Covid-19 Helper Pocket Card
Thank you, all of you who are helping keep us safe--those in the health professions, driving trucks, picking groceries, delivering to our homes and so many others--for the work you are doing. For many responding to the Covid-19 crisis, the desire to help others mixed with the fear of being infected can be disorienting. Additionally, everything is changing quickly and it is likely that your thoughts and feelings do too.
There is a soul weariness that comes with caring. From daily doing business with the handiwork of fear. . . there are risks associated with being in harm's way as an act of compassion. . . While nearly any of us could recount incidents of distress brought about by another's traumatic exposure, there is an element of satisfaction in our work that is very powerful.
Beth Hudnall Stamm from her book Secondary Traumatic-Stress: Self-care for Clinicians, Researchers and educators (1995, 1999), Sidran Press
This pocket card has been used by many people for over a decade responding to crises world-wide. It can be really hard to take care of yourself with so much need around you but this is becoming a marathon, not a sprint and we need you to take care because we need you! We are hidden from your site, sheltering in place are trying to stay out of your way so you can do your work and we can reduce your exposure as you struggle on the front lines for all of us.
When you review the card, keep in mind that a lot of what you feel may be tied to things we cannot control or are unknown. Living with unknowns makes it hard to plan. Be kind to yourself and adjust your expectations to the situation as best you can. Visiting remotely or in person with your family, friends, and colleagues may be helpful in assessing what you realistically can and cannot do in this topsy-turvy world.
These are hard times and it is normal overwhelmed in the face of such suffering and need. It is important to take some time to try to eat, sleep, get cleaned up, and make contact with someone who does not need your assistance. Try to let someone who cares about you know how you are feeling. The workload and potential exposure to Covid-19 are creating inhumanely high stress for lots of people on the front lines. Don't let yourself become a casualty because you did not let someone know you were suffering.