The goal of this post is to share some tips and ideas that could be useful as you manage your health and mental health. You don’t need to try all of these at once — see what feels like a good fit to you and start there.

1. Pace yourself

Before you were diagnosed with your chronic illness or disability, you may have been used to doing things a certain way — perhaps with greater speed, energy, and motivation. You may feel like you have to compete with your former self or prove to yourself that you can do it just like you did before.

Give yourself permission to not do everything exactly the way you used to. Recognize that you are still the same person — abilities and challenges in all — and go at a pace that suits you best based on your current situation.

2. Focus on energy conservation

Similarly, you may even need to figure out when to hold yourself back in times when you need to rest before a day of medical appointments, travel, work or volunteer work (modified or not), or a social engagement. Perhaps you are a morning bird or a late night owl — or maybe this all changed after your diagnosis and you are adapting to a new internal shift.

Learning what makes you feel energized or drained is a good first step. This will help you determine when you need to put on the brakes and when you can push yourself. Monitor how your energy ebbs and flows depending on the time of day or type of activity and try to use that as a guiding principle for how you structure your day, including fitting in time for rest.

3. Be a good self-advocate

Educating yourself about your new needs, asking questions, and speaking up when something concerns or worries you are important skills to learn as you adjust to your new chronic illness or disability.

If you feel nervous at the thought of using your voice, perhaps it may help to give yourself a pep talk or an encouraging internal monologue before a medical appointment or difficult conversation. Or bring a trusted loved one to an appointment if you feel you need moral support or a little prompt every so often to share your point of view. Knowing that someone is there who has your back can mean the world in a hard scenario.

4. Speak kindly to yourself

You can learn to be your best friend. How do you do that? Well, you can start by speaking to yourself in a positive, supportive way. Let go of the self-critical statements and instead choose to use words that reflect you just as worthy, loveable, deserving, and important as anyone else.

Remember: your chronic illness or disability doesn’t make you any less of a person. You are still you. Your health issues don’t define you. You do.

5. Do what makes you happy

It can be hard to turn your attention to positive things when you are feeling sad, lonely, frustrated, or demoralized. But that’s when you might need to the most. Bring to the forefront of your mind what makes you happy, fulfilled, motivated, and energized.

Is it spending time with loved ones? Being with your pet? Being in nature? Creating art? Listening to music? What else? Tune into yourself and find ways of bringing these things back into your life even if it is incorporated a little differently now compared to your pre-illness or pre-disability life. Adding these things back in can make a difference in boosting your daily mood and outlook on life.

6. Pursue activities that align with your skills and abilities

If there are activities you used to do that you now can’t as it presents a significant risk to your health — or if you cannot do it anymore from a physical/mental/emotional standpoint — then maybe you can explore these activities in a modified or adapted way or possibly find a related activity that is more feasible and that you feel will still be enjoyable. Choose something that is not as demanding of your energy or endurance or perhaps fits more with your current abilities. Take some time to think about what fits best with you at this present time and start there.

If your job used to be very physically involved and this is not possible anymore, maybe there are other tasks in your job that you can perform that is more desk-based. You may of course also decide to take a completely different direction in your career and that is ok as well. Listen to what you need and honour it.

You may also want to join new in-person or online communities where you can meet people who are going through similar challenges as you. The peer support they provide can be extremely valuable to you, especially if you are adjusting to a new health problem.

7. Move towards acceptance

Adjusting to a new disability or chronic illness can be a very difficult process. You are going to understandably grieve all the things you could do before your diagnosis. Perhaps you are also grieving major changes you will need to make regarding your living environment and your career, or you may now depend on health professionals or family to do some of your basic personal care tasks.

Ever so slowly, you will eventually reach a place in your mind and your heart where you come to terms with what has happened to you. You don’t have to like it. You don’t have to be happy about it. But recognizing how it affects you and what you need to do to live the best quality of life you can will help you navigate these difficult times that much more easily.

8. Enjoy the little moments

Nestled between moments of pain and sadness will be little moments of joy: hearing a good result at a medical appointment; being able to complete a physical exercise successfully; having a good day in terms of minimal pain or fatigue; doing something you previously couldn’t do; enjoying quality time with a loved one.

Hold on to these moments as they are important for keeping your eyes focused ahead and on your future rather than turning to look backward at your past.

9. Remember your wins

Just as you will want to enjoy the little positive moments, you will also want to remember your wins as well — both big and small. Recalling your strengths, what you do well, what you are capable of, and what you are looking forward to are all important factors in building you up and helping you maintain your momentum.

Consider these wins as signs that you have so much to give and so much to gain as you move forward. Keep going one step at a time. Wishing you the best on your mental health journey.

The post 9 Tips for How to Cope with a Chronic Illness or Disability appeared first on Medika Life.

1. Understand the hospital’s visitation policy

In this current climate of the pandemic, visitation rules are constantly in flux and hard to predict. That being said, they usually have a rule where there is a primary visitor and a secondary or alternate visitor. This is a very important decision and needs to be take seriously, especially as it may be hard to quickly change the visitor assignment under short notice.

Having a good sense of who may be the most fitting to have these roles, depending on the type of relationship (parent, child, spouse, etc.), proximity to the hospital, availability to visit, and level of care involvement post-hospitalization, are all major factors to keep in mind when making this important decision.

2. Bring items that help you feel comfortable, relaxed, and that allow you to have some privacy

Patients can often be admitted to a hospital very far away from home if their local area doesn’t have the resources to support them. However, even if you live nearby the hospital, it can also feel as though you are very far away from home as well so any little comforts that you can bring in that is permitted can help make your stay that much more comfortable.

Ask your family or friends to bring in comfortable clothes, slippers (if this type of footwear is permitted) or perhaps cozy socks, your favourite sneakers, an extra blanket, a few photos of loved ones, personal toiletries, electronics (and earbuds to help you have more private conversations), a charger and extension cord for your devices, noise-cancelling headphones to help reduce distractions in the surrounding environment, books and other items connected with your hobbies and interests that can be stored at the bedside, and anything else you can think of that might help you feel at ease that is allowed by the hospital. You can check with the hospital administrator if you need more information about what you can and can’t have at the bedside. These are also just a few ideas to consider – choose items to have with you that suit your own unique needs.

