<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:black">The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful for all of us.
You’ve all been asked to quickly transition to different classroom experiences,
letting go of activities and events, and adapting to new ways of interacting
with each other.</span><br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:black"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:black">These changes can be stressful. Emotional reactions
during this time of uncertainty can appear very different from person to
person. Whether you feel anxious, grateful, worried, overwhelmed, hopeful,
lonely, bored or angry, it is all valid. The best things you can do are focus on
your well-being and help one another.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="color:black;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="color:black;font-family:arial,sans-serif">Remember, we’re in this together. Stay well and safe,
Mountaineers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="color:black"><font face="arial, sans-serif"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:black"><b><u>Know the signs of stress in yourself and your loved ones:</u></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"></p><ul><li><span style="color:black;font-family:arial,sans-serif">Not sleeping or sleeping too much</span></li><li>No appetite or eating too much, even when you are not
hungry</li><li>Experiencing an increase in headaches, muscle aches,
frequent colds, and minor illnesses</li><li>Taking deep breaths and feeling slightly light-headed
when you think about a situation you can’t control</li><li>Becoming frequently irritable, frustrated, angry,
impatient, and/or anxious<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal"> </span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:black">Having difficulty concentrating</span></li><li>Crying frequently or worrying excessively</li><li>Wanting to be alone most of the time</li><li>Having difficulty giving or accepting help</li><li>Feeling overwhelming stress that lasts more than a few
days</li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:black"><b><u>Here are some ideas to help you manage stress and
cultivate mindfulness:</u></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"></p><ul><li><span style="color:black;font-family:arial,sans-serif">Take care of yourself. Get enough sleep, exercise, and
eat healthy meals.</span></li><li>Keep in touch with your family, friends and classmates.
Ask how they’re doing and let them know you care.</li><li>Make time to give yourself a break.</li><li>Practice relaxation. There are many ways to do this:
yoga, meditation, reading, listening to music, or going for a walk.</li><li>Avoid drugs and alcohol.</li><li>Focus on what you can control. Try to separate what you
can control from what you can’t and let go of what you can’t control.</li><li>Keep things in perspective. Try to see things as ‘glass
half full’ – if you expect things to go wrong or see things in a negative
light, you will more likely feel stressed.</li><li>Focus on the positives. Try to focus on your strengths
and the positive things around you.</li><li>Talk it out. If you’re struggling, talk to your family or
friends, your medical provider, or a counselor about what you are experiencing.</li></ul>It’s always important to prioritize your well-being, but
it’s even more important right now. The above practices can support you in
balancing your mental and emotional health, and give you strength and support.<br><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:black">It’s okay to ask for help. If you feel you need immediate
assistance, please contact the Office of Student Services at 918-465-1818.
Eastern partners with the Health and Wellness Center to provide medical
services, behavioral health services and counseling services to students.
Covered services are provided free of charge for students without health
insurance. Visit </span><a href="http://eosc.edu/health" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:blue">eosc.edu/health</a><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:black"> to learn
more.</span><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="color:black;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><span style="color:black;font-family:arial,sans-serif">Here are some additional resources to help support you
during these challenging times.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"></p><ul><li><a href="https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:blue">National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.crisistextline.org/" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:blue">Crisis Text
Line: Text HOME to 741741</a></li><li><a href="https://emergency.cdc.gov/coping/selfcare.asp" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:blue">Steps
to Taking Care of Your Emotional Health (CDC)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.jedfoundation.org/covid19-tips-and-resources/" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:blue">General Mental
Health Tips and Resources during COVID-19 (The Jed Foundation)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.virusanxiety.com/" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:blue">Care for Your
Coronavirus Anxiety Toolkit (Shine)</a></li><li><a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/content/dam/rll-assets/rll-docs/Study%20Habits.pdf" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;color:blue">Adjusting
Your Study Habits during COVID-19 (University of Michigan)</a></li></ul><p></p></div>