Danielle Morgan

As our country continues to deal with COVID-19, the term ‘social distancing’ continues to pop up. Social Distance is a big reason why you are probably working from home, your kids are not at their physical school, and why so many businesses are limiting how many people are allowed inside. CDC says limiting face-to-face contact with others is the best way to reduce the spread of the virus. Basically, social distancing means keeping space between yourself and others when you are not inside your home. You have probably noticed stores placing markers or pieces of tape to keep people at least six feet apart. It is recommended to avoid groups and stay out of crowded places.

This could be particularly hard for people who consider themselves extroverted or someone who simply enjoys being out around a lot of people whether that be the mall, the beach or their favorite restaurant. If you are someone who enjoys spending time with your friends or family members, this time could also be particularly challenging. However, just because you are being asked to distance yourself that does not mean to isolate yourself from your loved ones. In fact, you should be finding other ways to talk to your favorite people as we all go through COVID-19.

Setting boundaries for others

Whether you consider yourself an introvert or you’re taking the CDC’s recommendation seriously, you might have to deal with family members or friends who do not take the recommendation as seriously. This is where setting boundaries can become useful according to Bertha Barrett, an Outpatient Therapist at the Youth Crisis Center. She suggests you should be clear about your concerns, especially if you’re at a higher risk of contracting the virus due to health issues. You should also take into account if you have young children or even a newborn who could be prone to getting the virus.

Even though you are keeping your distance for health reasons, that does not mean you need to cut off all communications with your loved ones. Recently, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry called on residents to try and call somebody at 7 pm to still stay in touch while also practicing social distancing. This is not the time for someone to intentionally try to ostracize themselves and be lonely. Even though you have set physical boundaries for someone does not mean you should set emotional ones as well. Use this time to not just call a loved one but find ways to reconnect with your family as you all go through this together.

Setting boundaries for yourself 

Barrett says setting boundaries for yourself can help you stay mentally well by reducing stress. If you happen to live alone or you don’t have family members or friends to call at the moment, use this time to focus on yourself. She recommends limiting your time in front of the television or any screen, especially if constant updates of the pandemic makes you uneasy. If you’re working from home, Barrett says it can be easy for someone to isolate themselves from the world by diving into their work. She wants you to stick to your normal work routine and hours if possible. Barrett says it is important to know when your workday is over. While maintain a work schedule is important – she also recommends setting time aside for yourself. Barrett calls finding ways to relax and focus on both your mental and physical health important during this time.

Youth Crisis Center’s Outpatient Behavioral Health Program

The Youth CrisisCenter was founded in 1974 as Florida’s first run-away program and has grown to be one of the largest and best-known providers of services for youth and families. Nationally recognized as setting a standard in youth services, YCC has been ranked as one of the top five programs in the United States by the Youth Policy Institute in Washington DC. Throughout the past 45 years, YCC has helped thousands of youth and their families overcome adversity and build stronger relationships. 

Are you concerned about relationship issues with your child or between family members? The Youth Crisis Center’s Outpatient Behavioral Health program provides comprehensive mental health and psychiatric care to children as young as 3, as well as their families. Parents may receive individual and family counseling services regardless if their child is a YCC client.

Click to learn more about 5 Ways to Improve Your Interpersonal Relationships.

If we’re not already wondering ourselves, someone is probably joking about it on social media: “what day is it?”

The CDC has been keeping on an eye on the coronavirus since the beginning of 2020. The United States has seen over 300,000 cases this year and over 7000 deaths since January. The global pandemic has caused the country’s leaders including those at the state and city level to take action to do what they can to keep you safe. Some states and cities have a ‘Safer at Home’ executive order aimed at having citizens staying at home except for critical and essential services.

Setting a Routine

This means people are having to work from home and then staying home. Children are having to do their schooling from home as well. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are used to routine and structure. We have dealt with it since before we could possibly remember with our caretakers put us down for our usual nap as toddlers, the school bell ringing marking us tardy or on time for class, and to make sure we clock in and out on time for work. Humans are truly creatures of habit, and COVID-19 has seemed to disrupt our normal routines and staying at home for work and school, has become our new normal, at least for now.

Amanda Marker is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and is the Lead Outpatient Therapist at the Youth Crisis Center. She says with routines as we know it being interrupted across the glove, it’s important to re-establish routines for oneself. Marker suggests trying to make a reasonable schedule you feel you can stick to. She believes creating a routine can cut down on stress by providing structure to ‘what comes next.’ This is especially helpful for kids who are home all day when they are used to having a structure in school.

