Octavia Spencer is one of many Hollywood stars stepping up to help those in need amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Last month, she announced a partnership with Mikucare, a baby monitor manufacturer, to donate monitors to COVID-19 patients at nursing and medical facilities in Alabama and New York. Now the Oscar-winning actress is helping people struggling with anxiety in wake of the public health pandemic.
The Help star teamed up with the Child Mind Institute to participate in their #WeThriveInside campaign. In a video, Spencer shares advice on how she takes care of her mental health during the pandemic.
“It’s okay to be anxious,” she says. “This is a very traumatic thing that we’re all experiencing and we’re doing that together. It’s also very good to go on walks, remaining socially physically distant, but getting a little exercise and vitamin D will also release endorphins and you feel a lot better.”
Launched on May 1, the Child Mind Institute’s #WeThriveInside has enlisted a number of stars to share coping strategies and mental and emotional health resources in homemade videos in honor of National Mental Health Awareness Month. Participants include Child Mind Institute board member Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, Misty Copeland, Jameela Jamil, Julia Michaels, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Many of the celebrities shared personal experiences and offered words of inspiration to help those dealing with isolation, fear, and anxiety.
“In these uncertain and uniquely stressful times, it is critical for families – and especially children – to know that they are not alone,” said Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz, president of the Child Mind Institute, in a statement. “#WeThriveInside not only offers support and encouragement, it points parents to critical, evidence-based resources that can help millions of families better navigate unprecedented challenges. Most of us are struggling, but we can help each other discover new ways not just to persevere, but to thrive and grow from this experience.”
Watch Spencer’s video below.