3. Ask if there will be a discharge meeting with the doctor and if a family member can join in person or by phone

Depending on the length of your hospitalization, your medical team may decide to have a meeting with you to discuss your progress and next steps. You can ask if a family member can join this discussion in-person or by phone – especially if you are not fluent in English – or ask the hospital to provide an interpreter if that would be helpful. If a family member is allowed to join in-person or virtually, they can be that second person to either make notes or ask questions that you may forget or may not be comfortable raising on your own.

Some important topics to discuss in your meeting include: your physical and mental health, any new diagnoses and treatment plans, home care services, precautions to take or limitations to be aware of when you return home, when you should follow up with your family doctor, etc.

4. Make an appointment with your family doctor and record any hospital follow up appointments if relevant

Call your family doctor’s office to make either a virtual or in-person appointment to keep them updated regarding your current situation. They will continue to follow up regarding your medication refills and general medical needs and are your go-to health professional to assist you as you settle back into the community.

If the hospital has made any follow up appointments for you, make note of this in your calendar so that you get the follow up you need regarding any specialized health issues that require ongoing treatment. Similarly, if you need home care services for personal care needs, check in with your medical team or hospital coordinator regarding what services are recommended and when services are expected to begin after you return home.

5. Remember to take time for yourself – you need to rest as much as possible to improve your recovery process

In between all of your tests, scans, interdisciplinary team appointments, and other related tasks in your schedule, you need to prioritize your rest. Taking care of yourself is vital at this time. Sleep, hydration, nutrition, and exercise – even if it means engaging in some movement in your hospital room that is within your physical abilities – are all important domains that you need to focus on to get better.

Finding pockets of time to spend with your loved ones as well – whether virtually or in-person – is also good for your mind, heart, and soul. Keep up the good work and hopefully you will be on your way home soon!

The post Five Things to Consider When Being Admitted to Hospital appeared first on Medika Life.

Keep in mind that therapists are usually bound by their regulatory college to serve a specific province, country, region, etc. that they are registered in for providing counselling services, so they will advise if they can help you when you reach out to them.

I’ve had clients request virtual counselling services for many reasons. Some people have contacted me because they are worried about being criticized by their family or other people in their life who don’t believe in counseling based on their own personal, cultural, religious perspectives. Because of this, the client wants to access help in private where they don’t have to go into an office and risk being seen. Other people have reached out to me because of the challenges they’ve run into accessing services where they live. There have also been clients who have connected with me because their disability or illness makes it difficult for them to get out and about as often as they would like for in-person services, so they appreciate the convenience that teletherapy offers them. This wide range of issues is what has inspired me to write this article to help the general public learn more about online counseling and how it can be helpful.

If you’ve never tried virtual counselling before and are interested in learning more about it, keep reading to find out more about the possible benefits of going online.

Offers the opportunity to serve remote regions with limited in-person services

One of the best benefits of virtual counselling is the chance to provide much-needed services in areas that may not have in-person counselling available or where excessive travel may be required to get to the closest therapist’s office or mental health centre. This may be the case in more remote regions where there are not a lot of options locally.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to receive in-person counseling previously based on where you live, then virtual counselling services may allow you to get the help you need as the options online are vast and there are many therapy networks and service providers to choose from.

Provides more options than only using your local neighborhood resources

Even if there are some in-person counselling available in your hometown, the options could be restricted to perhaps one or only a few, so going virtual dramatically increases the range of services that can be explored, especially if you’ve tried your local therapy services and haven’t felt it was a good fit or match.

Furthermore, online counselling may allow you to get help for a particular type of need or issue or seek out a professional who offers a specific therapeutic style or approach that you are interested in. This type of specialization or experience may not be available in your local region’s counselling services. Being able to choose an online therapist who is able to serve your region broadens the options available to you so you can search more openly until you find exactly what you are looking for.

If you try out an online therapist but still don’t feel it is a good connection after some time, then you still have the chance to go back online and review the broad range of professionals until you feel you have found someone you trust, who hears and understands you, and who you can be completely open with regarding your worries, stressors, and needs. This is all part of the journey and the learning experience of counselling.

Maintains privacy and minimizes stigma

Let’s say you are part of a family who doesn’t believe in counselling or therapy, or you are worried about stigma and criticism from those in your personal network, cultural or religious group, or other contacts in your social circle for seeking out mental health assistance.

Having the chance to go online for support in the privacy of your own room or home where others cannot see you in a waiting room or walking into a counselling office may bring you the peace that you deserve.

Increases accessibility for those impacted by a disability or chronic illness

For those of you affected by a disability or chronic illness, it may be even harder to get out of your home to access in-person counseling services. Perhaps you are reliant on caregivers to help with your personal needs, or maybe you need help from others to get in and out of your home and for transport due to mobility restrictions, or it could be that you might have many medical appointments and issues with fatigue, pain, discomfort, etc. that adding in-person counselling appointments on top of everything else may seem too overwhelming.

Teletherapy may be a great solution for you since access to counselling is much greater within the comfort of your own home and in between your day-to-day needs.

Allows for greater flexibility with appointment dates and times

Similarly, if you are working an irregular schedule with constantly changing shifts, or if you have a very long commute and might be looking for early morning or late evening services, or if you are very occupied caring for young children, an elderly parent, or a family member with a disability or chronic illness, you might benefit from the increased flexibility that comes with virtual counselling.

You just might be able to find an online counsellor who can offer sessions in the specific time window you are looking for, which may not otherwise be possible with in-person therapy services that might follow a typical business hour schedule.

If you’re looking for mental health support that goes a little outside of the box based on your needs, obligations, and responsibilities, give online counselling a try – you might be pleasantly surprised by the expanded choices and options it could offer you.

Good luck and all the best in your search for a virtual therapist who is a solid match for your unique needs!

