As more people are working from home to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), what was once a perk may now seem like a punishment. It can be hard just to find and set up a workspace and connect with work, let alone deal with the isolation. If you are used to going…
Making smoother transitions from work to home and vice versa can help you enjoy all aspects of your life more. While bringing work issues home seems to be the most common problem, some simple strategies can help ease the transition in either direction. Use goodbye rituals Whether it’s saying goodbye to your family members and…
Coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns are growing, and school closures are happening in most states. While grown-ups are anxiously figuring out how to handle the impacts of these decisions, kids are observing everything and may feel just as scared and confused as adults. Talking with children about COVID-19 Children look to parents, guardians, caregivers and other trusted…
Humans are social beings, and the social distancing that is necessary to flatten the coronavirus curve is hard on everyone. The forced change in social behavior and the resulting isolation can affect people’s mental health in many ways. Whether you are home alone, with a sick family member or with kids out of school, isolation…
In January 2020, the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) published Advancing Health through Innovation: New Drug Therapy Approvals 2019. This report provides a summary of a number of approvals and highlights the “game-changers” approved in 2019, solidifying the upward trend in approval volume initially seen…
It is midnight and I’m feeling anxious. I am hearing my daughter cough—she and I returned from New York City four days ago. I’m highly aware of what is known about the incubation and symptom development of the coronavirus. What if she, I, and all the others flying home from NYC last week became the…
The COVID-19 global pandemic is taking a physical, mental and emotional toll on doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and caregivers. The long work hours and limited resources are causing overwork, exhaustion and in some cases, compassion fatigue. Not to mention balancing your work with the concerns for your own family and loved ones. What is compassion…
When I was a child visiting my grandparent’s Iowa farm, I would often hear stories of how my mom and her eight brothers and sisters lived during the war efforts of the 1940’s. My grandma described a common purpose—that sense of pride that the family rationed and repurposed. Their singular focus was that the good…