Thanks to Ana Bulnes for contributing this article!
Our mentors and page authors are not necessarily psychologists or therapists. Even when they are, this page is not medical or psychological advice and they are not creating a doctor/therapist-client relationship. You should consult a professional if possible and they can tell you whether this advice applies to your situation. If this is an emergency, you should call your national emergency number, like 911, or a mental health hotline, like 1-800-950-6264.
Pandemics make for uncertain times. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 can create stress and anxiety for many. The fear and anxiety brought on by an unknown disease in what appears to be uncertain times can lead to strong emotions. This affects people of all ages and finding ways to work through it has the potential to strengthen our communities.
Click here for more tips for dealing about Stress.
Overview of Stress
If you’re feeling constantly stressed because of COVID-19, this can manifest itself in various ways, which can in turn cause their own health issues. Some commons ways stress manifests are:
- Fear or worrying about health for you, your friends, and your family.
- Difficulty sleeping.
- Changes in appetite or sleeping patterns.
- Difficulty concentrating or staying productive.
- Chronic health challenges becoming harder to cope with.
- Pre-existing mental health challenges flaring up.
- Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other substances.
Overcoming Stress
If you feel like the combination of increased stress and its associated problems like irregular sleep, unhealthy eating practices, or changing work-related routines are getting to you, you are not alone. We are all in this together!
How we respond to the current challenges can be affected by our backgrounds and the communities we live in. Our ability to reach out for assistance with mental health can make the difference between feeling overwhelming or empowered.
Some ways to cope with current stressors are:
Take breaks from news, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting and create feelings of hopelessness. SelfControl and Cold Turkey are two free apps that allow you to block the internet.
Engage in self-care, whether that means going for a walk, reading a book, hobbies, or anything else that makes you happy, even in small ways. Everyone has special activities that they enjoy – it’s important to engage in activities that help you relax or enjoy the moment. Research suggests that taking a warm bath can really help with relaxation and reducing depression. We also recommend keeping a mood journal so you can notice what makes you happier.
Practice mindfulness. Go for a walk and notice the small details that we sometimes ignore while we rush through our fast-paced lives. A great free meditation app for learning mindfulness is Smiling Mind.
Spend time outside and exercise. Fresh air and movement are not just good for our mind but also have health benefits as well. If you have a companion animal, spend time with them. Studies show that animals are supportive and can provide companionship and improved stress responses.
Practice good habits. Take deep breaths, stretch, eat healthy, balanced meals, get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, and avoid alcohol or other recreational substances.
Connect with others such as friends, family, and loved ones. Talk with people that help you feel safe and accepted. Service and volunteering is also a great way to feel connected to the world and happier.
Other Resources
- Coping with Stress During COVID Outbreak (WHO)
- Managing Stress and Anxiety During Coronavirus (CDC)
- Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health: Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine and Isolation during an Infectious Disease Outbreak (SAMHSA)
- Coping with Sheltering at Home During COVID-19 (Red Cross)
- COVID-19 Resource and Information Guide
- How to Help Someone with Anxiety or Depression During COVID-19
- Behavioral Activation to Prevent Depression During COVID-19
- Emotional Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Outbreak
- Living with Mental Illness During the COVID-19 Outbreak
Need help?
Obviously, you can contact one of the mentors on this page. We are all here for you.
Also, if you or someone you care about are feeling overwhelmed with emotions like sadness, depression, or anxiety, or feel like you want to harm yourself or others:
Call the emergency number in your country. For a full list, see here.
Within the U.S., you can:
- Call 911.
- Visit the Disaster Distress (link to Disaster Distress hotline that we approve of), call 1-800-985-5990, or text TalkWithUs to 66746.
- Visit the National Domestic Violence (link to domestic violence hotline that we approve of) or call 1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224.
Mentors
I am a motivated Management Assistant with a problem-solving attitude. I love to crack open difficult tasks and I love a challenge. My goal is to help as many people to solve their challenges as I know it can all get overwhelming. My goal in life is to start a life coaching business and I am always motivated to learn more about people and to help them reach their best lives in work life as well as in personal life.
- Management Assistant, Holda Energy Solutions Oy.
- Bachelor’s degree in Management Assistant, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences.
If you’d like to contact me, please send me a message through our Contact page.
Languages: English, Finnish, French, Russian, Swedish
My name is Bisharah Saeed. I am a student pursuing my Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) and am set to graduate in 2020. I am a mentor at Shiksha.com and I write articles related to educational topics and motivational stories. I try my level best to help people with their personal and career problems too. I hope I can make the best of this opportunity on Dweebs by helping as well as learning from people on this platform.
- Social Media Coordinator, Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies.
- I’ve also worked in Recruitment and have studied Electric Vehicles, Supply Chain Management, and Operations Analytics.
- P.G.D.M. in Operations Management, Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies. I participated in an exchange program to Germany.
If you’d like to contact me, please send me a message through our Contact page.
