Living through the COVID-19 pandemic brought on a variety of stressors for everyone.
For some, stress manifested into anxiety and poor sleep. For others, social isolation led to depression and loneliness. Many people lost loved ones.
Living through the pandemic was hard for everyone and as we emerge as a community into a post pandemic world, ItOnlyTakes.com is a collection of reminders linked to local resources intended to help Yolo County residents improve their health and sense of well-being.
Potentially triggering, and a serious topic, navigating our physical and psychological well-being through difficult circumstances requires support.
It Only Takes utilizes the six “stress busting” categories of the California Surgeon General’s Playbook and incorporates a seventh category to highlight Yolo’s parks and natural spaces.
Designed to be an approachable exploration of everyday solutions to difficult problems, It Only Takes aims to guide, connect, and uplift.
Exercise
We’ve heard time and time again that exercise is a major facet to physical and mental health, but motivation and making time to exercise isn’t always top priority. It Only Takes provides inspiring options for you to keep moving.
Mental Health
What is mental health? Simply put, it’s having an awareness of your thoughts and emotions with the aim of feeling your best. Depression and anxiety can be difficult to grasp, but like our bodies, our minds benefit from knowledgeable help when experiencing pain.
Mindfulness
When we experience stress, mindfulness is an action to help us move through the moment and reduce discomfort. What does stress or depression feel like in the body? Mindfulness techniques teach us to identify and strengthen our ability to buffer uncomfortable emotions.
Nature
Time in nature can switch us from being on high alert from stress over to restorative body functioning: a calm heart rate, proper digestion, and restored energy. Yolo’s natural resources include parks and waterways to bring us into balance when we need it most.
Nutrition
As the Surgeon General stated: “This is not about losing weight. This is about ensuring you are getting proper nutrition to help combat stress.” We may need help remembering that what we put in our bodies affects how we feel every day.
Relationships
Engaging with supportive relationships has been scientifically proven to help push through stress. Said another way, good people make us feel good! It Only Takes prompts us to connect when we could use a fresh perspective.
Sleep
Upsetting life events, big or small, can mess with our sleep. But healthy sleep is vital to functioning our best both
emotionally and physically, which is why we love to say: “sleep is awesome.”
