Self-care is very important. We probably don't do it enough. Sometimes, though, what we think is self-care really isn't. We should consider what we need, not only what we want, which can end up being more helpful in the long run. If you want some ideas of how you can consider ways to self-care in different domains - physical, emotional, spiritual, social, pleasurable, mental, and sensory - here is a good website to explore.
This isn't really talked about or highlighted that much, even today. Though things are better than they were 50 or even 25 years ago, men's mental health is largely ignored and untreated. It is acceptable for men to have feelings, express them, and find support for their own psychological and emotional well-being. If you need to talk or would like help to get starting your mental health journey, I'm here.
Museums Embrace Art Therapy Techniques for Unsettled Times
Several institutions are preparing to reopen with an awareness of a new mission as people struggle with loss and unrest.
By Zachary
Small
Published June 15, 2020
Updated June 20, 2020
When the instructor asked him to describe his life in two words, Walter Enriquez chose carefully: fear and violence. He had spent decades as a policeman in Peru during the bloodiest days of armed conflict between government forces and guerrilla fighters that killed nearly 70,000 people. But he said that nothing could have prepared him for the extreme isolation and loneliness that come with quarantine. Having lost a handful of his friends and neighbors to the coronavirus pandemic, the 75-year-old retiree has turned toward art therapy programs offered by the Queens Museum to improve his mental health.
“We cannot go outside and enjoy our lives like before,” Mr. Enriquez said in Spanish, translated by his daughter. “But art helps us capture the past and relive positive experiences to get through pain and sadness.”
Every Thursday, he waits patiently at the computer for class to begin. For 30 minutes, he fidgets with the colored pencils, pens and papers at the desk inside his daughter’s apartment in Richmond Hill, Queens. And with those tools he creates scenes from his life based on prompts from his instructor: portraits of his mother and friends; images of Goyaesque, nightmarish demons representing disease that when rendered on paper feel less threatening.
Participants share their creations through Zoom, using their drawings and poetry (also part of the classes) to discuss life before and after the pandemic. Like thousands of other older New Yorkers, Mr. Enriquez has recently learned to use the internet to connect with the outside world. La Ventanita, one of the museum’s initiatives in response to the coronavirus pandemic, provides him a chance to socialize with other Spanish speakers through guided art lessons about self-expression.
A drawing by Walter Enriquez, who participates in a Queens Museum program created in response to the pandemic. “Art helps us capture the past and relive positive experiences to get through pain and sadness,” he said. Before the program, I felt very alone; now I can learn to produce art,” he said, adding that the program has revived his childhood aspiration of becoming a poet through the weekly prompts that ask him to create poetry based on his youth.
Although psychologists have long recognized the benefits of art therapy, which decades of scientific research suggests can improve moods and reduce pain, few American museums have devoted resources toward creating programs. But the demands of a grief-stricken public are now compelling cultural institutions around the country to create trauma-aware initiatives that put their art collections and educators at the forefront of a mental health crisis created by the pandemic and the worldwide protests over police brutality and racism after George Floyd’s killing.
And faced with plummeting revenue projections, industry leaders say they wouldn’t be surprised if museums turned toward art therapy for a new source of revenue or other funding opportunities. “Art therapy is typically funded by insurers,” Dina Schapiro, assistant chairperson for the Pratt Institute’s Creative Arts Therapy Department, said. “You already have patrons coming into museums and paying a fee. It would be especially good for people who are resistant to the traditional venues of therapy like an office.”
Although it doesn’t plan to charge for such programs, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is looking to start art-therapy based initiatives. “We are adjusting to a new reality and looking into how we can use art history to reflect on shared experiences of isolation and trauma,” said Rebecca McGinnis, the museum’s senior managing educator for accessibility.
And in May, the museum revamped a teen event to focus on self-care and communication during the coronavirus crisis. Organized with the Bronx Museum and the Museum of Chinese in America, participants discussed the effects of the pandemic through writing prompts, dance workshops and zine-making.
“Art has a therapeutic impact for everybody,” Ms. McGinnis said. “People will be coming to us after experiencing loss; some for whom the disease has permanently impacted their bodies. How can we continue to reflect all those human experiences?”
At the Rubin Museum of Art, employees have started to ask similar questions of their own collection of Tibetan and Nepalese objects perfectly suited for the art of self-contemplation. For now, the museum plans to restart its meditation podcast and gear some of its learning programs to those affected by Covid-19 with pensive artworks like a 13th-century gilded statue of the Hindu goddess Durga or a 16th-century cloth painting of the Buddha meditating as demonic hordes assail him from below.