The post 5 Benefits of Virtual Counselling appeared first on Medika Life.

About Davina

Davina is a Registered Social Worker in Ontario, Canada. She is also a Certified Solution Focused Therapist (CSFT) with the Canadian Council of Professional Certification (CCPC) Global Inc. Davina has extensive Social Work experience working in the adult and pediatric rehabilitation sectors, inpatient and outpatient healthcare services, as well as community-based services. She is also the owner of Meaningful Independence, a virtual counselling practice that offers support to individuals, couples, and families by phone and online video across Ontario.

Tell us a little about yourself Davina. Where were you born and do you still live in your birth country? Tell us a little about your family and what made you choose your current field.

I was born in Ontario, Canada and still live there. I have very supportive parents as well as a close relationship with my siblings. My initial training was in Psychology and, as much as I enjoyed it, I chose to become a Social Worker instead as I realized how much value I find in supporting clients as they navigate different challenges and stressors, being part of an inter-professional team working toward common goals in support of clients, and working within the health, social, and community service systems. 

I have been working as a Social Worker since 2009. Over the years, I have gained a wealth of experience in inpatient, outpatient and community service settings, adult and pediatric populations, research and clinical experience, as well as an extensive background supporting people impacted by various disabilities and chronic illnesses. More recently, I have launched a private practice, called Meaningful Independence, where I offer virtual counselling to individuals, couples, and families across Ontario. My goal is to continue to grow my private practice over time and be able to support more people looking for help and support.

Seeing clients discover their strengths and abilities and observing them grow, learn, and problem solve through challenges and barriers are very inspiring and definitely motivate me in my daily work with clients.

Being able to write about topics of interest to me – whether it’s related to virtual counselling, mental health, health care, disabilities or chronic illness, life transitions, or other categories – allows me to find a way to express my experience, knowledge, and learnings in a way that feels very therapeutic and almost meditative.

The level of reflection and deep thinking that goes into writing each article allows me to communicate in a unique and special way with readers who may also be the client populations I serve, which is quite rewarding and fulfilling.

It is hard to believe I have been working for more than a decade and have held so many different roles in supporting client needs in some way or form. I am most proud of being able to help clients reach their “lightbulb” moment in sessions where they may come to a new insight or realization, figure out another way of approaching or handling a problem they are dealing with, or simply learn how to process their thoughts or feelings deeply in an effort to cope better in their daily lives.

I truly value being able to support a client as they go through the ups and downs of their journey and am honored that they trust me to be a part of that process.

In 10 years, it would be incredible to see my private practice expanding to the point where I may be able to do it on a full time basis. I am excited to see where my learning, writing, professional development, and experience take me as my career progresses.

Speaking purely out of experience offering virtual services in my private practice, I do feel that there will be more opportunities for online counselling in the future. The challenges brought by the pandemic have required us to engage with one another in a digital way for the sake of health and safety, and I wonder if this change in the way we interact may become more of a norm moving forward.

I also think that there are some benefits of virtual care as it can offer more convenience, access, and options to clients who others may not have in-person services available in their region that meets their specific needs.

In addition to writing for Medika Life, Being Well and creating posts on Medium, I am currently in the process of exploring other writing opportunities that are coming my way. Who knows what the future holds!  

The post Meet the Author: Davina Tiwari, MSW RSW appeared first on Medika Life.

No matter the cause, it’s clearly an extremely difficult process to adjust to having a physical disability. Learning how to adjust can take quite some time and is not a straightforward path. Everyone copes differently and no two journeys look exactly alike.

If you have a new physical disability and are understandably struggling to cope, it may be helpful to keep a few things in mind as you try to figure out this new world you are in.

Take the time you need

Adjusting to a new disability will take a very long time. There’s no telling how long it may be until it begins to feel like a “new normal” for you or until you begin feeling like “you” again.

It doesn’t happen in a day, a month, or a year. It’s an ongoing process that evolves as you continue to evolve and learn how to live in what may feel like a new body or a body that isn’t yours.

Give yourself the time and space you need to come to terms with all of the major changes that have happened in your life.

Reach out to your closest family and friends for support

This is a very challenging time in your life. You may have a few very close people- your partner, your sibling, your parent, your best friend — who you want to get comfort from in your time of need. Be sure to connect with them for support. Now more than ever is a time to lean on those family members and friends who will be there for you no matter what.

Your closest social network can help you when you need to cry, to laugh, or to just sit in silence together with a supportive companion.

Set boundaries

After a new disability, you may not want to talk to every single well-meaning person who reaches out to you to express how concerned they are for you — and that’s ok.
Permit yourself to not feel like you have to respond to every person right away. They will understand if you need time alone to process your thoughts, feelings, and emotions through this phase. You can connect with them when you feel ready to talk.

Ask questions

You are your best advocate and you know your body best. Ask your doctor, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, personal support worker, nurse, and other health professionals involved in your care any questions you have.

You might have questions about your physical disability diagnosis, what your recovery process is expected to look like, how much recovery you may have in the short term and the long term, what you should prepare for in the future to be as healthy as possible while living with a physical disability, how to best take care of yourself and your new needs, and so on.

Ask a family member or friend to help you think of questions or support you in asking these questions if needed. And, if something doesn’t make sense to you, it’s ok to ask the professional to explain it again or in another way.

Focus on the here and now

Your mind might be racing right now. Will I ever be able to walk again? Will I be able to take care of myself? How will I get into my house/apartment or bathroom? Can I go back to work? Who will help me if I can’t do everything on my own?….

Give yourself some space to slow down. You don’t have to have all the answers right now. You will get more information as time goes on about what to expect and what to plan for.

Right now, try to focus on understanding what has happened to you, getting used to how your body feels and moves, and exploring small, simple goals to start working towards.

Go with the flow

You may have heard this saying before: it’s often easier to go with the flow than to fight against it

It’s common to have times when you have made solid progress only to then have a setback that feels like all the hard work you did has been undone or lost.
Having a mindset where you try to be flexible with and adapt to changes as they occur, as hard as that might be, could help with your adjustment.

