Summer is usually our time to take it easy, relax at the beach, rejuvenate on vacation, and reconnect with friends and loved ones who live far away. This summer, though, it's not as easy to do these things due to COVID-19. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), stress on a scale from 1 (little stress) to 10 (excessive stress) in this time of COVID-19 is at an 8--an all-time high. Contributing to this stress is our grief over what has been taken away and the uncertainty of the future. Because we don't have our summer go-to's to offset this stress and just take a break, we think the following tips from the APA and our weekly emotional wellbeing webinars will be helpful. ​

1. Start by learning more about COVID-19 stress--it's unlike acute stress (the every day irritants, like bad drivers); instead, chronic stress is unrelenting. Acute stress is short-lived and has small negative health effects. Chronic stress, on the other hand, has very large--and sometimes life-threatening--health effects. The CDC has excellent resources​ that cover daily life coping with this pandemic. 
2. The current big change in our lives feels like our lives have come to a screeching halt. This webinar​ offers insight on how having routines during COVID-19 relieves some of the "boxed in" feeling we may experience and offers tips on how to adjust to this new normal.
   
3. Looking for safe summer fun? This article​ offers tips on how to have summer fun for adults, teens, and children, while connecting safely with friends. 
   
4. A great de-stresser is--wait for it--watching funny/sweet animal videos!  It's true, according to Japanese researcher Hiroshi Nittono,, who found that study participants who looked at pictures of puppies and panda cams (as well as grumpy cat videos) experienced mood boosts and increases in their productivity. Here's 15 minutes of joy--it's a compilation of adorable and funny animal short clips from Animal Planet!
   
5. Participate in these weekly upcoming self-care and de-stressing live webinars:
   

Healthy U is a online learning program offering monthly health learning topics, beginning this month! Participate in 3 Healthy U 45-minute webinars each month and you will receive a Certificate of Completion. The certificates are suitable for framing, so you can proudly show your accomplishments month after month. 

Healthy U begins this month with a Nutrition Series. By participating in this Healthy U Nutrition course, participants will understand the keys to good nutrition and how to choose an eating plan based on their preferences (carnivore, vegetarian, vegan, etc.). Participants will also become skilled at reading labels so that they can choose products to maximize health benefits. Finally, participants will acquire the knowledge to overcome barriers to good nutrition so that healthy eating is convenient, easy, and even fun!

7/15/2020, 11:00 am - Eat Right Bite By Bite: Learn what good nutrition is and develop a plan that is right for you.

7/22/2020, 11:00 am - Nutrition Labels: A nutrition label is the most important healthy eating tool for you! Learn how to easily read a label to determine if the food will impact your health. With this knowledge, you can make the decision that is right for you.

7/29/2020, 11:00 am - Healthy Eating Made Easy: The final segment in Nutrition course, this webinar will put together everything you've learned and will offer additional information to make grocery shopping and healthy eating easy.

Registration is easy: send an email to Brenda Salas, Health Promotion Specialist, at brenda.salas@maryland.gov. REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS 7/10/2020. You'll receive confirmation from Brenda with instructions for the next step. Welcome to Healthy U!