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Stay home — again — is doing a number on our mental health. Here's the silver lining.

'The good part about having gone through this before is that a number of people will have built up some resilience,' said KHOU 11's mental health expert.

HOUSTON — Between Texas hitting pause on reopening its economy and Harris County's judge asking residents to stay home, again, this latest round of restrictions is impacting mental health.

On Facebook, KHOU 11 is asking: 

How are you feeling about being asked to stay home, again? 

The comments are pouring in by hundreds. 

From feeling bummed and bored, to Nana Hutckins writing, "Sad everyone is losing so much. Some have no hope. Everybody should check on neighbors see if they need anything an egg an extra pack or chicken anything can help someone struggling. Being a good human is very simple."

Bill Prasad, KHOU 11 mental health expert and licensed professional counselor, is helping us find the silver lining. 

"The good part about having gone through this before is that a number of people will have built up some resilience," Prasad said. "They will understand how to get through this and stay psychologically buoyant."

Princeton University's president said "the trustees concluded that W... oodrow Wilson's "racist thinking and policies made him an inappropriate namesake for a school or college whose scholars, students, and alumni must stand firmly against racism in all its forms."

Christopher Garcia wrote on KHOU 11's Facebook Page, "It's been boring at home just scrolling through Facebook. I just want to go back to school and have a normal life again. I need school and have an education. I just hope this virus ends soon! I don't want my family getting sick. Everyone take precautions." 

"Somehow, you’ve got to take advantage of the situation that you are in and turn it into aspects of something that is positive," Prasad said. "You’ve got to seize the moment and perhaps learn a new skill."

Credit: KHOU Facebook

"In a lot of cases, fear of something new keeps us stuck and we’ve got to get over that," Prasad said. "You take it one hour at a time. One day at a time. You focus on what you can control and you don’t let your mind go into that dark neighborhood."

Social media can easily become a dark place. Prasad said this might be a good time to stop swiping through online chats and posts and pour your time and energy into something positive. 

"There’s actually a science of gratitude, that if you spend some time everyday expressing appreciation for what you have and the people around you, that you will get a momentary lift in your mood," Prasad said.

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