Protect Your Basic Needs to Cope During COVID-19

During these difficult times, physicians and other healthcare professionals are desperately needed during the global COVID-19 pandemic, putting a strain on our healthcare system as our medical providers stand on the frontlines coping – in many cases – with both anxiety and burnout.

Our medical providers are one of the most at-risk populations for acquiring COVID-19. However, they face another risk: added stress. A common fear is acquiring COVID-19 and transmitting the virus to family members, loved ones or colleagues, along with overwhelming information overload, physical strain of protective equipment, physical isolation — making it difficult to provide comfort to someone who is sick or distressed, higher demands in the work setting, including escalating long work hours, insufficient energy to implement basic selfcare or access social support.

It is important that our medical providers employ healthy coping skills and take care of basic needs such as healthy eating, hydration, exercise and sleep to protect their mental health.

Everyone experiences stress and copes with it differently. Ongoing and old pressures from your personal life can affect your mental wellbeing. You may notice changes in how you are working. Your mood may change such
as increased irritability, feeling low or more anxious. You may feel chronically exhausted or it may feel harder to relax between shifts. You may have unexplained physical complaints such as body pain or stomach aches or find yourself using unhealthy coping strategies such as tobacco, alcohol or other drugs, all of which can worsen your mental and physical well-being and potentially affect your ability to practice in a safe manner.