"Hello. Doctor, sorry to call you at this hour but I think it would be better for you to come to the isolation ward immediately"--These are the kind of messages and calls I have been getting continuously for days. The words “urgent, important, immediate” are always hanging on my head like a sword. The urgency of attending to the never-ending patients’ lines and always being on a high-alert as a frontline worker for this COVID pandemic has got to my nerves. I know I have taken up the job but I can only do it better if I get rest," says Dr Meera Sakhuja, Delhi who has been living in the hospital’s hostel for the past three weeks and is looking forward to going back home even though it means to be in quarantine and isolation.

 It isn't a hidden fact that all healthcare workers have been on high alert ever since coronavirus broke in. They are doing their job at the expense of their own and their family’s safety. Though they have pledged to save the patients and all who are sick, the COVID19 duty has genuinely affected not just their physical self but also their ability to stay calm and satisfied, mentally and emotionally. 

Healthcare workers have to stay in the hospitals for the fear of moving out and spreading the virus; they have to wear the heavy PPE gear for hours at a stretch which means they can’t drink water, eat or even use the washroom for that long, in some cases they have been advised to wear diapers as well; then the constant influx of patients is another nightmare; the fact the coronavirus can be air-borne while administering aerosol treatments to patients adds to the worry of it all; and then the emotional exhaustion of being away from the family for days and even on returning to quarantine themselves is all making their lives resemble a scary movie.

This living on the edge continuously with the worries weighing them down is fraying  the nerves of many in the medical fraternity. Many nurses and doctors have even reported concerns about their short tempered and irritable behaviours.  Sometimes they lose the empathy they are supposed to have for the patients simply because they are unable to feel it themselves. 

The inability to wind down from the ceaseless responsibilities and patients and deaths is directly affecting our frontline heroes in this biological war against Coronavirus.

But we can’t afford to lose the support of these heroes; here are some suggestions

•  Name your feelings: The situation you are in is akin to a pressure cooker and though you know that you are under extreme pressure no one knows when you can blast. In such tricky times, whenever you feel like you are on the edge, start your feedback loop and label your emotions. Reflecting on your feelings and labelling them may assist you in handling them better.  It also allows you to move out of the fight/flight mode and free up some energy, allowing you to think clearly about your problem, rather than worrying about it.
•  Focus on your breathing: Deep breaths bring more oxygen into your lungs and your bloodstream, which is the exact opposite effect to a stress-based reaction. Simply start counting 1-10 or reverse and try to think of a happy memory. This way you can calm your breathing in a mindful pattern to not only bring panic under control but also calm your nervous system and prepare you for what comes next.
• Stay positive: Though in current conditions this might seem easier said than done, but it is key to staying calm. Now that you've managed to label your emotions and get through with them while calming yourself with focused breathing, it becomes easier for you to think about the positive things around you. Try and approach each issue as a challenge or opportunity to grow positively.