COVID-19, or coronavirus, is having a huge impact on all of us. If you feel anxious, stressed out, sad, or overwhelmed during this time, you’re not alone. You might be disappointed about missing out on school dances, graduations, or seeing your friends at school.

Instead of turning to vaping, there are things you can do to take extra care of yourself during this time. Here are some ideas:

• Take breaks from social media. Reading news stories or seeing posts from friends about coronavirus can make you more stressed or unsettled.
• Take care of your body. Get plenty of sleep, eat healthy meals, and exercise when you can.
• Try deep breathing or meditating. You can find guided deep breathing and meditation exercises on YouTube.
• Connect with friends digitally. Connecting with friends over video chat, phone, or a messaging app like Snapchat can help you feel less alone.
• Try journaling. Sometimes it helps to get your feelings out on paper; try writing down what you are feeling or a list of things you are grateful for.
• Do activities you enjoy. Spend time outdoors (while maintaining social distancing), play an instrument, or do something creative.

For more ideas and information, visit the following sites:

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html
• https://emergency.cdc.gov/coping/selfcare.asp
• https://www.cdc.gov/childrenindisasters/helping-children-cope.html
• https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Taking-Care-of-Your-Behavioral-Health-During-an-Infectious-Disease-Outbreak/sma14-4894