#India
#covidvolunteers
If you are a non-professional volunteer during Covid times in India,
your own mental health may be under challenge.
Few thoughts on how to look after yourself and continue to be a valuable member of volunteer force.
1/n
#covidvolunteers
If you are a non-professional volunteer during Covid times in India,
your own mental health may be under challenge.
Few thoughts on how to look after yourself and continue to be a valuable member of volunteer force.
1/n
Many telephone helplines and on ground help groups are working towards - advice on course of disease, finding beds/meds/food/support, arranging funerals and host of other services for the affected and their families.
This is excellent work. Much needed. People volunteering for such work online/on phone/on ground are noble souls.
They face uphill and sometimes hopeless task.
Manytimes their efforts draw a blank and sometimes patient passes away.
They face uphill and sometimes hopeless task.
Manytimes their efforts draw a blank and sometimes patient passes away.
All this happening on everyday basis can lead to sense of hopelessness, anger, fatigue and even guilt.
Getting overwhelmed in face of all this is a natural and humane reaction.
Getting overwhelmed in face of all this is a natural and humane reaction.
If you don't look after yourself, you may not be able to continue this tiring work or worse, your mental health will be adversely affected.
Ideally - daily debriefing sessions are needed for volunteer force to help them cope.
I have experienced benefit of this measure in Latur earthquake in 1993 as volunteer and as designated de-briefer/psychiatrist working in relief camps after Gujarat riots in 2002.
I have experienced benefit of this measure in Latur earthquake in 1993 as volunteer and as designated de-briefer/psychiatrist working in relief camps after Gujarat riots in 2002.
And helping volunteers, psychologists working in countless tragedies on small and large scale till now.
Most important thing to remember - you can be useful only if you are able to preserve yourself. There is no shame in taking care of yourself. In fact it is most important to take care of the tool - yourself.
Some suggestions -
1. If you are on the logistics arrangement job, try to do as much work as possible in "text" mode. Live voice conversations are stressful.
2. Designate specific time of day for this work. Don't go on 24*7 crusade. It is important to work in team and take turns
1. If you are on the logistics arrangement job, try to do as much work as possible in "text" mode. Live voice conversations are stressful.
2. Designate specific time of day for this work. Don't go on 24*7 crusade. It is important to work in team and take turns
3. Avoid getting personal with people who receive your help. This may seem counterintuitive. You have a specific role in their life and it is providing required help. Don't try to do emotional support work unless it is your designated work and you have some training in it.
4. Repeated enquiry after people helped by you or personal "follow up" calls are best avoided or done by other members of team if possible.
5. Share encouraging and success stories on volunteer communication groups.
5. Share encouraging and success stories on volunteer communication groups.
6. Share problems and failures only with team leaders and let them filter learning points and share with group.
7. Don't post death news, messages / info on group for "everyone's knowledge" it harms.
7. Don't post death news, messages / info on group for "everyone's knowledge" it harms.
8. Avoid un-necessary enquiry conversations with beneficiary of the service. They feel obliged to indulge you but may be unwilling in reality.
9. Empathy is not always helpful unless you are trained. Compassion + concrete action is most useful in crisis situation.
9. Empathy is not always helpful unless you are trained. Compassion + concrete action is most useful in crisis situation.
10. Work actively on avoiding repetition of work - multiple volunteers working on same issue with same beneficiary is bad management.
11. Avoid draining conversations with co-workers.
12. Respect beneficiary's own resourcefulness and emotional support network.
11. Avoid draining conversations with co-workers.
12. Respect beneficiary's own resourcefulness and emotional support network.
13. Don't try to do everything all by yourself. Boundaries protect and make effective workers
14. Watch for signs of fatigue/breakdown/burnout in yourself. They are - sleep disturbance, poor appetite, pervasive sense of fatigue, crying spells, uncontrollable anger, contd..
14. Watch for signs of fatigue/breakdown/burnout in yourself. They are - sleep disturbance, poor appetite, pervasive sense of fatigue, crying spells, uncontrollable anger, contd..
repetitive thoughts and ruminations, feeling of guilt and personal responsibility in complex situations, irritability, inability to focus, inability to enjoy your own life/relations/good fortune.
15. Take frequent breaks and de-stress daily in any way that works for you.
15. Take frequent breaks and de-stress daily in any way that works for you.
16. Avoid talking about your work all the time with colleagues, friends, family.
Preserving yourself and your ability to help is important as you are vital resource in this fight.
Preserving yourself and your ability to help is important as you are vital resource in this fight.
Your family needs you. Counts on you. They are primary responsibility. Don't let this important fact slip from your mind.
Don't get into fights with friends who disagree with you on political opinions.
Weakening your own support network is most harmful of all.
Don't get into fights with friends who disagree with you on political opinions.
Weakening your own support network is most harmful of all.
Please unroll @threadreaderapp
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