There will be “good” and “bad” days

Recognizing that there will be “good” days, where you feel like you are handling things well, and “bad” days, where you feel sad or angry or frustrated, is expected.
Permitting yourself to deal with the ups and downs and being compassionate towards yourself can help you cope.

Think about your favorite activities and interests in a new way
It may be hard to imagine this right now, and it may take some time for you to get to this point, but having a physical disability does not mean that you cannot enjoy activities you used to love. It does mean you may need to consider a different way of doing them.

Do you love sports? Maybe there is a way you can look into adapted sports, like wheelchair basketball, for example. Do you love to write or read but have a limited ability to use your hands? There may be occupational therapy services or assistive technology services that might be able to help you figure out how to use a phone, iPad or tablet, or computer in a way that works best for you.

Think of activities you are interested in and speak with your healthcare team for ideas on how you might be able to make this happen. There’s no need to rush into this though. You may need time before you try something you love in a new way, which can be an adjustment in itself. Again, give yourself the time you need and explore these ideas when you are ready.

Work towards long term goals

It’s good to have goals and dreams for the future. Perhaps you want to be able to eventually walk with a walker or a cane. Your doctor and healthcare team may talk about whether that is a realistic future goal for you given the current research, medical knowledge, and your healthcare team’s past experience with patients with a similar disability diagnosis and health profile to you

Maybe you want to cook for yourself or learn how to direct others to prepare meals just the way you like it if you can’t do it for yourself. Or perhaps you want to go back to work or school and focus on building on your skills and knowledge in a topic you are passionate about but might need some accessibility modifications. The options are endless.

Talk with your healthcare team to see what may be feasible for you and begin thinking about what steps you can take to reach these goals.

Stay hopeful

Even if it seems like you may never be able to do some of the things you want to be able to do, it is always important to not give up on yourself.

Hope is what keeps us going and encourages us to move forward. We may need to somehow learn to accept what our current situation is while we keep aiming to reach our goals and what we want for our future.

We can move along parallel paths where we do what we can right now and continue working towards our dreams. Stay hopeful.

The post Adjusting to a New Physical Disability appeared first on Medika Life.

Feeling burned out and overwhelmed? Here are some strategies that might help you during these very difficult times.

Check-in with yourself

Are you feeling anxious? Depressed? Angry? Scared? Worried? Try to identify all of the emotions you are experiencing. If it helps, write it down in a journal. Exploring your recent thoughts and feelings enables you to make sense of what is happening in your inner world and how the health pandemic is impacting you.

Access mental health supports

If you need professional help, reach out to your doctor if you are noticing difficulties with your sleeping and eating patterns, mood, energy, and if you are having distressing thoughts. You can use the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) mental health services available to you through your workplace for free, short term counseling for you and your family members.

The Ontario COVID-19 Mental Health Network offers temporary, free, short term, individual counseling to healthcare workers, where interested workers are matched with a therapist through their network website .
The Canadian Psychological Association is also offering free, short-term therapy by registered psychologists and has more information on their website.

Another resource is The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), which offers short term psychotherapy and psychiatry services via their website.

If you feel you need more intensive or ongoing psychosocial support, reach out to a therapist through Psychology Today to find a counsellor who has a therapeutic approach or style that fits with your needs.
If you need urgent support, call a crisis line in your local area, which you can find through websites such as this one. In mental health emergencies where you feel you are at risk of harming yourself, call 911 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room.

Challenge negative thoughts

In health care, where you are surrounded by upsetting news daily, it is common to have a whirlwind of thoughts going around in your head that might further increase your stress and anxiety.

Some examples may be: “I’m going to get COVID-19”, “I’m going to give COVID-19 to my patients”, “My family will get COVID-19 because of me”, and so on.

While there is sadly no guarantee in life that these things won’t happen, we can still try to challenge these thoughts with more positive ones that may feel real to us, such as: “I’m following all of the safety protocols to protect myself, my patients and my family”, “I’m doing everything I can to be safe”, “I’m washing and sanitizing my hands regularly and that is the best strategy to stay healthy”, or “By staying at home when I’m not working, I’m doing what I can to slow the spread of the pandemic”.

Insert any other positive thoughts here that may help you manage your anxiety, stress, and overwhelm.

Remind yourself of your professional values and interests

In this pandemic, it is hard to think about anything but the risks associated with working in health care and it may be hard to see beyond that. If you find yourself questioning everything and feel unsure of yourself in your role or position, it may be useful to keep in mind why you went into your field of practice in the first place.

Was it because you always knew you wanted to help people? Or because you wanted to make a difference in the world and contribute to society? Or perhaps you have a unique interest in a certain client population or area of expertise and this is your specialty now? What other reasons led you to do the meaningful work you do?
These reminders might ground you and help you feel refreshed in an unsettling and confusing time.

Know that you are doing the best you can

When you feel that you aren’t doing enough to make a difference, take a moment, stop, and look around you.

See the clients or patients in your line of sight that you have helped. Notice their smiles of thanks, the gratitude you hear in their voice, and the efforts they make as they try to follow your recommendations and guidelines.

These types of mindful moments will help you shift your focus away from your stress toward focusing on why you chose to do this valuable work in the first place — to provide excellent care to your clients and patients.

Talk to coworkers you confide in and trust

The people you work with are the people you often spend the most time with as so much of our days are spent working. In your group of colleagues, hopefully, there is at least one person you really connect with and who you feel you can talk to. Reach out to them if you need a moment to vent, to share a funny story, or discuss how you are feeling. This helps foster a sense of trust, community, and shared experiences.

Connect with loved ones

Calling and video calling your close family and friends and spending time with your spouse or partner or children during this time of uncertainty can help manage feelings of stress and burnout.

Talking with important others about things that are not related to the pandemic can help get your mind off of it. This allows you to focus on other topics that interest you and make you happy while also investing in key relationships in your life.

