 Hello, I am Dr. Eric Ducotte from the Department of Psychiatry at Kaiser Pambanente, South San Francisco. Today I want to talk to you about how to take care of yourself mentally during these challenging times. With so many things unknown and rapidly changing, you may feel overwhelmed, sad, or nervous. You may feel isolated and lonely. These are all acceptable reactions to the situation. There is no shame acknowledging this. I am hopeful that the following pieces of advice I will share will help you achieve better mental health. My first tip is to stop where you are and identify what you are feeling. You may be experiencing a stressful time, so pause, listen to what your body is telling you, and acknowledge it. Identifying that feeling is the first step to managing it. So take a step back and breathe. Second, take a break from the news. While keeping yourself informed can be comforting, too much information can also be overwhelming. If watching, reading, or listening to the news is making you anxious or depressed, then take a break. I would rather that you seek information that will allow you to take practical steps in preparing and protecting yourself and your loved ones. This goes for social media as well. Refrain from looking at what everybody else is doing. Though it is great to be inspired by other people's achievements, it is also important to recognize when this is becoming unhealthy behavior. Make time to take care of your physical self. Keep active and exercise regularly. Get lots of good sleep by being consistent and adhering to a sleep schedule, even on weekends. Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and relaxing. Avoid using electronic devices at bedtime such as mobile phones, computers, and television. Also, try not to drink anything that contains caffeine or alcohol before bedtime and stay away from large meals before you go to sleep. If you have issues like sleep apnea, make sure to use your CPAP machine consistently. For any other issues, please do not hesitate to reach out to your primary care doctor. The fourth bit of advice is to stay connected. Reach out to your support system, whether it be family, friends, coworkers, church members, or others in your community. Tell them how you are doing and ask them about how they are feeling as well. We are all naturally social beings and we need the support of each other. Lastly, seek help if you are feeling overwhelmed or unsafe. If the distress is already affecting the activities of your daily life, talk to a professional. It could be a member of the clergy, a counselor, or a doctor. And as always, if you think you are experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, dial 911 or go to the nearest hospital. We are living in uncertain and challenging times. Take comfort with the thought that we are all in this together, and with each other's help, we shall overcome. We are all members of the human race and we are resilient beings. Thank you and take care everyone.