29/03/2020
These are unusual times and it can be overwhelming, here are a few tips as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO)
General population
1.COVID-19 has and is likely to affect people from many countries, in many geographical locations. Don’t attach it to any ethnicity or nationality. Be empathetic to those who got affected, in and from any country, those with the disease have not done anything wrong.
2.Don’t -refer to people with the disease as “COVID-19 cases”, “victims” “COVID-19 families” or the “diseased”. They are “people who have COVID-19”, “people who are being treated for COVID-19”, “people who are recovering from COVID-19” and after recoveringfrom COVID-19 their life will go on with their jobs, families and loved ones.
3.Avoid watching, reading or listening to news that cause you to feel anxious or distressed; seek information mainly to take practical steps to prepare your plans and protect yourself and loved ones. Seek information updates at specific times during the day once or twice. The sudden and near-constant stream of news reports about an outbreak can cause anyone to feel worried. Get the facts. Gather information at regular intervals,from WHO websiteand local health authorities platforms, in order to help you distinguish facts from rumors.
4.Protect yourself and be supportive to others. Assisting others in their time of need can benefit the person receiving support as well as the helper.
5.Find opportunities to amplify the voices, positive stories and positive images of local people who have experienced the new coronavirus (COVID-19) and have recovered or who have supported a loved one through recovery and are willing to share their experience.
6.Honor caretakers and healthcare workers supporting people affected withCOVID-19 in your community. Acknowledge the role they play to save lives and keep your loved ones safe.
Health care workers
7.For health workers, feeling stressed is an experience that you and many of yourhealth workercolleagues are likely going through; in fact, it is quite normal to be feeling this way in the current situation. Stress and the feelings associated with it are by no means a reflection that you cannot do your job or that you are weak. Managing your stressand psychosocial wellbeing during this time is as important as managing your physical health.
8.Take care of your basic needs and employ helpful coping strategies-ensure rest and respite during work or between shifts, eat sufficient and healthy food, engage in physical activity, and stay in contact with family and friends. Avoid using unhelpful coping strategies such as to***co, alcohol or other drugs. In the long term, these can worsen your mental and physical wellbeing. This is a unique and unprecedent scenario for many workers, particularly if they have not been involved in similar responses. Even so, using the strategies that you have used in the past to manage times of stress can benefit you now. The strategies to benefit feelings of stress are the same, even if the scenario is different.
9.Some workers may unfortunately experience avoidanceby their family or community due to stigmaor fear. This can make an already challenging situation far more difficult. If possible, staying connected with your loved ones including through digital methods is one way to maintain contact. Turn to your colleagues, your manager or other trusted persons for social support-your colleagues may be having similar experiences to you.
10.Useunderstandable ways to share messages with people with intellectual, cognitive and psychosocial disabilities. Forms of communication that do not rely solely on written information should be utilizedIf you are a team leader or manager in a health facility.
SOURCE: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/mental-health-considerations.pdf?sfvrsn=6d3578af_2