Limit media

Watching the news or reading articles on your phone or computer constantly can add to your anxiety, stress, worry, and overwhelm. You may already be supporting patients who are COVID-positive daily, you may be concerned about eventually working with COVID patients, or perhaps you are worried about passing it on to or getting it from others. Constant consumption of media further feeds into this stress and exacerbates it. This cycle of thoughts can continue to spiral if they are not kept in check.

A mental break from all things COVID at points throughout your day can be just what is needed to help you refocus. Permit yourself to turn off your phone and computer when you need to.

Focus on the basics

Eat. Drink water. Sleep. Exercise. No need to follow a perfect and ideal routine here, but try to do what you can, when you can. Do activities that help refuel and relax you, such as deep breathing, yoga, meditation, mindfulness-based activities, or anything that rejuvenates you, such as losing yourself in a hobby that you are passionate about. Building in positive habits and routines, especially when you feel stressed and overwhelmed, can go a long way toward helping you feel better.

Focusing on these basics can motivate you, re-energize you, and keep you going through those long and tiring workdays.

This is a very challenging time for everyone. Your health is number one and needs to be stable before you can fully help others. Take care of yourself and be well so that you can continue to do the important work you do to support patients and clients every day.

The post Working in Healthcare During COVID-19? Tips for Reducing Burnout and Overwhelm appeared first on Medika Life.

For many clinicians, service providers, therapists, and counselors, virtual counselling and care is a new venture that takes quite a bit of adjusting to – especially if technology has not been a strong skill set in your toolbox.

Not to fear – starting slow and steady can help you build more confidence as you learn to navigate these waters. While you may need some help from colleagues or other supports for your initial set up, what may once have felt very scary to you may become the norm as you gain more practice and experience using virtual tools and learn how to support your clients in a new way.

Keep reading on for some tips that might help you along in your journey.

Optimize your camera and lighting

Make sure your client can see your face clearly – use good lighting and a good quality camera. Try to complete your session near a light source – use an overhead light or a lamp to brighten up the area so your client can see you better.

If you are working from a desktop, use the best quality webcam you can find to help your client view you as clearly as possible. If you are using a laptop, it usually has a camera built-in but you can attach an external one if you feel an upgrade is necessary.

Build therapeutic rapport

Consider your facial expressions, vocal tone, and body language. Extra effort is needed on your part to convey engagement, empathy, and understanding from behind a screen! Building a therapeutic connection is often more challenging with clients virtually due to the significant physical space and distance between you.

You may find that you need to work even harder to achieve the same impact that you otherwise would have with an in-person session. You may need to be a bit more expressive to help clients feel a greater rapport with you, whether that involves using more relevant facial expressions, reflecting back frequently what the patient has said and confirming you understand correctly, sharing empathic statements more regularly, using more warmth and humour (when appropriate), and checking in with your client to verify if you are on the right track.

Take the “Do Not Disturb” motto seriously

Hold your session in a space where you are the least likely to be disturbed, interrupted, or distracted.

Maintaining privacy and confidentiality is crucial during virtual counseling or care – regardless of whether services are offered in-person or virtually. Use a private space or room and put a sign on the door indicating you are ‘in-session’ to make sure others are aware, particularly if online services are being provided in your home setting and you live with others.

Manage competing responsibilities

If you have a child or children and/or a pet, try to make arrangements so that they are well cared for while you are occupied.

If you have a partner or a family member who can support your child or children and/or pet, as applicable, that can help you stay focused and attentive during your session.

Increase familiarity with your virtual platform

Make sure you are familiar with your virtual care platform so you know how to navigate it well. Watch tutorials, read Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), reach out to customer service, and practice using the application features so you can build your confidence using it. If the platform has a chatbox function, use that for quick tech support if needed!

Learning how to troubleshoot issues will not only help you but may also possibly allow you to help your client if they run into challenges, too.

Share information about your virtual counseling platform with your client so they have a chance to get familiar with it as well before their first session. If your client has to create an account to login to the virtual care platform, give them the website details in advance so they can get comfortable before they actually have to use it.

Having your client understand the virtual platform is also important if they are entering credit card information securely into the platform for session payment purposes.

Doublecheck your settings – “Testing, testing, check, one, two three….”

Make sure your camera and microphone are working well before the session and ask your client to do the same. This will help you start your session smoothly without glitches.

Have a back-up plan

Be sure to have an alternative set up ready in the wings (e.g. phone counseling) in case you have technical issues that cannot be addressed quickly at the start of the session.

Despite your best efforts, technical issues can sometimes still happen. If this does occur, have your phone charged and ready to go in case you need to switch to this format for your virtual session.

Furthermore, if you find phone counseling to be easiest for you and your client, discuss this with them and see if they would like to pursue this option instead.

Take care of all of the important paperwork

Obtain your client’s completed intake form before their first session so you have their full contact information and emergency contact person’s information in case a crisis occurs in-session. The completed intake form will also help you understand what their specific goals are and what they would like you to help them within your work together.

Similarly, obtain your client’s signed consent form for virtual care services prior to their first session and answer any questions your client has at the start of the session so that they can begin knowing they have made a fully informed decision.

Review the limits of confidentiality

When providing any form of counseling and care services, it is essential to review the limits of confidentiality prior to starting services.

Explain to your client that the information and content discussed in the session will remain confidential except for circumstances involving a risk of harm to themselves, others, or you – or other extremely serious situations. It may help to include a general overview in your virtual care consent form of possible scenarios where confidentiality may have to be broken.

Answer any questions your client may have in regard to the limits of confidentiality before you begin.

Develop virtual care policies, as appropriate, to explain your services – and their limitations

The same professional boundaries and limitations in terms of in-person services are also applicable for virtual counseling and care. For example, your virtual counseling policy may require a section outlining when clients can expect to hear back from you in regards to phone and email messages (e.g. 24–28 hours, business days and hours, etc.).

Your fees policy – if you are providing private fee-based services – will need to include the session rate as well as if there is a late cancellation fee for short notice cancellations that occur within 24 hours of the appointment (mention whether that cancellation fee is the full session cost or 50% of the cost of a session).

