Coping During COVID-19

We are living in a time that continues to be affected by a global pandemic, on-going images of racial violence, a complicated presidential election, and strong political belief systems which creates tensions among our support systems. As a university community, we recognize you may be feeling an increase of stress, isolation, anxiety, disappointment and emotional burden as we move into the end of the quarter. For some or you, engaging in actions that will help you maintain your physical and mental health is the key to combatting these feelings. 

And if you're struggling, help is available. Please see the options for this help listed below.

Additionally, if you are curious about testing and care information, please either see DU’s Testing, Quarantine & Symptom Monitoring page or the Health and Counseling Center (HCC) main page.  

Self-Care Tips

• 

  Start each day with intentionality

  Ask yourself these three questions: What will help me to feel healthy today? What will help me to feel connected today? What will give me a sense of purpose today?

• 

  Prioritize self-care

  Try to get enough sleep, eat well, and get in some exercise.

• 

  Connect with others

  Find ways to stay socially connected while practicing physical distancing.

• 

  Experience nature

  Enjoy Denver and Colorado’s natural beauty. Research shows the time in nature supports good mental health.

• 

  Limit social media & news consumption

  Too much can have a negative impact on your mental health.

Self-Care Resources

• University of Denver General Coping Strategies

  1. DU’s Stress Management Resources and Tips 

  2. DU’s List of Mental Health Resources 

  3. Well-Being at DU – Creating a Community of Care 

  4. DU’s Thrive Peer Health Educator Caring for Your Mental Health Presentation 

  5. GSPP Mental Health Resources and COVID-19 

  6. COVID-19 and Navigating Mental Health 

  7. Support for Students in Recovery  

  8. Concerned for Yourself of Others? Submit an SOS Referral 

• Other General Coping Strategies

  1. Emotional Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Outbreak 

  2. COVID-19 and Behavioral Health  

  3. COVID-19 and Coping with Stress  

  4. 19 Best Happiness Podcasts 

  5. 25 Important Tips for Surviving Quarantine 

  6. Active Minds: free webinars for students to support their mental health during COVID-19 

  7. Coronavirus and Your Wellbeing: Practical Advice for Staying at Home 

  8. Coronavirus Sanity Guide from Ten Percent Happier 

  9. Cornell's Learning Strategies Center 

  10. Dealing with Difficult Family During Lockdown  

  11. Emotional Well-Being and Coping During COVID-19 

  12. F.A.C.E. C.O.V.I.D.: How to Respond Effectively to the Corona Crisis 

  13. Taking Care of Your Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: 3-minute video 

  14. That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief  

  15. OptionB: Building Resilience and Finding Meaning in the Face of Adversity 

  16. Taking Care of Each Other: Mutual Aid for COVID-19 and Beyond  

  17. Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty 

  18. Tips for Managing the Transition Back Home 

• Resources for Students of Color

  1. ODEI Resources at DU  

  2. Strongholds of Denver’s Native Community

  2. Asian Mental Health Collective 

  3. Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM) 

  4. BIPOC Mental Health Resources (PDF) 

  5. Brooklyn Zen Center People of Color Sangha 

  6. Boston College’s Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture's racial trauma toolkit 

  7. Center for Native American Youth 

  8. Dr. Joy Harden Bradford "Therapy for Black Girls" Podcast (Session #134 specifically discusses the impact of racial trauma) 

  9. Latinx Therapy 

  10. Liberate Meditation App for the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color community 

  11. National Alliance for Hispanic Health 

  12. National Queer and Trans People of Color Network 

  13. Rafiki Coalition’s Resources for Black Healing (PDF) 

  14. South Asian Mental Health Alliance 

  15. WeRNative 

• Help Staying Connected with Others

  1. DU’s Office of Student Engagement 

  2. Find a Quarantine Buddy 

  3. Nod – App for Combating Lonliness in College Students 

• Dealing with Coronavirus-Related Anxiety

  1. 10 Ways to Ease Your Coronavirus Anxiety  

  2. The ACT Approach to Handling Anxiety Like a Human Being 

  3. Care for your Coronavirus Anxiety 

  4. Coronavirus Anxiety - Helpful Expert Tips and Resources 

  5. Coronavirus Peer Support Group from ForLikeMinds 

  6. COVID-19 Lockdown Guide: How to Manage Anxiety and Isolation During Quarantine 

  7. How to Pause Lockdown Anxiety and Actually Get Work Done 

  8. How to Systematically Manage COVID-19 Stress (pdf) 

  9. MindShift - free app for managing anxiety 
     
     Coronavirus-related OCD: 

