
Tarot resurgence is less about occult than fun and self-help just like throughout history - The Conversation UK

Amey Vance, Live Well Published 9:49 a.m. MT June 6, 2020

This Nov. 14, 2019, photo shows notes attached to the Resilience Project board on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The purpose of the project is to let students know that it is OK to struggle. More college students are turning to their schools for help with anxiety, depression and other mental health problems. That's according to an Associated Press review of more than three dozen public universities. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)(Photo: Rick Bowmer, AP)

The last two months have been interesting to say the least. COVID-19 is impacting more than our physical health. New challenges such as isolation, balancing working and family responsibilities from home, or dealing with job loss, concerns over local and national protests, and the unpredictability of just about everything, can create or exacerbate stress and negatively impact mental wellbeing.

Intermountain Healthcare recently set up a free Emotional Relief hotline for anyone who needs mental health support related to COVID-19. Caregivers are available 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week to provide emotional health guidance. The hotline is for those experiencing mild emotional distress to those with more intense mental health needs. The hotline is available in English as well as Spanish as well as 19 other languages. Call 1-833-442-2211 to get connected with appropriate self-care tools, treatment options, or crisis resources.

Mental health is one of the top areas of concern, said Jordan Merrill, Intermountain Community Health Specialist for southwest Utah. Every aspect of life has a touchpoint back to mental and emotional health. Depression, mood disorders, and anxiety are only a part of mental health. Emotional health also encompasses the way we interact with others and the world around us, and how we feel on a daily basis.

During these unprecedented times, it is especially important to self-care mentally. A strong emotional foundation is necessary to care for and support others. Merrill offered a few tips for staying mentally healthy during these challenging and turbulent times.

#1 Appropriately use technology. Social media can be overwhelming, said Merrill. Try technology that uplifts: music, guided meditation, a good book, mindfulness exercises, or even games or crossword puzzles.

#2 Get some physical exercise. Exercise is an important part of self-care, said Merrill. Walk around your house, do some jumping-jacks. Getting your blood pumping will relieve stress, improve sleep, and improve your outlook on life.

#3 Stay connected with friends and family. Its possible to connect even while we social distance, said Merrill. Drive-by chats, video chats, phone calls, texts, and virtual hangouts are all appropriate ways to reach out while maintaining a physical distance.

#4 Write down worries. Make a list of specific concerns/fears and then write down a list of available resources that can help address those concerns. Reach out for help if necessary.

Weve seen a big uptick this last month in people reaching out for mental health resources, said Merrill. People are increasingly using technology-based options to make connections for emotional relief. During times of great stress, people may feel lonely, isolated, and like there is nowhere to turn for help. There are several great resources now available online; from mental health self-care tools, to crisis intervention, to connections to community resources.

The resources below can help with emotional health maintenance or relief:

#5 Remember these turbulent times wont last forever. While the ambiguity of today can be challenging, there are many things that can be enjoyed right now that probably wouldnt be otherwise.

Learn and know your emotional limits, said Merrill. Dont expect too much from yourself, and take time to decompress and self-care. Understand that you cant control everything. Control what you can by caring for yourself first, and then you will be better able to help others.

ThisLiVe Wellcolumn represents collaboration between healthcare professionals from the medical staffs of our not-for-profit Intermountain Healthcare hospitals andThe Spectrum & Daily News.

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Mental health awareness in the time of COVID-19 - The Spectrum