Tips to Support the Healthcare Workers in the Thick of a Pandemic

Our healthcare providers are on the front lines of a war against something we cannot see with the naked eye. During these unfathomable times, it is important for the community to support healthcare providers who are fighting every day for the safety and lives of our fellow neighbors … and their own. “When you’re on the medical floor treating severely ill patients, brief moments or activities to boost morale can go a long way. This is the time where we all need to come together and ask what we can all collectively do to contribute to help our healthcare workers,” says psychologist, Dr. Kailyn Bobb, Director of Therapy at Clarity Clinic’s Arlington Heights office. Some suggestions for supporting healthcare workers are:

• Providing morale boosting efforts such as food, kind words and cards of support

• Provide laughter via phone/video calls of support from family and friends

• Encouraging them to implement structured break times.

• Encouraging self-care activities during those breaks, for example meditation, listening to music or exercise.

• This will not only improve physical and mental health, but it will also serve as a mean to rejuvenate their mental state and allow them to continue their work. It also increases their resiliency to the stressors they continue to face. Self-care and taking care of basic needs like eating healthy foods, taking bathroom breaks and getting enough sleep cannot be stressed enough.