Marker says it’s important during this time to not put too much pressure on yourself. She goes on to say we are experiencing this new way of life collectively.

Time Management

Working and schooling from home can be difficult if it’s not something we are typically used to. For many of us, the boundaries of work and home life are not as clear as they were. Marker says it’s important to set reasonable limits, build in short breaks throughout the day, and find time to disengage from work.

Marker points to the Pomodoro method as a way to manage your time. It’s a technique in which you set a timer for 25 minutes and then take a five-minute break from your work or study. After four 25 minute work sessions, you are then allowed to take a 15 to 30-minute break.

Disengaging from your job or schoolwork is just as important as practicing time management. Marker recommends creating an “end of the day” ritual. This could be changing clothes to signal your workday is over, turning your work phone off or just simply closing your computer.

Designating a work from home or school space

According to research by Anja Jamrozik, a cognitive scientist, states there are five basic needs to meet to create an effective work from home space “Access to natural light, a comfortable temperature, good air quality, comfortable furniture, and a strategy for minimizing distractions.”

Everybody’s situation is different. Someone may live in a small two-bedroom apartment or have three kids who all need to their schoolwork online. Not everyone has the opportunity to close a door and set up a desk in a spare room with natural lighting. Marker wants you to remember that it is okay if you can’t do that. Whether you’re trying to set up something for you, your kids, or the whole family the key is to create a routine and make space for it each day. Making space in your home for education shows your kids that it’s important to you and you value learning. Making space for your work helps you focus that it’s time to work and it could be your ‘getaway’ from what else is happening in the world.

Communication is also important when it comes to designating a work or schooling space. You want to limit distraction if possible. Marker says it’s important to set guidelines. If you’re working from your bedroom, close the door to signal to your family members or roommates that you are working. If you are working in an open area, you could try putting on headphones. Marker explains this could be a visual cue to others to not disturb you when you are in the zone working. She also recommends talking to those in the household ahead of time to set boundaries, guidelines, or a schedule when it comes to working from home. By doing that, everybody can help curb the interruptions.

Youth Crisis Center’s Outpatient Behavioral Health Program

The Youth CrisisCenter was founded in 1974 as Florida’s first run-away program and has grown to be one of the largest and best-known providers of services for youth and families. Nationally recognized as setting a standard in youth services, YCC has been ranked as one of the top five programs in the United States by the Youth Policy Institute in Washington DC. Throughout the past 45 years, YCC has helped thousands of youth and their families overcome adversity and build stronger relationships. 

Are you concerned about relationship issues with your child or between family members? The Youth Crisis Center’s Outpatient Behavioral Health program provides comprehensive mental health and psychiatric care to children as young as 3, as well as their families. Parents may receive individual and family counseling services regardless if their child is a YCC client.

Click to learn more about 5 Ways to Improve Your Interpersonal Relationships.

The U.S continues to talk about COVID-19 and the uncertainties it not only leaves for our country but the rest of the world. The virus has been dominating headlines and has been a part of the news cycle since the beginning of this year. At a time of calls from our nation’s leaders to social distance, it can be had for some children, regardless of age to fully grasp what exactly is happening not just in our country, but around the world.

Kim Sirdevan the President and CEO of the Youth Crisis Center says this is the time to talk with your kids about the Coronavirus. With the majority if not all public schools in the state of Florida out and doing online learning, there is a chance your child is possibly missing those valuable hours with their friends and teachers. It has come to a time where it may not be the best decision for your child to go to their friend’s house or hang out with a group of them and that can be hard to understand.
Sirdevan recommends talking with your kids and just reassure their safety at this time. You should also try to limit what they see.

“You don’t want to scare them and that’s what is happening. They are reading data and seeing numbers.”

She tells Real Country Mornings with Gary and Char, a lot of kids watch and follow the lead of their parents. Sirdevan goes on to say that if a child sees their parent navigating through this time calmly and carefully, your kids will feel more confident about what’s happening. Kim Sirdevan also wants parents to use this time to educate themselves. If your child comes to you with a question – she says parents should be able to give them credible answers. She goes on to say that if a parent doesn’t know that specific answer – then they should try to find out for their child.

Click here to listen to the full interview.

Youth Crisis Center’s Outpatient Behavioral Health Program

The Youth CrisisCenter was founded in 1974 as Florida’s first run-away program and has grown to be one of the largest and best-known providers of services for youth and families. Nationally recognized as setting a standard in youth services, YCC has been ranked as one of the top five programs in the United States by the Youth Policy Institute in Washington DC. Throughout the past 45 years, YCC has helped thousands of youth and their families overcome adversity and build stronger relationships. 