Taking another approach, the Cincinnati Art Museum in Ohio plans to train more than a hundred volunteer docents on art therapy techniques that will help them greet visitors when it reopens this summer.
That museums are taking art therapy more seriously than ever is due in large part to a program at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts that allows physicians to prescribe free access to its galleries. The museum was also one of the first in North America to hire a full-time art therapist in 2017.
Stephen Legari, who took the job, normally sees about 1,200 participants each year, but demands for his services have increased as Montreal — the epicenter of Canada’s coronavirus outbreak — reopens. “In quarantine, you’re looking at the same things in your apartment every day,” he explained. “The repetition is grinding down your capacity to concentrate. By contrast, museums are places for wonderment, beauty and awe.”
Katerine Caron joined the art therapy program about three years ago. For much of her life, the 52-year-old writer has dealt with neurological damage and severe trauma after being hit by a speeding car while walking her children across the street. She eagerly awaits Wednesday group sessions. “I hadn’t created art since I was a child,” Ms. Caron said, “but art therapy has helped me externalize what I’m feeling and express my gratitude for life.”
For her, the therapy has created a space outside the pandemic for her to process difficult emotions. “I’m less anxious and agitated,” she said, adding, “When I see the works of other artists, I know that I’m not alone.”
When sorting through the museum’s collection for inspiration recently, Mr. Legari has shied away from contemporary works. Instead, he is drawn to images of natural beauty rendered by the Romantics and Impressionists. He also likes to incorporate more abstract works by artists like Henri Matisse and Georges Braque into his sessions.
Looking at what Montreal has accomplished, Sally Tallant, executive director of the Queens Museum, hopes that her institution can replicate that same sense of refuge for people. In the meantime, the museum’s educators are testing out a variety of initiatives. There are weekly conversations with homebound seniors about the institution’s collection, a program for caregivers to learn about art, and several live-video artmaking sessions for recent immigrants who don’t speak English, which are also offered in Mandarin.
“This is a time to consider museums as places of care,” Ms. Tallant said. “There is a need to develop porous cultural institutions that are open, inclusive and empathetic as we recover from living through a prolonged period of isolation and loss.”
A version of this article appears in print on June 16, 2020, Section C, Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: Therapeutic Creative Expression.
Art therapy licensure is now the law in DC! Thank you to our sponsors Chairman Phil Mendelson, Councilmember Vincent C. Gray, Councilmember Mary Cheh, and Councilmember David Grosso and to the support of Mayor Bowser. A special thanks to Bernie Demczuk for guiding us in this process and Michelle Palmer, Executive Director of the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing, for testifying on our behalf. Art therapists have served DC residents for a long time and this license will ensure that DC residents receive qualified art therapy for years to come. #dcarttherapy
What a great sense of innovation, compassion, and community this young girl has to help out her fellow children, especially during the COVID crisis. I love her quote that "art is always there for me."
I found this great resource for art therapy (and other creative arts therapies) for military members and their families around the country. Check out all the opportunities!
I was notified this morning that "Color Me Calm" made the Evening Standard's "Best Adult Colouring Books of 2020 to Help You Relax." I'm very honored it was among the few chosen for their list. Apparently, adult coloring is making a comeback during the pandemic!
Get creative and de-stress with the best colouring books for adults
Ellie Davis | 1 day ago
Throughout this lockdown period, we’ve all been looking for ways to pass the time, whether that’s by honing our baking skills, or picking up the art of cross stitching.
One activity that has seen a huge surge in popularity is colouring. Go back to basics by investing in a good, intricate colouring book that will work wonders in relieving stress and anxiety. Your childhood favourite activity has been given an adult twist as a calming way to switch off from the excessive amount of screen time that we are all facing.
Bring art back into your life and use this relaxing activity as a much-needed distraction from the craziness of 2020. You only need a good colouring book and a rainbow selection of pens and pencils - and we can certainly help with the former. You will be surprised at the meditative space that it leaves you in as well as the sense of accomplishment of your colourful creation.
This is important for both mental health employees and employers to read and be made aware, if they haven't already considered it and the potential aftermath.
Mental Health Workers: The Other First Responders in this Pandemic
Why mental health workers need safeguarding and protection more than ever
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been a lot of talk in the media about the importance of preventing overload to our health care system. What we are only starting to hear about is its (anticipated) overwhelming impact on mental health services… and its providers.
Mental health workers are just as prone to burnout as any other care providers. Given the predicted impact of this pandemic on the well-being of virtually everyone, we need these service providers to be stronger than ever. Mental health workers need protection now, to ensure that they are available and prepared for the coming mental health crisis.
