Throughout this outbreak of COVID-19, we recognize that you may be experiencing lot of uncertainty, stress, and anxiety. One step in learning how to manage these feelings is learning more about what anxiety is.
There are a number of resources that are available to you to help with these feelings:
- World Health Organization – Mental health considerations developed by the Mental Health Department as support for mental and psychological well-being during COVID-19 outbreak
- Canadian Mental Health Association – Coronavirus: managing stress & anxiety
- Anxiety Canada – What to do if you’re anxious or worried about coronavirus (COVID-19)
Note that the RWO is here to support you as best as we can. We would like to prioritize appointments for Residents who are directly impacted by COVID-19. To reach as many residents as possible, your counsellors will be altering their working hours to offer more evening appointments, and will be offering 30 minute sessions to create more availability. Please visit our online booking site or email resident.wellness@ubc.ca to schedule an appointment with a counsellor.
Please visit the PGME’s FAQ page about COVID-19 for further information about how this pandemic may affect your role as a resident.
David Roche, ultrarunner, coach, and writer for Trail Running Magazine, makes a note that whatever you are feeling at this time is okay. As David says: “Things have gotten pretty wild, right? Just know that however you are feeling, it’s OK and tons of people are there with you. If you’re feeling anxiety or fear, sadness or loss, or anything else, you are amazing the way you are and the way you feel. Talk to people if you can and share your feelings, especially those feelings you might not be proud of in the moment. You are loved and understood always.
That’s basically the entire article right there, so feel free to go do other things if needed. Just try not to open Twitter, which has always been a pre-apocalyptic hellscape, and has effortlessly transitioned into a mid-apocalyptic hellscape.”
