“3 weeks since I went home. I miss my daughter but I need to stay here.” - A nurse from Ahmedabad who is focused on helping patients live through COVID19 infection.
“My landlord has asked me to evacuate my room. He thinks I might be the carrier of the virus since I am with the Municipal Corporation. I don’t know where to go” - A safai karamachari (public-cleaning servant) working every day to keep our surroundings clean to contain contamination.
“I get distressed by the news of the spread, but I can’t help it. It angers me to see people irresponsibly walking on the roads,”—a policeman asked to ensure people follow the diktats of lockdown
Be it doctors, nurses, police team, cleaning servants, or any other individual working as our Frontline Warriors right now, each one of them is doing their best to help us get through this unimaginable pandemic phase. Comfortably enclosed in our houses, we crib about having to do household chores, not go out for entertainment etc., but do we stop to appreciate the excessive stress and feelings of isolation these warriors face every single minute of their work for our sakes?
Our Covid19 warriors are stationed at different locations, far from home. They stay away from families to not carry the infection back home which incidentally they may catch from one of us, during treating us, not to mention how dismal and depressing it can be for them to see infection, death, and misery around themselves for hours at a stretch. Regardless of their efforts, often they are treated disrespectfully since we assume they might be the carriers of the virus and are a risk to the neighborhood. Their orders are disobeyed, and sometimes they get attacked by a highly-aggressive mob. All these interactions make them doubt whether it is worth it, whether there is something wrong with them, whether they are suited to this job, and in total doubt their self-worth. These situations act as a catalyst for the growing sense of helplessness making them feel like a failure in their own eyes. Hence, it is important to address emotional and mental health issues such as loneliness and stress, anxiety, and depression in these frontline heroes and prevent them from getting worse.
The police force is operating 24*7 to keep us safe and the locations locked down. Doctors and nurses stay back at the hospitals to look after the infected patients. The public-cleaning servants are working extended hours just to keep the environment safe—all of this by risking their own life and stepping into the world of the virus each time they have to interact with someone.
The need of the hour, for these frontline workers, is to keep themselves mentally very healthy and strong:
Self-care: Try to take out a few minutes to look after yourself. Find your sources of comfort e.g. quick head massage in between work or sipping on your cup of tea whenever you get time. Meditate, exercise or indulge in something that adds a little positivity to the situation.
Meaningful conversations: Have these with your partner, family or even an online therapist or consult a doctor virtually; write often to keep the thoughts from piling up in your mind and free the mind of negativity.
And, if you know someone in a similar job profile, a few tips for you to make them feel better;
Contact maintaining the social distance: Call them or get into the habit of video calls whenever possible to help them maintain normalcy and feel loved and taken care of.
Spread the word: Promote the importance of ‘STAY HOME STAY SAFE’ and ask people around you to follow the government guidelines. This will help reduce their stress and workload and ease the pressure off them.