Are you concerned about relationship issues with your child or between family members? The Youth Crisis Center’s Outpatient Behavioral Health program provides comprehensive mental health and psychiatric care to children as young as 3, as well as their families. Parents may receive individual and family counseling services regardless if their child is a YCC client. 

Click to learn more about 5 Ways to Improve Your Interpersonal Relationships.

It’s natural for parents and children to want to spend time together. However, with a busy work-life, school, after-school activities and other distractions, it could be hard to be able to set aside time to check in with your loved ones. Things happen and sometimes interactions slip through the cracks, but there are ways to make sure you do get that quality time with your loved ones.

Find a Routine

Amanda Marker is the Lead Outpatient Therapist for the Youth Crisis Center. She recommends creating an after-school plan to help not just cut down on the chaos of making sure homework is done but to create more time with your child. The after-school plan could mean your child will spend one hour doing their homework or an hour of reading with you. This also helps set expectations.

Talk With Your Child

Don’t be afraid to just pull your child aside to talk with them. Marker suggests asking them how they’re doing or asking about school. She says you should use active listening skills to understand what is going on in your child’s life. Marker wants to remind you to validate your child’s feelings, adding she believes they want you to let them know that you care about them. According to Marker, as parents, we may not be able to fully understand what is going on in a child’s life if we are not actively checking in with them or asking how they are.

Youth Crisis Center’s Outpatient Behavioral Health Program

The Youth Crisis Center was founded in 1974 as Florida’s first run-away program and has grown to be one of the largest and best-known providers of services for youth and families. Nationally recognized as setting a standard in youth services, YCC has been ranked as one of the top five programs in the United States by the Youth Policy Institute in Washington DC. Throughout the past 45 years, YCC has helped thousands of youth and their families overcome adversity and build stronger relationships. 

Are you concerned about relationship issues with your child or between family members? The Youth Crisis Center’s Outpatient Behavioral Health program provides comprehensive mental health and psychiatric care to children as young as 3, as well as their families. Parents may receive individual and family counseling services regardless if their child is a YCC client. Click to learn more about 5 Ways to Improve Your Interpersonal Relationships.

Hopefully, it’s not a feeling or thought that crosses the mind of any child – whether or not they feel like their parents do not love them. There can be numerous things that would lead a child to have a feeling like this such as lack of affection shown by parents, unpleasant interactions, or negative thoughts. These actions don’t have to stem from all negative interactions. For example, a lack of affection shown by parents could also mean that a particular parent may not know how to appropriately show affection to their child. Another example could be something that is a part of everyday life: conflict.  

While it should not fall entirely on the child for them to understand just how much their parents love them, Outpatient Therapist Ron Bertie recommends looking at your parent’s love languages.

5 Love Languages 

According to Doctor Gary Chapman, “there are five basic love languages.” The author goes on to say that each person has a primary love language that others must learn to speak if they want that particular person to feel loved.

• Words of Affirmation
• Acts of Services
• Receiving Gifts
• Quality Time
• Physical Touch

For either a child or parent who may be struggling with showing affection – it could help to look at your love language. If you’re able to figure out what your love language is and compare it to theirs, it’s possible there could be a plan on how to meet in the middle.

Re-evaluate Your Thinking

Another thing Bertie recommends to children who are thinking this way is to look at the way they’re thinking. He says this way of thinking should be followed by going through cognitive distortions.

“Try to figure out if it’s true or not true.”

An article on PsychCentral says, “cognitive distortions are simply ways that our mind convinces us of something that isn’t really true.” Mindfulness can help with this way of thinking, such as grounding techniques or even journaling can help.

Youth Crisis Center’s Outpatient Behavioral Health Program

The Youth Crisis Center was founded in 1974 as Florida’s first run-away program and has grown to be one of the largest and best-known providers of services for youth and families. Nationally recognized as setting a standard in youth services, YCC has been ranked as one of the top five programs in the United States by the Youth Policy Institute in Washington DC. Throughout the past 45 years, YCC has helped thousands of youth and their families overcome adversity and build stronger relationships. 

Are you concerned about relationship issues with your child or between family members? The Youth Crisis Center’s Outpatient Behavioral Health program provides comprehensive mental health and psychiatric care to children as young as 3, as well as their families. Parents may receive individual and family counseling services regardless if their child is a YCC client. Click to learn more about 5 Ways to Improve Your Interpersonal Relationships.