  10. How to Manage OCD and Anxiety During the Coronavirus Outbreak 

  11. Managing OCD about Coronavirus 

  12. OCD/Coronavirus Town Hall (video) 

  13. Resources for the OCD and Related Disorders Community During the COVID-19 Outbreak 

• Assistance with Disability-Related Concern

  Disability Services Program 

• Help with a Bias-Related Concern

   Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Bias Incident Response 

• Help Dealing with Boredom

  1. 15 Broadway plays and musicals you can watch from home 

  2. 22 ways to leave home without actually leaving the couch, from virtual zoo exhibits to museum gallery tours 

  3. 30 Things to Bake when You’re Bored 

  4. The best documentaries you can watch now (for free) 

  5. Cirque du Soleil 60-Minute Special 

  6. Coloring books depicting over 100 museums art collections 

  7. Easy Recipes With Pantry Staples  

  8. Explore 12 different famous museums including the Guggenheim and National Gallery Art 

  9. List of Live Virtual Concerts (updated daily) 

  10. Lunch doodles with Mo Williams 

  11. Online art classes (15- to 20-minute sessions) 

  12. "The Science of Well-Being" - free online Yale course with psychology professor Laurie Santos 

  13. Virtual field trips to Mars, Yellowstone National Park, San Diego Zoo, The Louvre, and more 

  14. Why Boredom Can Be Good for You (video) 

• Help Getting Exercise

  1. Athletics and Recreation – Fitness and Wellness  

  2. DU’s Virtual Recreation

• Help with Sleep Issues

  1. Sleep Guidelines During the COVID-19 Pandemic 

  2. Why Good Sleep Hygiene is Important During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Assistance with Body Image/Eating Concerns

  1. Health and Counseling Center Dietician  

  2. National Eating Disorders Association COVID-19 Resources 

  3. Why You Shouldn't Worry About Stress Eating, Overeating, or Gaining Weight Right Now 

  4. @covid19eatingsupport Instagram account 

• For Those Interested in a Meditation Practice

  1. Calm 

  2. Calm Calendar - daily mindfulness challenges (pdf) 

  3. Center for Mindfulness, Univ of CA, San Diego: Resources 

  4. Daily, streaming mindfulness sessions at Brown University 

  5. Free audio resources for mindfulness meditation 

  6. Guided audio meditation based on mindfulness and acceptance 

  7. Guided meditations with Tara Brach 

  8. Guided mindful self-compassion exercises 

  9. Headspace  

  10. The Honest Guys meditation and relaxation  

  11. InsightTimer app  

  12. Meditation Oasis app (free until COVID-19 pandemic end)  

  13. Omvana meditation app 

  14. Short animated introduction to meditation  

  15. UCLA guided meditations 

  16. Waking Up app 

• Self-Compassion Practices

  1. 9 Best Gratitude Apps to Be More Thankful Every Day 

  2. 31 Benefits of Gratitude  

  3. 50 Ways to Practice Gratitude Every Day 

  4. 67 Quotes About Overcoming Adversity and Challenges in Your Life 

  5. 69 Lists to Make Whenever You Need a Mood Booster 

  6. Cornell Professor Tom Gilovich talk on Gratitude (video) 

  7. Gathering Gratefully in the Time of the Coronavirus 

  8. TED talk on self-compassion by Kristin Neff (video) 

• Improving Focus and Decreasing Screen Time

  1. 13 Everyday Ways To Cut Back On Your Smartphone Usage 

  2. Focusmate virtual coworking 

  3. Forest app: Improve your focus, stay present 

• Books to Support Well-Being

  Mindfulness: 

  1. The Illustrated Happiness Trap, by Russ Harris 

  2. Wherever You Go, There You Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn  

  Anxiety: 

  1. Face Your Fears, by David Tolin, PhD 

  2. Stopping the Noise in Your Head, by Reid Wilson, PhD 

  3. The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, by Edmund Bourne, PhD 

  4. Freedom from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, by Jonathan Grayson, PhD 

  5. Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts by Sally Winston, PsyD and Martin Seif, PhD 

  6. The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD, by Jon Hershfield, MFT and Tom Corboy, MFT 

  Depression: 

  1. Feeling Good, by David Burns, M.D. 

  2. The Upward Spiral, by Alex Korb, PhD 

  Other topics: 

  1. The Gifts of Imperfection, by Brene Brown, PhD 

  2. Loving Like you Mean It, by Ronald J Frederick 

  3. Ethnicity and Family Relationships, by Monica McGoldrick 

  4. Nonviolent Communication, by Marshall Rosenberg  

  5. 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder, by Carolyn Costin and Gwen Schubert Grabb 

  6. Life Without Ed, by Jenni Schaefer with Thom Rutledge 

  7. Embody, by Connie Sobczak 

  8. Health at Every Size, by Linda Bacon