For those who are involved in the battle against COVID--healthcare workers, frontliners--even though looking after yourself and your team members, while working in the COVID-19 conditions, may seem like your immediate responsibility, it is important to understand what in this situation, can and cannot be controlled. For any healthcare worker or frontliner in the midst of the pandemic, it is essential to understand this difference in order to stay away from additional stress and depression.

While working the fear and anxiety about being infected and the overwhelming emotional burden of the patients and colleagues is not going to let you be happy or calm easily. You may have witnessed a number of deaths, wherein inspite of your best efforts the patients’ life couldn’t be saved. As a result, you might start blaming yourself as incapable and unworthy of the job. Therefore the only way to not let these negative emotions make a permanent scar on your mind, is by being realistic about what you can and cannot control and accepting it however you may disagree with it.

To enable this discrimination and boost your understanding

Try and visualize columns or circles of control. Jot down the things that you think are in your control which may possibly involve aspects like;

- Taking protective measures yourself

- Trying to spread awareness

- Responding to others with kindness

- Treating the patients with your 100% ability

- Being fully sincere and honest with your work

You can other points to that you think are in your direct control. 

Then mark out the points that you know are beyond your controlling power like;

- How others are reacting to current situations

- Death of your patient struggling with COVID

- If any of your colleagues has got infected

- The way the government or outside world is currently operating

You can add all the things that you know are out of your control but maybe bothering you. 

Now that you have marked these out, try and distinguish them, rationally, while carrying out your daily tasks. Try and follow all the factors that you can control such as wearing masks, telling the patient's family about safety precautions to be followed etc., Also, understand that life and death is not on your hands and so inspite of losing a patient, try not to take it as a personal loss or a loss of your calibre. 

Another factor that is completely in your control is to identify ways in which you could support others which can be as simple as listening to people. At the end of the day make a list of ways you were able to help others or did things that you are grateful for. Doing this will help you think positively about factors that are in your control and you will feel more in control of the situation overall. 

Also, by creating an environment of compassion, team support and empathy in your work environment, surviving the pandemic will be easier for you.

 (Pic credit: freepik)