COVID-19 Stress Relief Tips
1) Rest assured, you are not alone. It is natural to feel stress and anxiety at this time.
2) Set aside time to breathe. It allows you time to take a break from your concerns.
3) Know it is okay to ask for help. The reality is most people not only want to help; but it brings them joy.
4) Focus on the good and provide acts of kindness. Contact someone who is alone and let them know you are thinking of them.
5) Take one day at a time. Be grateful for the connections you have.
6) Know timing is everything. Stay informed but avoid too much negative news.
7) Focus on what you can do and accept the things you cannot control. Take care of yourself.
8) Find ways to stay safely connected. Sharing helps to stay connected.
9) Set daily routines that include being creative. Try to get fresh air, even if it is standing in your driveway for five minutes.
10) Write it down. It helps to get your fears and concerns out of your head and into the open.
11) Remember daily prayer lightens your path.
Brought to you by our Health & Wellness Committee: Carole Stoychoff, Marianne Olson and Judy Benkowski. Typed by Carol Jensen.
Meet our Health & Wellness Committee who Share Ideas on Coping and Finding Joy During COVID-19
Hello, I am CATHY S. I am a newly retired RN. I have been at SEAS for 25 years. I look forward to making a difference with sharing my talents and knowledge. I look forward to meeting and getting to know more of our SEAS’ families. I have also been involved with our choir for 7 years and am really excited to get back together again. I want the church to be filled with the sound of music.
Regarding finding joy during this pandemic, I want to share Kimberly Wagner’s words of wisdom regarding setting a trajectory of joy before the day begins. She states “You might find it tempting to sleep in right now, but be intentional with the early moments to prepare your heart for the day before chaos takes over. It’s vitally important to meet with God by getting into the Word and letting Him know how very much you need His help for all that will come your way. My responsibilities and the future unknowns never look as threatening and ominous once I go to the Father of comforts and sit in His presence a good while– before all the daily distractions hit. Personally, I cannot stress this enough– getting to God in the first moments of the day can really set the course for the rest of your day.”
Hello, I am MARY JO R.. I have been a member of SEAS for 27 years. I enjoy my role as a volunteer at SEAS, especially as a coordinator of the annual Christmas Sponsorship Program. I am a RN and have worked in various positions in medical/surgical nursing. However, I enjoy cardiac nursing the most. I look forward to working with this great team as we build the Health and Wellness Program at SEAS. I look forward to meeting other parishioners as they explore information and opportunities in their wellness journey.
I would like to share with you “4 Ways to Cope With Covid 19”. This is my biggest takeaway from an article I read in Psychology Today by Jamie Aten, PhD
- Maintain a regular sleep schedule and practice other healthy sleeping habits (e.g. using naps with care, limiting light exposure from LED screens before sleep)
- Maintain a healthy balance of nutritious foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy protein.
- Exercise regularly. Try to get 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. Stay somewhat physically active during your day.
- Do not self-isolate. Are others perceiving you as emotionally withdrawn? Reach out to others. Call a friend. Face Time or Zoom someone. Go for a walk with someone.
Hello my name is JUDY B. I am the mother of 6 wonderful children and the grandmother of 12 awesome grandchildren I am a retired teacher. I love to be outside walking and enjoying the beauty and wonder of God’s beautiful world.
Hello my name is LYN W. I have always been interested in health and wellness and how they are connected. I worked at St Vincent Hospital in the lab for over 40 years. Until Covid 19, I volunteered at Unity Hospice and at St Mary’s Hospital as a Eucharistic Minister. I have worked in healthcare most of my life. My outlook on life has been impacted by care needed for parents and in-laws due to their aging and dementia. I have experienced how wellness and health interact to lead to a better lifestyle.
My thoughts on finding joy during Covid -19 are based on an article by Angela Gorrell. She states “Gratitude brings to mind good that is in the world which makes rejoicing possible”. Personally, I am practicing gratitude during these difficult times. I am grateful for the following: 1. Noticing changing of the seasons in the neighborhood on my daily walks. 2. Technology that allowed us to connect with children and grandchildren. 3. Ability to connect with friends through FaceTime on Thanksgiving while we were in quarantine.
Hello my name is CAROLE S. I am an RN. I spent 42 years of nursing at St Vincent Hospital. Twenty-two of those 42 years was spent in neuro-ICU and 20 years in home health care nursing. I feel I worked from one spectrum to the other. I was happily married for 48 years until the passing of my husband in 2018. I have 2 sons, 1 daughter and 7 grandchildren who are the love of my life. Being a member of SEAS and beginning this journey of bringing wellness to parishioners has brought much fulfillment to my life.
Hello my name is MARIANNE O. I am a retired nurse and mother of three. I received my nurses training from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN. I have had experience in various fields of nursing. I worked in medical-surgical nursing, surgical outpatient, outpatient allergy clinic, and in emergency room nursing (my favorite). I retired after 15 years of nursing with The Red Cross. The health field has been very important in our family as my daughter and granddaughter are both RN’s. I also have another granddaughter who is a physician assistant. I found all of my nursing experiences very rewarding. I am happy I chose nursing as my lifelong career.
Hello I am TINA F. My husband, Matt, and I moved here 2 years ago from Eau Claire WI -where we raised our two kids. We have been members at SEAS the last two years. I worked on the Parish Life Committee at SEAS; however, my passion is health and wellness. I have been bugging Sister Marla since I moved here to start a Health and Wellness Committee. I am a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist and have been working in this field for 35 years. I have a private practice in Green Bay and work part-time. I am thrilled to be a part of this amazing group of individuals. With God, we look forward to reaching out and bringing health and wellness to all of you.
For many of us, this pandemic has caused some real suffering including death, illness, financial hardship, depression, loneliness, fear, anger, etc.
I have taught classes in the past on how to find joy in the midst of suffering. St Thomas Aquinas states, “Joy can be described as spiritual contentment, resulting from the possession of a desired good. “Authentic Joy” consists in the possession of God, Who alone can satisfy our hearts, which thirst for infinite truth and infinite love. Joy is present when there remains nothing to be desired”.
One of the truths that has helped me to view “suffering” differently is the truth that suffering can bring you closer to God. There is no doubt Jesus carried the cross and suffered miserably. However on the other side of this suffering was the resurrection. I really have come to believe that if God brings you “to it”, He can bring you “through it.”
“You cannot conceive”, said Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez “how great is the reparatory value of suffering”. Suffering you see nourishes and perfects love. And it is love alone that has any value in God’s eyes. St Therese said “when suffering is accepted with love, it is no longer suffering, but it is changed to joy.”
Changing my perspective on “suffering” has helped me immensely to get through difficult dark times. Maintaining hope is also key. Never give up hope! I have lived long enough to know there is always hope. Hope is also another prerequisite to finding joy.