Cork Kerry Community Healthcare has released a week-long series of video supports to help you cope with COVID-19.

‘Five ways over Five days’ will release a new video each day with advice and support from Principal Psychology Manager Daniel Flynn for members of the public impacted by COVID-19.

The first video in the series is available on YouTube at this link, and is a useful discussion on understanding our emotions.

“We know that the past few weeks have been a challenging time for everyone here in Ireland,” Daniel Flynn explained.

“COVID-19 has changed how we think, how we feel and how we act day to day. Routines have changed, our children are home from school, many adults have had to work from home, and many have lost their jobs. People have been ill and some have been experienced the emotional pain of bereavement. We want to ensure that, at the current time, we do everything we can to support people in our community as the cope with these new difficult new realities.”

Over the next five days, Daniel will offer short daily videos online to help you in responding more effectively with the psychological impact. His hope is that at the end of the five days you will have new understanding and skills that will ease some of the emotional stress associated with current life changes.

These key skills are:

Day 1: Monday- Understanding our Emotions - Why we have emotions and how we manage them even if we do not like them.

Day 2: Tuesday - Understanding our states of mind, how with balance, emotion and reason and find a more wise mind.

Day 3: Wednesday - Daily Mindfulness - How to be in the moment, the “what” and “how” of everyday practice.

Day 4: Thursday - Relationship Mindfulness - how to be mindful of others and protect your relationships.

Day 5: Friday - Coping with Distress - some crisis survival tips when things are not how you want them to be.

“It is really important that at a time when we are all feeling more worried and fearful in the context of uncertainty that we do everything in our power to take control where we can. These videos will teach you some basic ideas and skills that could make a big difference to your well-being and that of others around you if you can spare five minutes each day to watch and learn from them.”

The links to each video will be issued on social media each day starting today (Monday) and can be watched on YouTube – just search for Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, or see @CorkKerryCH on Twitter.

There are also resource sheets with additional skills and tips available on the HSE website at www.hse.ie that you can view online or download.