You may also wish to create a social media policy that highlights you will not accept ‘friend requests’ or messages from clients on any social media accounts in order to maintain professional boundaries.

It may also be helpful to establish a complaints policy that directs clients on the next steps if they wish to express concern about your services. It would be helpful to include the contact information for your regulatory college as well.

These are just examples of potential virtual care policies. Write up those that are relevant to you and your services. Ensure you have a section at the bottom where your client has to provide their signature and date to confirm in writing that they understand your policies.

You may wish to combine your virtual counseling consent form and virtual care policies into one document or keep them separate – this is a matter of personal preference. If they are separate documents, include a client signature and date section for both forms.

Reach out to your regulatory body and/or a lawyer if you would like some guidance on important things to consider when creating your policies and consent forms.

Keep excellent documentation

Keeping clear and detailed records from every client session is vital to ensure all major themes, issues, plans, and next steps are noted. If your virtual platform offers electronic documentation, make use of that feature if you are comfortable using it. Otherwise, you can determine a documentation system that works best for you, and that meets your regulatory college requirements.

Best wishes as you continue to provide valuable virtual care to your clients and to the community in general!

The post Virtual Counselling Strategies in the Health and Social Service Sectors appeared first on Medika Life.

Considering our own mortality and what a health decline might mean for us can make us feel depressed, anxious, and worried.

However, it’s necessary to explore in advance the kinds of things that could come up so you aren’t taken off guard or caught by surprise and then suddenly have to figure everything out while adjusting to these major life changes at the same time.

See below for some key categories that you may want to reflect on as you age and as your needs change over time.

Consider your own possible health and personal care needs in the future

Do you already have an existing health issue? Are you impacted currently by a chronic illness or disability? What has your healthcare team advised you to plan for as you age?

If you don’t currently have any health issues, it still may be helpful to consider how you would approach challenges if they occur. For example, what if you developed mobility issues and needed a walker or a wheelchair? How would that change how you get around- in your home and in the community?

What if you couldn’t take care of yourself fully, whether that involves basic care tasks (bathing, dressing, feeding, toileting, etc.) or instrumental tasks (grocery shopping, cooking, banking, transportation to medical appointments, laundry, cleaning, home maintenance, etc.)?

Who would help you with these different tasks- your family, friends, or close neighbours? Would you pay a professional to assist you? What could you afford? What are your biggest priorities and how can you factor these into your budget?

You don’t have to have all the answers right now, but it’s valuable to ask yourself these questions just to get you to start thinking about these crucial matters.

Consider the possible health and personal care needs of your partner (if applicable)

The same questions apply to your partner (if relevant). What if your partner typically took care of the home maintenance, cooking, grocery shopping, transport, laundry. cleaning, finances, etc. but can no longer do so as a result of illness, disability, or hospitalization?

If your partner becomes unable to do these tasks, needs additional personal care, and if you are limited or unable to assist them physically with their care or with the household tasks due to your own health issues, it is vital to develop a plan as to how you will tackle the needs of your partner- and you by association- to ensure all of the key areas are addressed.

Think about possible medical equipment you might require

As noted above, what if you required a walker or a wheelchair on a part-time or possibly a full-time basis?

What if you needed a hospital bed because your ability to move in bed was getting more and more difficult? How about if you require a portable lift with a sling so you could get help out of bed to your wheelchair or another device?

What if you had trouble getting in and out of the bathtub and needed a bath bench? Or maybe a handheld shower or commode to make the act of bathing itself easier? What if sitting on a regular toilet became too challenging and you needed a raised toilet seat, toilet safety bars, or a commode for toileting?

Again, these categories are not raised to scare you but are mentioned to get you to consider the many possible ways that life changes could impact how you navigate your daily needs.

What about home modifications?

The potential need for a walker, wheelchair, bathroom equipment, or a portable lift for transfers could lead to the suggestion that home modifications may make your ability to get around your home easier.

Having an occupational therapist from your community’s local health care agency and an accessibility contractor assess your home may be a good first step.

Is a ramp or a porch lift recommended for you to get inside your home? Is the front or back entrance easier to get through? Are bathroom modifications needed? Would a ceiling lift be beneficial to help you with transfers in and out of your hospital bed if it is expected that you will require a lot of assistance with transfers over the long-term?

Ask what the occupational therapist recommends, get itemized home modification quotes from multiple accessibility contractors, and get ready to make some informed decisions about short-term and long-term goals for home modifications to improve accessibility — assuming you intend to stay in your home for the long term future.

If you are renting your apartment, condo, or multi-level home, you may wish to have a conversation with your landlord to see what is possible to facilitate your ability to get in and around your home. You also may want to consider moving to a more accessible home if necessary and if possible.

Maximize the financial resources available to you – both public and personal

Post-retirement, there are several government financial resources at the provincial (Ontario) and federal (Canada) levels that may be helpful to read up on.

For example, many people contribute to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and are receiving that resource post-retirement, where the monthly amount depends on how much they have contributed during their working years, for how long, and at what age they decide to start collecting their pension.

Similarly, individuals may be able to receive Old Age Security (OAS), if they meet the criteria.

In addition, Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) may also be relevant for some people, if they qualify.

If you receive a retirement pension from your former workplace, that is important to factor into your finances. If you have retained extended health benefits from your workplace after retirement, that would also be helpful for medical expenses (e.g. medical equipment, specialized medical supplies, etc.).

Furthermore, there may be several Ontario related charities, such as the Ontario March of Dimes Home and Vehicle Modification Program, that may be useful to apply for if you meet their criteria.

Lastly, there may be provincial and federal tax credits, such as the Disability Tax Credit, Medical Expenses Tax Credit, etc. that you can find more information about on the Canada Revenue Agency link. If you have questions about these tax credits and charities, please speak with your accountant and your healthcare team.