Nobody is immune to the pandemic’s negative mental health effects.
Social distancing measures keep loved ones apart, businesses and schools closed, people without steady work or income, and other services overloaded. The stress to essential workers and their families is obvious. We are living in a time of great uncertainty, with no end in sight.
Psychiatrists Dr. Andrew L. Smith of The Ottawa Hospital and Dr. Neil de Laplante of the University of Ottawa support that while social distancing measures are necessary, they could “lead many of us to feelings of isolation and powerlessness”, which are both linked to anxiety, depression, and possibly suicide.
The pandemic could be detrimental for those already facing complex mental health challenges: chronic anxiety, trauma, delusional paranoia, and addictions to name a few. There are people without the cognitive ability to understand the situation. Some are without a working memory. And others could be further subjected to daily abuse.
Health care workers and first responders are also high-risk groups for mental health challenges during this pandemic. They face prolonged exposure to high-stress work environments, in addition to the personal struggles we all face waiting out COVID-19. Post-trauma effects are a real threat to this group. Positively, there are mental health resources specific to first responders, but I wonder how accessible or effective these services will be long-term.
With the anticipation of a mental-health crisis secondary to this pandemic, mental health services could be more important than ever. Undoubtedly, we will need a strong system to help those most at-risk to the consequences of this pandemic, and to continue caring for our most vulnerable persons. To maintain a strong mental health system, we must protect and safeguard its most important resource: its workers.
Without its workers, the mental health system will breakdown, and this is already starting to happen.
As a mental health worker, I can tell you that many of us will be or are on the verge of burnout, the longer this situation continues as is or worsens. The state of the world is pushing people into survival mode; those who feel powerless and unprotected will resort to fighting for themselves. In survival mode, one can hardly help his or herself let alone others. In my field, workers are already walking off the job for self-preservation.
I am a front-line mental health worker supporting persons who require 24-hour care. I work in a home in close proximity to about 8–11 people (workers and residents) during my shift, where social distancing is near impossible, and PPE availability is extremely limited.
Last week, I was informed for a second time that someone in the home would be tested for COVID-19. I was left to wonder what will happen if the results are positive. How will we manage a potential outbreak at work? Will I be put off work to isolate? Have I exposed the elderly person I live with to the virus? What will I tell my family if the result comes back positive?
For confidentiality reasons, I cannot give specific details. I can tell you that at this time, there is no confirmed case of COVID-19 at my place of work. But this is a possibility that I need to be prepared for, and yet, there is very little certainty on what will happen if there is an outbreak.
Not knowing what to expect leads me to feel powerless and anxious. Still, I try to remain strong and composed for the people I support, who depend on my care.
I support people who have a very limited understanding of what this pandemic means. For them, it means a lot of changes to regular routine, a lack of contact with the outside world, and a lot of waiting and boredom. Without structure and purpose, their risk of self-destructive behaviour increases. It cannot simply be explained to them what might happen if there is an outbreak in the home. This could create further anxiety, paranoia, and undue stress.
To the best of our ability, my front-line team tries to keep routine in the home, offer alternative activities, and practice a lot of supportive counselling and patience. Most importantly, we try to keep individuals safe and healthy, not only from the virus, but from mental health crisis.
This means that we as essential workers need to keep ourselves safe and healthy. We must be so careful not to come in contact with the virus and bring it to work. Conversely, we are trying not to bring the virus home to our loved ones should there be an outbreak at work.
Just as important, we must look after ourselves mentally, so that we can continue to work effectively for those who need us. This is easier said than done, given the circumstances.
We have limits, and a lot of us will be prone to burn out the longer this situation continues to negatively impact us both personally and professionally.
We are human, not super heroes.
I think I speak for most mental health professionals during this time. I have helpers and healers in my own life who I know are struggling personally in this pandemic. One even said she is cutting back on work to look after herself and her family.
I know front-line workers who are thinking about a leave of absence or extended holiday at some point, knowing that they cannot sustain working under stressful conditions long-term without hitting “reset”. Some have even opted for early retirement to protect their health and their loves ones. Meanwhile, many of us are currently working overtime, and this field was facing a staffing crisis even prior to the pandemic.
We are only in the beginning stages of this pandemic, and essential care workers are already walking away.
If mental health workers all burnout, what replaces us? When mental health crisis reaches its peak in response to the pandemic and overloads mental health services, what happens then?
As Dr. Andrew L. Smith and Dr. Neil de Laplante note, the mental health system is already “chronically under-resourced”, and vulnerable persons face the greatest consequences if the system breaks-down in response the pandemic crisis.
