This new reality of managing COVID-19 patients has brought tremendous pressure on health care workers. Expectations are high for patients to receive optimal care. Over and above that, there’s the added pressure of containing patients’ worries about the pending COVID-19 vaccination process and fielding endless queries of sceptics about the vaccine. Whilst on the other hand, your family and social contacts rely on your expertise and advise off the record on anything and everything about the virus. Anxiety levels can only but rise with this amount of pressure.
With all that you must deal with and manage, it is possible that you would forget to take care of your own emotional well-being. Tempting as it is to soldier on because you have been in the caring profession forever; the consequences could be dire for your psychological wellness. Therefore, making time to intentionally emotionally refuel may be beneficial. The fear of being stigmatized and being labelled as weak is real but emotional exhaustion will lead to further problems if unattended to. Remember, our levels of psychological resilience are not the same and you therefore owe yourself to be honest about your experience.
Creating new responses, is our only saving grace if we are to come out of this experience intact. Our style of managing our emotional health consequently must be adjusted. Of course, getting in touch with our inner reality can be quite overwhelming and anxiety provoking. However, this anxiety can serve amore functional role of motivating us to practice the self-compassion that we so desperately need.
As you reflect on the emotional and psychological impact of this period, be extra kind to yourself. This is a hard time for all. Reaching out for psychological support at this stage is not a sign of weakness but is instead a show of your inner strength.
Remember, an empty lantern provides no light; let’s change the emotional narrative one act of self-preservation at a time…
Syked is an affordable online virtual private practice that provides wellness support and counselling sessions to users in the privacy of their own personal space over secure video consultation.
LocumBase.com has partnered with Syked to provide locums and practices with the psychological support.
