Being a mental health care provider during COVID-19 can be both rewarding and challenging. I’m providing some bullet points for those in practice to fortify their mental health through this period where your services are needed and necessary. Your health is as important as the health of your clients.

• On your drive to and from the office, you may have practiced habits of distancing, rehearsing, and releasing, which supported keeping a professional line and your own health. Doing telehealth may have prevented you from engaging in a long-practiced healthy habit.  Find a space in your home where you can continue to do these supportive mental gymnastics before and after work.  Communicate what you’re doing with those who share your space to ensure you have the space to do what you need to do. 
• Many clients are experiencing anxiety, fear, and the like.  It may be unusual for so many clients to seemingly share a common, somewhat similar issue.  If this is the case, please be actively aware that prolonged exposure, especially if you link their issues together as “everyone is having the same issues” — can have an impact on you.  Be aware that no fear or anxiety—even if the subject matter seems similar, is the same. Be watchful of the potential for a cumulative effect on you. 
  • Habits which can assist in caring well for you if any part of the above applies:
    • Journal in a separate professional diary only to be used for this time, and only in the area you have designated as your office. 
    • Create further separation between your home and the office space in your home. Leave work at work even though you brought it home.
    • Physically shut the door to leave work at work in your home, and remain focused when you shut the door so that you are  leaving the work behind. Be deliberate and reinforce the idea.
    • Remind yourself of the professional line that you practice regularly. If you have been in practice a long time, it’s most likely something automatic and you haven’t thought about it in years. Think about it, and give your thought some updating. Things are a bit different now.
    • If you have concerns regarding the pandemic, do your best to see your issues as fully separate from your clients. 
    • Create a space after work for at least one hour where the discussion and/or focus is not pandemic related. Give yourself a break.
• Feed your brain based on the work you’re currently doing. The added layers of emotions and this type of brain work demand more glucose physically. You may experience tiredness earlier. Feed your brain fiber (almonds, walnuts) and nutrients that deliver energy to support your work. Feed your brain!
• Add in a bit of extra pacing or walking between clients to walk it off, walk away, and create movement in your body to support the work and forward movement you are creating with clients.
• Consider engaging a mental health care provider to ensure you have what you need.
• Review your limits. Access your hours. Access how you feel after each client. Do you need to add in some extra time between clients to build resilience?
• Access how many people you are supporting.  Your clientele? Your family? Your friends? You may have the urge to reach out when people express discomfort and difficulty. Are you in a solid position to offer that at this time?
• Give yourself permission for what you need.  Take the steps needed to manage the potential guilt you may feel for setting needed boundaries which support you.
• Prepare some responses for friends and family prior to needing those responses.  A few examples might be: “It’s been a long day for me and I’m not as focused as I would like to be. May we have this conversation in a few days?” or “I’m not at my best at the moment. I need a long hot shower. Could we pick this up another time?”
• Recognize the slow simmer of isolation, economic uncertainty, grief, and fear is also at pandemic proportions and you are not immune.  Selfcare and nourishing activities are a necessity not a luxury.

A large portion of my clients are mental health care providers and coaches. I developed this listing to support my clients. Please feel free to share this document with those who might be in need. 

This will be a living document.
Catherine Gross, MCC
@Copyright 2020