Full Notification

As the weekend begins and we move into week two of sheltering in place, we are cognizant of the fact that our community might start to feel a little stir crazy.

From a policing standpoint, we know how stress can negatively affect people. Nerves are on edge, alcohol may come into play, tempers may start to flare, and you may become easily annoyed with your kid, your spouse, and even your neighbors. But don’t give in! In an attempt to mitigate potential negative behaviors, we want to remind you there are things you can do to make the shelter-in-place more bearable, for yourself and for others.

BE AWARE OF HOW WHAT YOU DO AFFECTS OTHERS. This is especially important in tight quarters. Are you playing your music too loudly that it bothers others? Do you live in an apartment and walk extremely heavy or make so much noise that it affects your neighbors through shared walls/ceilings? Are you parking your car appropriately or cleaning up after your dog? Are your kids playing outside, but causing concerns because they’re touching things they shouldn’t or not social distancing? While you may not think any of these examples mentioned are a big deal, to someone else they can be. We all need to do our part to be respectful of how we each may be feeling during this uncertain time.

PRACTICE SELF-CARE. If you’re not taking care of you, then you won’t be able to take care of others. Do something for yourself. Make it a daily goal to pick something from each of the following to work on personally, physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually, spatially, financially, or work related. Enjoy the bath, read the book, learn the language, take the time. A happier, more positive you will help foster the same feelings in others.

TACKLE YOUR HONEY-DO LIST. With all this time at home, make your haven a peaceful, organized space. In a time when so much feels out of control, focus on what you CAN control. Clutter can create feelings of angst or uncertainty, so get to Spring Cleaning. Empty that junk drawer, clean out your closet, tend to your garden, paint the room you’ve been wanting to. You may even find certain aspects of taking charge of your home to be therapeutic. And, we guarantee you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment once a task is completed, lending to a more positive feeling overall.

STAY BUSY. Although The City of San Mateo library buildings are closed, our digital doors are open 24/7! With your library card, you can access online books, music, movies, magazines and newspapers, homework help, and more. We are working to make additional online resources available during the closure and will keep you informed. For our current e-Library services, visit https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/3488/eLibrary.

Social media platforms are also sharing tons of different ideas for kids, teens, and adults, so make sure to checkout Facebook App and Pinterest, or even YouTube for things to do. And when in doubt, Google something.

TALK TO SOMEONE. We know these times are stressful. Let’s do our best to keep a bad situation from becoming worse.

The lack of mental health crisis services across California has resulted in law enforcement officers serving as first responders to most crises. We want to be able to provide you access to resources when you need them. You can visit San Mateo County Health at https://www.smchealth.org/crisis-services for a list of important numbers and resources. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1(800)273-8255.

We realize some members of our community will find themselves in troubling situations during this shelter-in-place. If you are a victim of domestic violence, know that CORA, is available. During this time, their Emergency Shelter and core emergency services remain operative and their Crisis Line remains their primary access point (1-800-300-1080). And, of course we want any cases of domestic violence reported to the police immediately. If you are unable to call 9-1-1 because of your circumstance, text to 9-1-1 is also available. There is help available.

AND LASTLY...Remember the importance of social distancing. This means keeping 6ft away from people to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. If you decide to venture out for a SHORT break into an OPENSPACE area, please practice this measure. Remember, if you are out and touching something, someone else is touching it as well, and then we have defeated the point of the shelter-in-place order. So be responsible and do what you can to help get life back to normal.

If you are a business owner, please make sure only "essential businesses" remain open, and all others must be closed. Refer to Section 10 of the health order at smchealth.org/coronavirus for clarification on what is allowed.

We are all in this together, and collectively we can keep San Mateo safe. "Stay inside, stay informed, stay positive."