Funding is necessary to keep mental health resources in place or develop new services as the effects of the pandemic evolve. Additional funding is required to implement health and safety measures to protect people living and working in group-homes, institutions, and long-term care facilities. But money is not the only important resource.
In addition to funding, mental health workers need safeguarding and protection. The most important resource in the mental health system is its workers. Without anyone available to provide the service, funding loses its purpose.
Eventually, COVID-19 will no longer be a significant health threat. However, we can expect a long-term impact on society. Loved ones will be lost. People will struggle to recover financially. Some might be traumatized. Vulnerable persons could face significant abuse in isolated situations. Addictions could surge. Not everyone will come out of this pandemic being able to continue on their previous life.
Mental health workers are not miracle workers, but they are necessary when people are in crisis, which will be an inevitable result of the current situation.
So, how can we protect and safeguard the most important resource in the mental health system? Really, how can we better protect all essential workers right now?
Protecting Rights
In emergency situations, employers are allowed (under government Acts) to override collective agreements to “protect” the safety of its workers or clients. For example, employers might be allowed to temporarily change an employee’s job classification or location to provide support where needed. Unfortunately, this gives employers a lot of free reign, rendering unions who protect employees almost powerless.
Employers should still be held responsible for their decisions. Yes, temporary changes may need to be implemented under extraordinary circumstances. But as much as possible, employers need to consider the mental well-being of their employees. This means listening to employee concerns and respecting their right to refuse unsafe work. If we are facing a pandemic that will impact us for months to a year, employers need to ensure that they do not make decisions that cause undue long-term stress to their employees. Otherwise, they risk being left short of those essential persons.
Compensating According to Risk
Appropriate compensation to me means that employers consider unforeseen risks associated with jobs and what that means for their employees. While I do agree that wage increases should be implemented in some cases (kudos to these companies), there are other ways in which essential workers can be compensated or supported during this pandemic.
Increased paid “personal days” for full and part-time employees will allow essential workers to take time off to care for themselves and their families. Extra sick days should also be provided if a worker comes into contact with COVID-19 on the job. Expectations that employees use their vacation time or go without pay are unreasonable when workers are coming into contact with an unforeseen risk associated with the job.
Protecting Health
Government and employers need to take more responsibility in ensuring that essential workers have what they need to stay healthy right now. Sourcing products like disinfectants, gloves, and hand sanitizer, and ensuring that essential workers have these items will reduce at least one stress associated with this pandemic. I support that everyone needs access to these items, but front-line workers especially need them to keep themselves and the people they live and work with safe.
Additionally, initiatives could be set forth to ensure that essential workers have the means of obtaining nutritious foods for themselves and their families. Employers can only benefit from keeping their workers strong during these times.
Providing Solutions
We are in a time of great uncertainty, and I can respect that experts in health and government are dealing with a situation that they have never handled on this scale before. I do believe that there should be honesty and transparency regarding the pandemic and its predicted course.
What is concerning is the presentation of scary problems without action or solution. Advising everyone to “get used to this way of life” (i.e., social distancing) for months to a year or longer is not practical or helpful. This is not sustainable. We all know this, and it will become increasingly difficult to support people through this pandemic without long-term solutions.
Mental health workers can help people manage and cope with the situation they face, but that only goes so far. Until people start to feel hope and control, until they can re-establish some normalcy in their lives, the looming mental health crisis will grow.
— — —The only way to prevent or minimize this crisis is to come up with alternatives to just “staying home.” -- -- --
Nothing about this pandemic is simple. There are no easy answers. I respect that most advisors and decision-makers, at all levels, are doing their best.
We need to work together to see the situation from all angles, to prevent further crisis.
The people who make up health care services are the most essential resource to safeguard. In the coming weeks, it is imperative to everyone’s well-being that action plans are implemented to keep workers safe and healthy.
Now is the time to help and protect these workers, so that they are available and strong when they are needed.
I know a lot of people are wondering how to pass the time and deal with the stress from all this pandemic management. If you like to color, Crestline Books are releasing more titles with some affordable books by myself and Angela Porter in the next few weeks or so to help you reduce your stress and ease your boredom. You can find them at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, and through Quarto Publishing. #KeepCalmAndColor
I've been getting a lot of resources on how to deal with anxiety around COVID-19 and how to deal with the quarantine at home, so I thought it might be helpful to post things here so that people can access them and see what they can use. I will add more as I come across them.
Bessel van der Kolk, MD, On the Global Coronavirus Crisis: Steering Ourselves and Our Clients Through New & Developing Traumas https://catalog.pesi.com/ShowTime/3924402
Mental Wellness Resource Packet (especially good for therapists to use with clients):
