Mental Health Support
During COVID-19

Learn How to Improve Mental Well-being

We Are Here For You

Your emotional health and well-being are as important as your physical health, especially during challenging times. Learn to Live has developed resources to help you navigate the uncertainty of the situation brought on by COVID-19.

The videos and articles below all provide helpful information and tools from the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which studies have shown to be a powerful tool to combat stress, anxiety, worry, insomnia and depression.

COVID-19 Resources

Article

The Pressures of Caregiving

Whether its balancing work and school schedules, working remotely, or taking on the care of an elderly relative or other family member; more and more people are struggling with juggling additional care roles. Learn about three strategies to help you navigate these challenging times.

Available in brief article format.

Article

Taking Care of You

Burnout is characterized as feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job, and reduced professional effectiveness. Learn four strategies to try if you are feeling worn out and less effective at school.

Available in brief article format.

Article

The New Normal

The New Normal will be worked out over the coming months and will require much patience and grace toward others. It will also require that you pay attention to yourself. You’ll want to be aware of stressors in your life and identify helpful ways of dealing with them. Read on for strategies to navigate anxiety and communicate with confidence.

Available in brief article format.

Video

For Educators: Making the most of challenging times

As educators, you focus on the well-being of your students, yet it can be easy to forget to take care of your own well-being. Join Dr. Russ and the clinical team as they offer some tools and strategies for identifying negative thought patterns and improving time management in order to boost your emotional well-being.

Available in video format.

Video

Resuming life after a global disruption

For many of us, returning to work is a welcomed idea after months of sweatpants, online meetings and piece-meal hours. But returning to work has its own stressors. In this webinar, Dr. Russ and the clinical team provide some ideas for how to deal with the stress of returning to work, including how to be assertive regarding your boundaries.

Available in video format.

Video

Defeating loneliness for a healthier life

Research shows that connectedness is a key factor for health, but our connections with others are slipping and many of us feel lonelier than ever. Wouldn't NOW be a great time to increase your immunity, improve your mood and extend your life? Dr. Russ and the clinical team help you explore your own factors for connectedness, to identify practical ways to become more connected, and discuss ways to remove the barriers that keep you isolated… starting today.

Available in video format.

Video and Article

How to build emotional strength and resilience during a crisis

Dr. Russ shares research-based strategies and tools focused on building resilience. Resilience allows us to face the tough challenges and find the best way forward, for ourselves and those around us. It helps us think more clearly and gives us a sense of control in the face of challenges, leading us to feeling more positive in general.

Available in video or brief article format.

Video and Article

Reduce stress with "Scheduled Worry Time"

Dr. Russ explains a tool that can help change your relationship with worrying. Many of us worry frequently during the day, and the COVID-19 situation has intensified our worries. “Worry Time” is a research-based tool that asks you to worry only at specific times during the day. This approach makes worrying less disruptive to your day, helps reduce your stress level, and provides a greater sense of control.

Available in video or brief article format.

Video and Article

Tools for help with negative thoughts in tough days

Dr. Russ explains Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs), which are common thinking habits that trick us into worrying more than we need to. ANTs have the potential to create unnecessary stress and unhappiness. You will learn how to apply a research-based exercise that can help stop ANTs from taking hold, resulting in less worry, improved wellbeing and a better sense of control.

Available in video or brief article format.

Video and Article

Managing stress and worry in uncertain times

Dr. Russ and the coaching team walk through several concepts and exercises specifically chosen to help you manage the increased emotional challenges many are facing during COVID-19. You will learn how to recognize different signs of stress and take immediate action to reduce negative emotions, restoring a feeling of calm and improved wellbeing.

Available in video or brief article format.

Article

Helping your children cope during COVID-19

As parents, you are most likely juggling work schedules, childcare, online schooling and the mixed emotions your kids are experiencing. Learn six things you can do to help your kids navigate these uncertain times.

Available in brief article format.

Video and Article

Coping with loss and change during COVID-19

We all encounter loss in life. We lose friends, jobs, opportunities, and yes, loved ones. Grief is the process of working through our loss. That grief process may look different for different people, but there are still four main tasks associated with grief. Dr. Russ explains the four tasks of the grief process here and teaches us how to grieve well.

Available in video or brief article format.

Additional Resources

Video

Assertiveness and boundaries

Dr. Russ and the coaching team explain the four communication styles, how to become more assertive, defining healthy boundaries and discussing ways to build effective boundaries in everyday life.

Available in video format.

Video

Know your numbers

Dr. Russ and the coaching team explain the importance of health assessments and their usefulness. They will also discuss trustworthy assessment sources and offer concrete steps for you to take after an assessment.

Available in video format.

Video

Mindful eating

Dr. Russ and the coaching team explain the benefits of mindful eating and how certain triggers can lead us to mindless eating instead. They also discuss important steps to consider if you want to build helpful habits related to food and eating.

Available in video format.

Video

Resisting the pressure to be perfect

Dr. Russ and the coaching team explain the dangers of perfectionism – the pressure to be perfect – and discuss some alternatives that allow us to face the fear of imperfection.

Available in video format.

Video

Too many sheep to sleep

Dr. Russ and the coaching team explain poor sleep quality. They’ll highlight the negative impact of sleep problems, share some tools to help you sleep better and give you practical strategies to try out tonight.

Available in video format.

Video

When substance use becomes a concern

Dr. Russ and the coaching team explore relationships individuals may have with substances and introduce options to help decrease use.

Available in video format.

Video

Habits: Building the good, breaking the bad

We live much of our lives without even thinking. Exciting new findings show that we can build new healthy habits and break old ones with less effort to improve our lives. Join Dr. Russ and Coach Jess to learn how to take your next big step toward a better life.

Available in video format.

Video

Grief: Coping with Loss

We all encounter loss in life. We lose friends, jobs, opportunities, and yes, loved ones. Grief is the process of working through our loss, which may look different for each person. Dr. Russ and Coach Jess explore the four tasks of the grief process that we all experience and how we can grieve well.

Available in video format.