Meghan Markle, Prince Harry share mental health advice during the coronavirus pandemic: 'There doesn’t have to be loneliness'
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are sharing mental health resources and tips for remote volunteering during the coronavirus pandemic infecting 304,000 people globally.
The couple, who are reportedly “taking government advice” when it comes to self-care, wrote a long caption on their official Instagram page Sussex Royal on Friday, alongside a blue graphic that read, “Today I feel __.”
“With everything going on, it’s a lot to take in,” they wrote. “Many of us may feel confused. Or alone, or anxious or scared...and in isolation, some of us may just feel bored, or that you don’t know what to do with yourself without your normal routine. It’s perfectly normal to be feeling any of these things.”
Like most of the world, Canada, where the royals live with their 10-month-old son Archie, is practicing self-isolation and social distancing, as ordered by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (whose wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau tested positive for COVID-19).
“Our emotional well-being is challenged everyday whether we realize it or not, but our lives are usually filled with distractions,” wrote the royal couple. “Now with constantly changing COVID coverage, we are all adjusting to this new normal and the feelings that come with it.”
“But here’s the good thing (because right now we need to hear good things, right?): Yes, there is isolation and physical distancing, but there doesn’t have to be loneliness.” They included the Instagram handles for international support resources that, in addition to offering services, also need volunteers: Crisis Text Line, Shout U.K. and Kids Help Phone.
“If you’re home and feeling bored, you can digitally train to be a counselor and HELP someone who really needs your support! What an amazing way to use this time,” the couple wrote. “If you feel alone, overwhelmed, depressed, or anxious, you can text one of these lines and talk it through. If you are in an abusive relationship and now find yourself in isolation with your abuser, these counselors are there for you. You do not need to suffer in silence.”
People who feel uncomfortable talking to strangers, should reach out to family and friends via phone-and-video calls. “Ask if they’re okay, tell them how you’re (actually) feeling, and use this time to really listen for the answer,” read the caption. “If there is someone you know and are worried about, your text may be the thing that saves their life.”
Although Markle, 38, and Prince Harry, 35, departed royal life in January (separating from their titles and roles as “working members of the Royal Family”), they traveled to the U.K. earlier in March. The couple received a standing ovation at The Mountbatten Festival of Music, took a beautiful viral photo in the rain at the Endeavour Fund Awards and met with Kate Middleton and Prince William for a Commonwealth Day event at Westminster Abbey.
A royal source told People of Markle and Prince Harry, “Like everyone, they are taking government advice, and if and when they are specifically made aware of being in contact with someone who has tested positive they will act accordingly.”
This week, Queen Elizabeth, 93, addressed the coronavirus pandemic in the U.K., where 5,000 people are infected and 234 have died. Referring to the climate as “a period of great concern and uncertainty” on Instagram, she thanked scientists and medical and emergency personnel. The queen revealed that she and husband Prince Philip were holed up at Windsor Castle.
“Most of us will need to find new ways of staying in touch with each other and making sure that loved ones are safe,” said the queen. “I am certain we are up for that challenge. You can be assured that my family and I stand ready to play our part.”
And the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made a Thursday visit to the London Ambulance Service in Croydon, to meet with NHS 111 emergency operators. According to People, Middleton and Prince William used hand sanitizer and avoided handshakes.
For the latest news on the evolving coronavirus outbreak, follow along here. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC and WHO’s resource guides.
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