Share your feelings and your experiences with family, friends, colleagues.
Practice breathing and relaxation techniques.
Limit screen time to no more than 60 minutes at a time, building in mini-breaks throughout your day. It is okay to stick to boundaries and say “no.”
Avoid or limit caffeine and use of alcohol.
Remind yourself that it is not selfish to take breaks.
The needs of others are not more important than your needs. Working all the time can cause harm. Turn to others to help. You are not alone.
We are in this for the long haul and making these steps to stay well will have long-term benefits.
Know that you are making a difference and your life matters.
Be consistent with medications including ensuring that you have access to prescribed medications (get a 90 day supply if possible),
Limit media exposure to COVID 19,
Meditate, pray, maintain a sense of hope and positivity that God is with us, ask for help if you are feeling overwhelmed
Practice Community-Care
Reach out and connect to another person to provide support.
Through regular check-ins (phone calls, text, Zoom, FB video, Skype), you can carry the burden of care together.
Monitor one another’s stress level and safety.
Encourage each other to take breaks and share opportunities for stress relief.
Encourage rest, sleep, exercise and deep breathing.
Be honest and authentic.
Support children and other people at heightened risk of impact
Take time to talk with your child about the COVID-19 outbreak.
Answer questions and share facts about COVID-19 in a way that your child can understand.
Reassure your child that they are safe. Let them know if is ok if they feel upset.
Share with them how you deal with your own stress so that they can learn how to cope from you.
Limit your child’s exposure to media coverage of the event.
Children may misinterpret what they hear and can be frightened about something they do not understand.
Help your child to have a sense of structure.
Once it is safe to return to school or child care, help them return to their regular activity.
Be a role model; take breaks, get plenty of sleep, exercise, and eat well.
Connect with your friends and family members and rely on your social support system..”
Recognize and know the symptoms of vicarious and secondary trauma
Acknowledge that STS can impact anyone helping families after a traumatic event.
Learn the symptoms including physical (fatigue, illness) and mental (fear, withdrawal, guilt).
Allow time for you and your family to recover from responding to the outbreak.
Ask for help if you feel overwhelmed or concerned that COVID-19 is affecting your ability to care for your family and patients as you did before the outbreak.
