Joel: Monday Morning April 13th, doing our best to be at arms length and beyond to stay healthy and give you the best information we can find. I am working on getting Dr.Amy Acton, Local area Hospitals and other medical professionals to here how it is here. Dr. Charles Roberts joins us right now. Dr.Roberts is a mental health expert. Dr, what we know is that anytime things change for people, like that book "who moved my cheese" and all that. Thats hard for some people. Isn't it? its like "my daily routine is upset, so I am not very happy." Dr. Roberts: That is so true. Good morning, Joel . Good to be with you. Joel: When you talk about those kinds of things, what are best practices? What can I do to impact my mental state, my physical state, and make things easier for me moving forward? Dr.Roberts - Well, you started off talking about routine and I think you are right on it with that. Our brains use routines to streamline information. We are constantly filtering out what is important or not important and routines really help us do that. Like were going to listen to one radio station at a time, so when we have all kinds of upset in routines like what we have right now. Its like listening to multiple radio stations all at one time, not super effective and overloading. That is excatly what is going on. Joel: Thats the thing though. People are so hungry for information about the Cornonavirus, its spread, its impact, if I do get this will there be people available to take care of me? Those kinds of things, how do you step away from that kind of information when that is all that people seem to care about right now? Dr. Roberts - Well, you kind of have to force yourself to do it. Part of it really is setting a routine. Setting a time to check in with the outside world. A time to check the news, a time to do all that. People joke about "wine with Dewine" here in Ohio, but I think that gives people a time to sit down do that and then say okay, now the rest of the day I am going to do things that I need to do, focus on things close to home, that I can control. Joel: Right. Is it just the nature of being productive? Like, hey, I cant go to work, I am not doing what I normally do, so I am going to identify things around the house and get those done so I have a sense of accomplishment? Dr. Roberts: Accomplishments part of it, but part of it is just staying busy and keeping your mind occupied. Practice being mindful. At any one thing at any point on time. Joel: There is the whole "alone together" thing too. I get the concept of it, but I am missing being around people. Usually by 8/8:30 this place is vibrant. I mean, 70/80/90 employees. Communication people we tend to be kind of loud. Were mixing it up and were having fun. This morning there's like 8 people here. I am going home after work. I love my wife, I love my son, but I don't have any contact with buddies or going out to dinner, being in crowds. How can you handle that loneliness? Dr.Roberts: Well, Joel. you're even one of the lucky ones. Cause you're getting out and seeing 8 people each day. That's pretty good. Our brains are required to have new experiences. Were not meant to be isolated, even isolated alone with the same people, its isolated. No new experiences, no new information, no new jokes. You know, its like sitting with the same people all the time, intellectual inbreeding. So reaching out and face timing and using some of this technology that we have. Its really, really interesting it can help a lot. Joel: Its funny, yesterday, my wife was cooking for Easter and my folks live about 20 miles from us so I texted them that we were going to bring a little care package. We did that and we sat outside and talked, even though it wasnt particularly warm, but they're both in their 80s so were very concerned about spreading anything. We may not be showing symptoms, we could have it and we dont want them to get it. So is that even relatively in the realm of okay? We sat the chairs 10 feet apart just so we can kid of see each other, or do you recommend the face time and the electronic things like that? Is that a better way to handle it. Dr. Roberts: I am always a fan of getting as much personal contact as possible. As long as that can be done safetly, following the CDCs social distancing guidelines right now, I think thats great. Human contact is important. Joel: No doubt. I wonder too, people who are depressed or have anxiety, theyre looking back theyre looking ahead. A lot of people right now, they're looking ahead and wondering, Is it going to get to May first and is it going to be May 15th or wait till June. Once I get back, what am I going back to? So what can I do to answer those questions so I am not as anxious about whats to come? Dr.Roberts: I think you mentioned that people with anxiety look forward a lot about what is to come and there is a lot that we do not know. There is a lot that we do know though. Our families will still be our families (as long as we dont run them out of the house while social distancing) you know, were still going to have some semblance of American life. Some things will transition, but that's looking forward. If you keep yourself grounded in the present, this moment now, I mean look how different our lives are now. It wont be this different. It will be more like what it used to be. So the big thing has already happened. Joel: Thats a good point. This is as low as it gets and we should be on the upward swing. So, you know, that should buoy your spirits a little bit. I am curious too. I dont know there will be necessarily a social war or civil war over it, but there are going to be people who are released to work first. Whatever essential worker means, there will some companies will say you're good to go or there will be testing that is released and some people will be able to get a hold of it quicker and theyll be cleared to work. How do I fight that feeling. How do I fight the jealous or upset feelings that someone else gets to get back to their life quicker than I do? Dr.Roberts: I think its more of a mindset framing for ourselves. Were all part of a team here. If you look at our economy its so connected. All the different business, the people who are repairing things they have to go to the part store, the transportation has to be there. All that is still going to happen, that needs to happen. So its all going to get turned on, just we don't know in what order. Joel: Fascinating. Thats the thing, a lot of times when you're just a cog in the wheel and your doing what you do everyday you dont really have to consider that. Dr. That was a lot great information and things for people to think about and hopefully work through so when we do get the green light we can get back to it and everyone will be happy and healthy moving forward.
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