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This is How to Breathe Easier in Your Mask

Love them or hate them, masks are becoming ubiquitous during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite conflicting messages put out by public health officials earlier in 2020, leaders and individuals are quickly recognizing the utility of masks, and more cities, states, and businesses are requiring that masks or other facial coverings be worn. For many, things introduces a huge challenge: the feeling that you can’t breathe. Fortunately, your trusted psychologist in Littleton has some tips to help you breathe easier with tools we use in our everyday practice.

Balance Acceptance and Control

In any situation, we can choose to accept the challenges or try to change them. However, we can only change what we are in control of. What are you in control of when you wear a mask? While it may seem like this choice is “forced” upon you, keep in mind that you still have control of when you go out for recreation and what style of mask or facial covering you wear. Remind yourself that you don’t have to like it, you just have to do it. Explore different types of materials and fastening styles (for example, behind the ears, around the head, wrapped into a creative hair style) and see what feels the least uncomfortable. Increase your feeling of control by choosing a facial covering that suits you.

Practice Deep Breathing

It sounds cliché, but your breathing affects your mood significantly! Just like professional divers train to reduce their oxygen intake by remaining calm, you can learn to feel less out of breath in your mask. Healthy people do not experience significant changes in blood oxygen levels, even while wearing dozens of layers of surgical masks—what most people experience is a perceived change in oxygen, or shortness of breath. A racing heart uses even more oxygen, worsening this feeling! For those who battle panic attacks or anxiety, this can feel similar to the shortness of breath that occurs with anxiety triggers. Familiarize yourself with deep breathing tools, or talk with your couples therapist or psychologist in Littleton to learn breathing techniques to help you stay calm. Practice breathing slowly and deeply when you are relaxed, trying to exhale for twice as long as you inhale, and notice how different your body and brain feel when you take deep, relaxed breaths. This trains your body to fully expand and relax your lungs, bringing more oxygen to your brain.

Increase Exposure

People who are required to go to work or school in face masks are reporting that they adjust more quickly—some even share stories about forgetting they are wearing a mask! However, if you are staying safer at home and not going out as much, you may only have a facial covering on to visit the pharmacy, or when you come to your couple’s therapist office in Highlands Ranch. Exposing yourself to triggers of stress or anxiety is a time-tested way of reducing those unpleasant feelings. It seems counter-intuitive, but slowly increasing your exposure can help you to feel less uncomfortable. Can you tolerate wearing a mask while sitting in front of a fan at home? (hint: strong airflow gets that “stale” air moving around and cools you off.) What about while reading a book without a fan on? Work your way up to wearing the mask occasionally while performing household chores, or while going out to check the mail. This is also a great time to adjust, fix, or modify your mask, since you are not in contact with anyone else.

As we all adjust to new requirements and recommendations, we need new skills and tools. Deep breathing and relaxation can help with the general sense of anxiety during these challenging times, as well as helping you to breathe easier. If you are struggling with these changes, or if the added stress is taking a toll on your marriage or children, don’t hesitate to contact Steven Lazarus, Psychologist in Littleton.

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Managing Back to School Stress During A Pandemic

The back to school season has always been a mixed bag for parents and kids, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, these challenges can seem amplified. Are you and your family ready for Back-to-School: Pandemic? Child psychologists in Littleton share their top tips for managing stress and getting the school year off to a good start!

Tip #1: Tackle the Uncertainties

One of the biggest challenges facing children and teenagers in Colorado as they consider starting school again is what that schooling is going to look like! Will your study be in-class part-time? 100% online? A hybrid model? If you answered “yes” to any of these, you’re already a step ahead. Unfortunately, many school districts have released conflicting information, and some of the future remains up in the air. This can be frustrating for anyone, but especially for children with anxiety, learning challenges, or those on the autism spectrum. Help your child by addressing as many uncertainties as possible. This may include sharing updates from the school with older children and teens, or could be limited to reassurance for younger kids, such as “you will go to school or learn at home every day from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., and do homework or read a book for one hour every night.” Try and draw on routines and schedules that have worked well in the past. Some parents are choosing 100% online schooling during the pandemic to eliminate the runaround, hassle, and anxiety of all the changes.

Tip #2: Recover the Routine

If your child’s routine went out the window in a cloud of disinfectant, or if summers are always a “free-for-all” anyway, you’ll want to reconnect with your routine. In addition to the “big” uncertainties in life, most people do best with structure and routines that add predictability. This is the time to start bringing back reasonable bedtimes, limits on gaming or non-school screen time, and make sure meals, fun, and rest are a part of the everyday!

Tip #3: Explore Fears and Expectations

Kids are all over the board with their feelings on the pandemic. While some seem unfazed, others are expressing anxiety, clinging, and disruptive behavior. Children and teens with health anxiety are more likely to be stressed during these times, and disruptions to intensive behavioral therapies and supportive tutoring have been a challenge for special needs students since the end of the last school year. Talk with your child about what she is worried about, and why. Open discussions about your experiences and provide appropriate reassurance. If the concerns seem to go beyond typical childhood worries, contact a child or teenage psychologist to help your child build coping skills or to assess for more than situational challenges.

Tip #4: Model Flexibility

We’ve all been asked to be flexible since the start of the pandemic, and this trend will only continue. Likewise, we must find ways to help children and teens be flexible during this time. As parents, you’re being watched closely! Remember, your feelings influence your children, so if they see that you are constantly rigid, frustrated, or anxious about the situation, they are likely to feel similarly. Share your frustrations and feelings, and encourage your child to do the same, but always show how you can adapt and be flexible. You can help them build the same strong skills needed to adapt to any challenges life throws at them.

The 2020 school year is likely to be filled with challenges for our children. Social skills, academic skills, and emotional regulation skills have been disrupted for months in addition to the challenging status of the world. If you feel like you or your child are having a harder time than other families, or if your child is refusing school or experiencing significant setbacks, call a Littleton child psychologist to help rebuild skills.

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