Create a “rainy day fund” to help battle the unknown

Having a rainy day fund is pivotal to be able to manage unexpected and significant expenses as they arise. No one can predict when a health issue will come up that may cause extra costs for medical equipment, personal care, home modifications, and so on. You may find that having an emergency fund set aside might help you better cope with these unanticipated changes.

Ask your family for support if you need it – financially, practically, and emotionally

It’s no doubt that you will do everything you can to maintain your independence, abilities, and skills as much as possible. However, there may be some aspects that are too much for you to bear on your own.

In some cultures and family dynamics, it may not be common or seem reasonable to ask family members for help. If you are comfortable speaking with your family members regarding your financial, practical, and emotional needs, open up and tell them what you are struggling with and how they may be able to help you. Hopefully, you will get a positive response!

Of course, your family will only be able to help you to a certain extent given their own responsibilities, commitments, and possible health issues. You may need to draw on support from other sources (e.g. government health care, volunteer services, private fee-based services, charities, other social supports, etc.) in order to ensure all your needs are met safely.

Do your research, explore what is available to you, and plan ahead. Do your best to start somewhere and take it one day at a time.

The post Potential Health Expenses for Canadians to Consider With Aging appeared first on Medika Life.

What is motivating you to make this change?

Take a close look at and put deep thought into where your desire to make a career change is coming from. Are you unhappy in your position? Do you feel stagnant in your role? Are you looking for a challenge? Does it seem that there are no further opportunities for career advancement in your workplace? Do you yearn for a change in responsibilities, environment, industry, or area of focus?

What could be the benefits of this change?

Consider the possible financial gain that could come from a change. Could you receive a potential increase in income or benefits? What about workplace dynamics? Are you in a toxic environment and would changing companies have a positive effect on your mood, mental health, and overall coping, while recognizing there is no guarantee that things will go perfectly in a different setting? What possible opportunities for professional development, growth, and learning could a new position or career bring?

Carefully think about all of the positives that could come from taking this leap.

For what reasons would you stay in your job?

There is also the flip side about all of the reasons why you may want to stay in your job for now. This doesn’t necessarily mean forever – it could just be for some time longer until you feel more ready to make a shift.

For example, are there familial or parental reasons why you may need to stay in your role for now (e.g. job security, pension/benefits, proximity to your child’s school or your elderly parent who you are caring for, dealing with a separation or divorce, or managing your health issues or the health issues of your family)?

Are there logistical or practical reasons for remaining in your job? Some ideas may include access to transportation, recently moving into the area near your job, being close to retirement, and having concerns about making a change at this time from a financial and resource perspective).

Could there be personal reasons, such as the close bonds you have developed with your colleagues that make it hard to imagine leaving at this time, or your immense job satisfaction or pride and joy in the work that you do every day?

Weighing the benefits of making a change versus the reasons for remaining in your current job will be an important process for helping you figure out your next steps.

Where would you like to be in 5 or 10 years?

This is a common question that everyone probably hears often although it is an important one in this predicament of making career choices.

Sometimes we get stuck dealing with the present and we forget to think about how the decisions we make now can affect us in the short term and long term future. Try to expand beyond the current time and consider how the career changes you make – or don’t make – could impact your life down the road.

For example, do you want to go back to school to learn about a new subject area or explore more in-depth training or professional development in your field to increase your chances of finding a new job in the future? Do you envision being in a different industry or running your own business? What would you like your daily work life to look like? What are you passionate about and what could you see yourself doing and not getting tired of quickly?

If you are close to retirement, are you content with continuing your current role or would you like to try something different before you retire? If you are seeking change, could that new role possibly become a part-time job or a volunteer position post-retirement?

The choices you make will of course depend on your life stage, personal and professional goals, and interests and desire for change. Do what you think is best for your present and future self.

What will help you make a career decision?

What practices do you engage in that helps with reflection? Is it meditation, journaling, taking some quiet time to reflect in silence, talking out your thoughts and feelings with loved ones? Whatever it takes to help you make a decision, do that and see where it leads you.

If you do decide to make a career move or a job change, what’s your first step? Second step? Make a plan.

Before you make any changes, you need an action plan. A solid action plan will outline some of the initial steps you need to make now, a week from now, a month from now, and so on. Planning out these steps will help make your career or job transition as successful as it can be.

Consider such action plan ideas as: do you want to devote some time to updating your resume or getting someone you trust to review it and share constructive feedback? Is there a course you’ve been meaning to register for and are now committed to taking? Would it help to sign up for job alerts in your field or industry – or new fields or industries you are interested in breaking into – so that you get a sense of what is out there and what the expectations and requirements are? What skills would you like to brush up on or develop to get you that much closer to your goal?

How will you know that you are making progress in your career development? What will you observe in terms of certificates attained, interview requests, and job offers? How will you know that the job or career change is working well for you? How will you feel, what will you think, and what will you notice around you?

Your career path is fluid and ever-changing. It’s ok to stay where you are if you don’t want to make a change. Or, you can take that leap if you feel ready to jump in and if that’s what you want.

Reflect regularly, assess where you are at, weigh all the factors so you are making an informed decision, choose what’s best for you, and re-evaluate over time as you continue your journey down your career path.

The post Thinking About Making a Career Move or Job Change? appeared first on Medika Life.

Compassion fatigue is a type of secondary stress that healthcare workers can experience as a result of assisting others who have an acute health issue, chronic illness, or disability and are dealing with related stressors.

As a health worker, you may be a nurse, personal support worker, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, community service worker, doctor, paramedic, psychologist, therapeutic recreationist, social worker, respiratory therapist, or another professional amongst the many valued staff that provides healthcare services to clients on an inpatient, outpatient, or community level. Helping vulnerable people day in and day out can naturally lead to a build-up of stress that makes it hard to do your job in the way you want to or are used to.

While no two health professionals experience compassion fatigue in the same way, workers can learn how to recognize signs of compassion fatigue and use strategies to help them handle symptoms.

Signs of compassion fatigue:

1. You are less motivated and have less enjoyment in your daily work

You may find that you are not as enthusiastic about your career, don’t have as much drive in accomplishing your regular job responsibilities compared to before, and you have less interest in your daily duties. This is a major shift from how you used to feel about your position and work environment and you find it unsettling.

