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By: Czarina Joy Llagas| BA-Journalism 3A
The World Health Organization's (WHO) announcement on the worldwide Pandemic outbreak and ongoing battles against the disease since March 11, 2020, caused a lot of distress on the country’s health workers physical and social well-being due to stress, burnout, and fatigue that they face in their day-to-day lives, making them suffer from mental vulnerabilities, particularly on their emotional well-being
In a study by Michael L. Tee et al., health workers are at high risk of loneliness, exhaustion, and anxiety due to separation from their families.
On the other hand, an article in the journal of public safety by Hazel T. Biana and Jeremiah Joven Joaquin found that one of the effects of overwhelming fatigue and anxiety on medical workers is an increased number of sick and dead patients due to the virus.
The emotional distress is also caused by a lack of permanent protective equipment and being underpaid from their jobs. lack of respect and discrimination is also part of the reasons for their negative well-being
Based on the following circumstances, support for their emotional well-being must be practiced. As a family or as people that they served. There are many ways that we can stand behind their battles from the Corona.
These are the following:
Listen and validate their needs and emotions
Listening can be the most important way to support the emotional well-being of our medical frontliners, by simply being present can be a good way to validate their needs.
Listening can allow them to release their emotions. lending our ears and promoting silence will make them feel understood, being present is the same as giving our support on their ongoing battles. Speaking to them might not lessen the burden but by making our presence known, we can make their emotions and needs validated.
Offer practical help
Offering practical help can reduce the emotional turmoil caused by stress. Helping them in the day-to-day tasks can lessen their weariness. In return, it can make their day easy to carry.
Serving them through small acts can make a huge amount of help to lessen the stress and exhaustion
Take care of your health
Taking easy efforts to maintain your body healthy during this time can allow healthcare front liners to cope with their stress. Keeping your hands clean and wearing a face mask can not only reduce the spread of the disease but also the emotional burden that health personnel bear.
Supporting and standing behind them are not only the ways to keep their emotional well-being in check. As they say, actions need to be done by each other. Medical front liners must also help themselves by maintaining and managing their emotional wellbeing.
These are the following ways that can guide:
Stay emotionally connected
In this time of the pandemic, seeing your loved one can be a challenge.
To emotionally connect, we can use modern means to stay in touch. It can be through phone calls or using any social media sites. Talking through our family and the community can help manage and vent their feelings.
In the face of adversity, connecting to people is not easy, but it can make us stand tall to face the ongoing battles on corona
Ask for help
Being Resilient is needed for your job. We know that as a medical frontliner you have a strong heart to lead even when it’s tough. Realize that you can’t do everything on your own. Know that we got your back and you are not alone. asking for help can make the day easy to carry, it may not remove but asking for assistance can relieve the burden
Take a break and understand your limits
As a medical front liner, your responsibility is to serve and protect your patients. Just remember that you still have your limits. Rest is needed when you feel tired. Limit yourself to do more when you feel that you can no longer do it. Remember that accepting limitations is not a weakness. It’s the opposite.
According to a study by Jennifer K. Coffeng et al.Taking breaks can reduce stress and keep your attitude to do tasks up until the end of the day. Resetting your moods and promoting good well-being can be as simple as relaxing.
The medical worker's emotional well-being plays a crucial role in battling the virus.
Standing behind them may be sufficient to alleviate their distress. These can also be championed if as health professionals, they manage and steer their well-being.
We can accomplish it as long as we support each other in our fight against the pandemic.
Supporting one another can be a powerful weapon in the face of adversity.
As Leonardi da Vinci states:
"An arch consists of two weaknesses which leaning one against other becomes strength"
Image Source: freepik
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