RWO Response to COVID-19

Taking care of your mental health is more important now than ever.

Residents may be dealing with increased uncertainty around exams, future work and schedules, and struggling with self-care, getting adequate rest, fear of infection and infecting their loved ones, as well as staying connected to friends and family. Feeling isolated can take a major toll on your overall well being.

 

 

 

The Resident Wellness Office has created this resource guide to provide information and resources to help you in this challenging time. This webpage will be updated regularly as information evolves.

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COVID-19 and RWO Appointments:

In these uncertain and challenging times, your health and safety us our number one concern. For this reason, the PGME Resident Wellness Office will be offering all counselling appointments virtually (via telephone or Zoom) until it is safe to resume in person sessions. Please reach out with any further questions at resident.wellness@ubc.ca, or visit our online booking site to schedule an appointment.

Virtual Group Sessions Available for Programs:

The RWO is able to facilitate a virtual Wellness Rounds for programs looking for group support at this time via Zoom. For the counsellors to facilitate a quality session while maintaining psychological safety for the participants, there is a maximum of 12 residents per virtual Wellness Rounds session and residents are asked to have their cameras turned on for the duration of the session.

Please reach out to resident.wellness@ubc.ca with any questions or if you would like to book a session.

COVID-19 and Residency Resources:

UBC PGME has a FAQ webpage to help answer questions as to how COVID-19 may affect your residency. This webpage is updated regularly as information evolves.

UBC has released a statement regarding the use of ibuprofen to treat COVID-19.

COVID-19 and Mental Health Resources:

The RWO has resources on Grounding Strategies, Belly Breathing, and Steps to working with emotions. 

The Mental Health Commission of Canada has created a Self Care and Resiliency Guide during COVID-19.

5 Mindfulness Techniques for Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

There is a support line for medical professionals worldwide that will connect medical professionals with an empathetic listener during the COVID-19 crisis.

The BC Crisis Centre is now offering a free online course on Managing Stress and Burnout during the COVID-19 crisis.

The Physician Health Program is offering a virtual drop-in Peer Support Session for all physicians and residents during the COVID-19 crisis.

From around the web:

How discomfort may be a sign of grief in the loss of routine and certainty in the face of COVOD-19.

Peak Resiliency, a Vancouver-based counselling office, has created a comprehensive COVID-19 resource page that is updated daily, including a printable template for self care and creative ideas for self-care during the pandemic.

This article provides information about the Psychological Impact of Quarantine and how to reduce its impacts.

This Tolerance Towards Uncertainty: A COVID-19 Workbook, created by Dr. Nagawasa from Bay Psychology in Ontario, provides a workbook with exercises to help adapt to building tolerance towards uncertainty within the context of COVID-19.

An Atlas of Emotions to help provide a better understanding of what emotions are, how you experience them, and how you act on them.

An article outlining why you should ignore all of that Coronavirus productivity pressure.