Bartlett Regional | House Calls | Winter 2021

www.bartletthospital.org 5 Q We’re going on a year now of life being turned upside down, especially for parents of restless young children. How do I continue to help my child through this? Solidarity and consistency matter! Keep the same friends/social bubble, and do things together that you did before the pandemic, like going to the playground or riding bikes. Engage in traditions that evoke good memories, like raking leaves, shoveling snow, hanging decorations or baking. This is an impressionable, unavoidable life event. Kids are extremely resilient. Use this experience to learn more about biology and disease. If kids have questions, investigate them together and find out the answers. Who knows? Maybe this pandemic will foster a whole new generation of public health innovators! Q How do I cope if I am stressed out by the pandemic? Cut down on social media and the news, and focus on things that make you happy. On weekends my partner and I begin our day with our favorite happy cartoons. Have you checked out Phineas and Ferb ? Or Hilda ? It’s like a mental vacation to a happy place. We laugh and take in the lessons of our youth. In 2020 I turned 40; the most therapeutic thing I did was totally beat and finish Super Mario Brothers. Even the special levels! A 30-year goal accomplished. You can’t think of anything else when you are Mario and Yoshi is stomping on the bad guys. Take lots of little breaks. I take time to walk and stretch. I am lucky to have Twin Lakes and Salmon Creek a few steps away from work. Take advantage of your surroundings. You rarely have to go far to be in the forest, on a mountain or at the beach—far away from the newspaper, your TV or your computer. You simply stop what you are doing and walk. The simple act of moving your body in the cool air outside benefits your heart, lungs and blood flow, and you are on your way to a lower stress level. Focus on the things that you can control, such as how you perceive stress and respond to it. You are also the proud owner of a remarkable body. Everyone has the capacity to increase their resiliency and strength by eating well, ensuring you have a healthy outlet of energy, and staying rested and hydrated. Q What will be the lasting impacts of COVID-19? When we learn through challenges, we become smarter and more resilient. I already see the lasting impacts of improved hand hygiene, use of eye protection and face masks, and awareness of our own health. These things give me hope. I believe the relationships and improved communication forged through this pandemic will make future challenges easier to solve. REMEMBER: Masking, social distance and air flow help keep the spread low. AVOID C losed spaces with poor ventilation. C rowded places. C lose-contact situations.