Covid-19 Toolkit: A Collection of Free Well-being Resources for Families

What uncertain times we're navigating right now! We hope you're staying safe and healthy during this crisis.

This virus is undoubtedly taking a devastating toll on individuals around the world - both physically and emotionally.

To help you and your family combat the pressures of the pandemic, we’ve put together a bunch of well-being resources you and your children can turn to during times of need. This list includes online courses, podcasts, physical exercises, sleeping tips, free art resources, meditations and mindfulness links, along with various other relevant blogs for promoting wellness.

If you have a resource you’d like to add to our list, please contact us.

Online Courses

• Yale’s Science of Well-Being Course on Coursera

• VIA Institute on Character: Live Character Strengths and Mindfulness sessions

• Rehabilitation Medicine and Neurology, with Kevin Alschuler, PhD: Coping with uncertainty and leveraging resilience during COVID-19

• University of Virginia 1-hour webinar, with Bethany Teachman, PhD: Managing Mental Health During Covid-19

• Lea Waters, Visible Wellbeing Free e-Program Downloads

• University of Washington Recorded Webinar: Coping With Uncertainty About The Coronavirus

• Building Psychological Strength podcast, with ADAA member Ashley Smith, PhD: Dealing with Anxiety During a Pandemic

• The Beryl Institute Webinar: Caring for Ourselves in Times of Crisis

• Harvard Medical School, with ADAA president Luana Marques, PhD: Regulating Emotions & Building Resiliency in the Face of a Pandemic (see below).

Meditation, Mindfulness & Self-care

• Healthy Minds: Free guided meditations with experts, plus a free App

• Centre for Mindfulness Studies: Free meditations and resources

• The Meditating Doctor: Daily Social Distancing Tapping Support Sessions on Zoom, courtesy of Jill Wener, MD, every M-F at 12pm EST - no registration needed. Or you can watch repost on YouTube.

• Emory Center for Compassion: Daily online compassion practice and fellowship, led by Emory-Certified CBCT® teachers, daily at 9am and 7pm ET

• Insight Timer App: Free app for sleep, anxiety, and stress

• Nvisionyou, Domique Apollon, MEd, LPC: Virtual Care Package

• Good Housekeeping: 15 Stress-Reducing Activities You Can Do at Home, According to Experts, Debra Kissen, PhD

• 5 TED Talks that are an instant dose of optimism

• Fitness Blender: Free workout videos for all levels

• The Chopra Well: Dealing with the Corona Virus, Practical Steps and a meditation (See below).

The Arts & Virtual Events

• London's National Theatre: Free full-length plays every Thursday

• Google’s Arts & Culture collections: Content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online

• New York Phil Plays On: Free on-demand concerts

• Paris Opera: Free archived shows

• New York Metropolitan Opera: Free nightly live streams

• The Virtual Instructor: 4 course videos and ebooks from "25 Days to Better Drawings", "Line and Wash", "Pencil Drawing - The Guide to Graphite", & "The Watercolor Workshop"

• Museum of Modern Art: Free online courses (See preview below).

Blogs

• Fatherly.com, Mary Alvord, PhD: How to Be More Resilient in a Crisis. A Navy SEAL psychologist and a family psychology expert share their resiliency secret

• Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project: 11 Tips for Staying Calm During the Time of Coronavirus

• Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): 'Manage Anxiety and Stress'

• Harvard Business Review: Explains why That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief.

• New York Times: I Spent a Year in Space, and I Have Tips on Isolation to Share

• Louella Covich, Child Psychologist: The Key to Minimising the Impact of these Uncertain Times

• The National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Downloadable Guide

• Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): 'Talking With Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks'

• Suicide Prevention Resource Center's (SPRC): Selection of web pages and information sheets on mental health and coping with the effects of COVID-19.

• Anxiety and Depression Association of America: Coronavirus Anxiety - Helpful Expert Tips and Resources

• Advice Shine Text, Krystal Lewis, PhD: Is It OK to Have Good Days During the Pandemic?

• The Dulwich Centre: Stories to support the community amid the COVID-19 crisis

• New York Times, Roseann Capanna-Hodge, EdD, LPC, BCN, LLC: Handling Your Kid’s Disappointment When Everything Is Canceled

• Dr. Lisa Damour, Psychologist, New York Times columnist, and best-selling author: Dos and don’ts of coping with stress and anxiety in this helpful handout.

• PBS: How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus

Malaka Gharib/ NPR

Just for Kids/Teens

• National Association of School Psychologists: Helping Children Cope With Changes Resulting From COVID-19  

• Something Bad Happened: A Kid's Guide to Coping With Events in the News. Guiding 6-12-year-olds through conversations about serious world events, Free Illustrated Reading by Author, Dawn Huebner, PhD

• I Have a Question About Coronavirus. Clear Answers for all children - Free Digital Download, Alren Gaines, LCSW-C

• NPR: Just for Kids, A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus

• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: Coronavirus Coloring Book Designed to Help Children Cope With the Pandemic

• Sesame Street: Elmo's Playdate episode, designed to help explain social distancing. (See below).

As Elmo said, during this world of social distancing it's important we stay connected and there for one another.

We'd love to hear from you, let us know how you're going and if there are any additional resources we can provide to support you and your family during these times.

Keep smiling!

#resilience #resources #familywellness