Stress Management for Relief Workers

Guest Post by Gina Gabelia

The International Community is grateful to relief workers, who fearlessly face insurmountable challenges and demands, to provide disaster relief.  In post-quake Nepal relief workers are literally working round the clock and suffering significant consequences,  in one case, an emergency doctor suffered a heart attack after working nonstop in a hospital in Pokhara.  Disaster workers are especially vulnerable to the strains and pressures inherent to relief work that detrimentally impact physical and psychological health.  The compounded effects of long-term exposure to environmental, political, and socioeconomic crisis and instability can lead to burnout, anxiety, depression or post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) (Soliman, H.H., and Gillespie, D.F., 2011).   In order to successfully achieve relief goals and missives, it is essential for disaster workers to practice self-care in both the physical and psychological realms.   Disaster workers cannot help or provide relief if they are physically or psychologically debilitated. 

Relief workers are encouraged to adopt simple self-care practices to ensure their physical and psychological well-being.  It is critical to take these basic measures regularly:

• Take time to eat meals and snacks to keep your blood sugar levels stable
• Consume enough liquids to avoid dehydration
• Take regular rest
• Take a few moments to meditate, pray, or breathe mindfully
• Take a few minutes to engage in simple physical activities – even a 10 minute walk can change your mood by activating your own systems and giving your body a break from routine stress!  
• Talk to your fellow relief workers to share the astounding joys and support each other through the tough experiences.  Your teammates can become your greatest support as you work together to save lives, provide resources, and coordinate logistics.
• Smile!  Research shows that a central component to relief workers' health and efficacy is humor, which reduces stress, improves communications, develops personal relationships, improves commitment to projects, encourages shared values, bridges perceived social distances, creates psychological safety and generally improves psychological health, and most importantly, mission achievement (Romero and Pescosolido, 2011).   
• Stay current on essential safety practices and updated on the situation as it evolves. Awareness will eliminate feelings of confusion and isolation from the larger picture
• Try to maintain regular contact with teammates and colleagues in country, and family and friends back home.  It might seem a huge burden, but this will help smooth tough transitions to better allow you to provide help and assistance.

Remember, you can't help anyone if you are physically or psychologically incapacitated so please take a few moments a day to practice self-care, and thank you for fighting the good fight!

References:

Curling, P., & Simmons, K.B. (2010). Stress and staff support strategies for international aid work. Intervention, 8(2),

Prati, G., Pietrantoni, L., & Cicognani, E. (2011). Coping strategies and collective efficacy as mediators between stress appraisal and quality of life among rescuee workers. International Journal of Stress Management, Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0021298,

Romero, E., & Pescosolido, A. (2008 ). Humor and group effectiveness. Human Relations, 61(3),

Soliman, H.H., & Gillespie, D.F. (2011). A test of stress theory: relief workers in refugee camps. Disasters Overseas Development Institute, Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/j1467-7717.2011.01241.x, Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-7717.2011.01241.x/abstract