2. It requires more of your energy, concentration, and focus to do routine tasks

In connection with the reduction in motivation and enjoyment, you may also find that the responsibilities that usually seemed easy or straightforward to you may suddenly seem more complex, draining, time-consuming, and difficult.

What used to take you 15 minutes to finish now takes you an hour. An issue that used to be simple for you to problem solve now appears very challenging. You notice you are easily distracted and lose your focus often.

3. You feel helpless, overwhelmed and less engaged in working with your patients or clients

In the daily sessions or interactions with your patients or clients, you may start to observe that you feel helpless, overwhelmed, and overall less connected to your clients. It’s now much harder to empathize with them and help them address their needs. You feel drained and exhausted by the end of the day.

4. You take work “home with you”

When your shift is done at the end of the afternoon or evening (or maybe even the next morning depending on your type of shift), you are aware that you start going over difficult clinical situations, moments, and interactions in your mind.

Perhaps you think about what you could have done differently or how you could have handled things better — and agonize over it. Perhaps you criticize yourself for what you said or did — or what you didn’t say or didn’t do. You feel it is getting harder and harder to separate yourself from your work when you are at home.

5. There is a change in your personal habits (e.g. sleep, eating, exercise, social life)

You may sleep more or sleepless, see an increase or decrease in food intake, feel less motivated to exercise and are less active overall, withdraw from even remote social connection (given current COVID-19 pandemic requirements), and notice other major differences in your typical personal habits and routines. All are signs that you could be experiencing compassion fatigue.

6. You notice changes in your mood or physiological response as they relate to anxiety, depression, and stress

Are you feeling more irritable and impatient or are you more emotional about issues at work that don’t usually bother you? Are you experiencing headaches, stomach aches, or muscle tension before, during, or after clinical meetings? Do you feel emotionally numb when hearing upsetting stories from patients or clients? Are you feeling sad, worried, or stressed in the workplace? These kinds of changes may reflect compassion fatigue.

7. You interact differently in your personal and professional relationships

Compassion fatigue can also have an impact on your personal relationships and your coworker relationships. You may have less energy remaining to put into quality time with your loved ones or you may have trouble focusing on those interactions without thinking about work. You could have less interest in connecting with your coworkers as you begin to see your work environment as a source of stress and dissatisfaction and seek as much distance as possible.

Strategies for dealing with compassion fatigue:

1. Reflect on why you started your career path in the first place

What drew you to your profession, to begin with? It may help to remind yourself of your reasons when you are feeling discouraged about your day to day work. Whether it’s the particular client population you work with, the pace or flow of your unique position that attracted you, or the teamwork and collaboration your work environment offers — recall these values as they likely still hold true today.

2. Consider your goals for professional growth and development

Even though you may have specific reasons why you chose your career, this doesn’t mean that you need to stay stagnant or in the exact same position for your entire working life. There is room for movement within and between as your needs, interests, priorities, and other key aspects of your life change.

Perhaps you started out as a front line worker but now want to make a shift to educating students or new health professionals. Maybe you would like to take on more of a leadership role in your particular specialty or department. Or you possibly could want to start a private practice and use your skills, knowledge, and experience to focus on a certain niche that fits with your business vision. The options are endless. Taking time to reflect on your future professional goals might reinvigorate and rejuvenate you at a time when you need it most.

3. Take your lunches, breaks and vacation days

Making sure you take your lunches, breaks, vacation days, education days, and any other time that you are eligible for in your position can go a long way toward helping you feel refreshed and relaxed when you feel overloaded in your job.

4. Connect with colleagues for support

Who are the key people that surround you at work who you can rely on and trust? If you are comfortable, let them know how you are feeling. Bonding through similar experiences and learning from each other on how to handle work stress can help you feel more capable to manage your challenges.

5. Lean on your social network

Call your family or friends when you need a listening ear (given current physical distancing measures due to the coronavirus). Talk with your partner and let them know how you are feeling. Reach out to those closest to you for much-needed support.

6. Do activities that relax you

Building up your interests outside of work can help improve your outlook and refuel you. How do you like to spend your spare time? Meditating, being in nature, exercising, reading, journaling, deep breathing, listening to music, or watching funny movies? Spend 30 minutes a day or even an hour if you can — whatever amount of time sounds realistic and feasible to you — doing one or more activities. It will remind you that you have to take care of yourselfin order to take care of others.

7. Get professional help

If your stress level gets to a point where you begin using substances in an attempt to cope, experience thoughts of self-harm, start to have flashbacks of distressing events or notice you are having more intense physiological responses (e.g. difficulty breathing, a rapid heart rate, fainting, a loss of awareness, a loss of a sense of control, etc.), you may want to call your family doctor to describe your symptoms and ask how they can help.

Your doctor may refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist for assessment, diagnosis, and intervention. If you have been diagnosed with acute stress disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and it is significantly affecting your life, you may wish to seek help from a professional who specializes in PTSD treatment.

If you have a mental health emergency, call 911, or go to your nearest emergency room. For non-urgent crisis support, call a crisis phone line such as the Ontario Mental Health Help Line at 1–866–531–2600.

If you are generally trying to find ways to cope with compassion fatigue, you can seek out counseling to help you explore what is already working well and what you would like to change. Counseling might also help you figure out new methods you think could work for you. You can contact the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) connected with your employer as a first step as this may be the most financially feasible, short term option.

If you feel you need more intensive or ongoing support, seek out a counselor who you feel you have a good therapeutic rapport with and who tries to help you discover strategies to handle your concerns in a supportive manner. You can find a Social Worker through the Ontario Association of Social Work (OASW) directory or a Psychologist through the Ontario Psychological Association (OPA), as an example.

Wishing you well in your journey as you continue to explore ways to find meaning, growth, and fulfillment in your professional life.

The post 7 Signs of Compassion Fatigue and 7 Strategies to Deal With It appeared first on Medika Life.