Languages: English, Malayalam | Some Hindi & German
I am currently located in Utah close to the Air Force base. I am a military child. I grew up traveling the states due to my father being relocated. I found my space in the world with law and sports.
- Legal Assistant, Just Law.
- I’ve previously worked as a paralegal, legal secretary, and a restaurant hostess.
- B.S. in Legal Assistant/Paralegal, Broadview University.
If you’d like to contact me, please send me a message through our Contact page.
Languages: English | Some Spanish
Hi! I am one of the founders of this website. I graduated from U.C. Berkeley and Georgetown Law. Here is some of my background:
Legal
- Attorney Advisor at the National Commission on Service (constitutional law, reports, ethics, policy, a ton of legislative drafting).
- Privacy/Cybersecurity Litigation Associate at a big law firm in D.C.
- Litigation work, experience in national security/cybersecurity/data privacy with the Department of Defense, the FCC, the Department of State, and Ingenico.
Scientific
- Taught programming (Python) to law students with Prof. Paul Ohm.
- Supernova cosmology research with Nobel Laureate Saul Perlmutter at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
- Supersymmetry research with the CMS experiments at CERN.
- Particle and astrophysics research at the U.S. Dept. of Energy, Fermilab.
Writing
- This website 🙂 and our Medium blog and our novels.
- Short stories & poetry, was a freelance columnist for The Boston Globe and The Washington Times, author of The Eyes of Mikra, a spy/war novella.
Other stuff
- Love music and have played the piano for 20 years. Classically trained in Western Honors Chorus & Hindustani/Carnatic.
- Speak English, German, French, Spanish, Kannada, Hindi.
- Love art.
I am always happy to help people, especially with general career planning and mental health advice. As a young woman of color, I am always particularly glad to meet Gen Z’ers and minorities of all stripes (race, gender, sexuality, etc.).
If you’d like to contact me, please send me a message through our Contact page.
Languages: English | Some German, Spanish, Hindi, & French
Hi there! I’m one of the founders of this website. Here are some fun facts about me:
- Enjoy writing, researching, website design, photography, and learning languages.
- Graduated UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Political Science with Highest Honors. (You can ask me questions about courses, college, standardized testing like the SAT and GRE, etc.)
- Interned/worked with several U.S. government organizations and think tanks like:
- U.S. State Department (nonproliferation policy)
- Sandia National Labs (new-age nuclear technology and escalation)
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (high-tech and strategic stability)
- Stimson Center (content editing South Asian policy articles)
- Federation of American Scientists (naval nuclear safeguards)
- Smithsonian Institution (reports on volcanoes and maps collections)
- Library of Congress (young readers center)
- U.S. Congress (domestic policy)
- National Commission on Service (public relations for domestic policy)
- Passionate about youth rights and career development. I’ve volunteered to tutor immigrant youth, ship text books to disadvantaged children, and am a recipient of the U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award.
- Can (kind of) speak Hindi, French, Spanish, and a little Arabic.
- Cool Fact: Served as representative to the United Nations Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty PrepCom!
If you’d like to contact me, please send me a message through our Contact page.
Languages: English | Some Hindi, French, & Spanish
I began working as a CAD Tech at Expert Engineering Sciences, Inc. right out of high school. I graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in September 2015 with an Associate of Arts degree in Interior Design. I then transferred to Woodbury University as a second-year Architecture student. My next step is finishing my Bachelor of Architecture while developing Artistic Solutions by EES. Here’s my portfolio: https://rebekahdunlap.myportfolio.com/projects
- Interior Designer & Marketing Coordinator, Expert Engineering Sciences.
- I’ve also worked as an interior designer for Builder Boy, Closet Factory, Gabrielle Santiago Design, and Ruth Chafin.
- A.A. in Interior Design, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.
- B.Arch. in Architecture, Woodbury University.
Languages: English
I specialize in helping people make their next career move and making sure they’re paid what they’re worth. I also focus on developing a healthy lifestyle, offering interview advice, helping with networking and salary negotiation.
I enjoy connecting with people from various backgrounds and solving problems. If I am unable to provide assistance, I am happy to make a referral to someone who can from within my network. Send me a message if you think I can help you out! Don’t worry, I won’t try to sell you on my latest book release/training video :-).
- Yoga Instructor with years of practice in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Work on Sales at Zyper by day.
- Graduated UC Berkeley with a Bachelors in Political Science.
If you’d like to contact me, please send me a message through our Contact page.
Languages: English, Hindi, Urdu, French | Some Kashmiri
I am a computer engineer with a strong background in freelancing for services such as machine learning and content writing. Being a vegan and highly compassionate individual, I have been involved in animal activism. In my free time, I study clinical psychology, quantum physics and social psychology.
- Freelancer, Fiverr Freelance.
- Bachelor of Engineering, Marwadi University.
- Volunteer, PETA.
If you’d like to contact me, please send me a message through our Contact page.
Languages: English, Gujarati, Hindi