The first suggestion on relieving the stress during disease outbreaks is turning off the news. During times of violence, death and disaster, being constantly reminded of it can lead to prolonged stress that can be associated with even worse health conditions. Throughout history, infectious disease outbreaks such as measles, hepatitis A and Ebola are recent disease outbreaks that had flooded the news outlets and now COVID-19.
Sanitize Squad is here to help you minimize that stress with our 4 steps to get your mind off of all of which is going on in the news.
Step 1: Have emergency kits and plans in place to prepare
This will take the stress on worrying about whether or not you and your loved ones are protected and taken care of if you were to contract the virus. Emergency kits should contain items such as face masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and disinfectant to help prevent the spread of person to person transmission of the virus. Ensure that you have a sufficient amount of equipment to cover all members of the facility that you are in.
Doing this will alleviate the stress of worrying whether of not you will be safe in the midst of the outbreak of an infectious disease.
Here an article by Canada.ca to further help you be prepared :
Step 2: Protect yourself from outbreaks of diseases
Ensuring the washing of hands, avoiding touching your face, environmental cleaning and safe handling of workplace/high volume places are all amazing ways to help prevent the spread of an infection. Visit our “Workplace tips for Employers and Their Employees” blog for the latest tips to ensure the health and safety of yourself and those around you.
Step 3: Get the facts, the REAL facts
Be sure to seek out real and credible sources for the latest health information that can offer you facts about how you can protect yourself and those around you. Great resources would be the World Health Organization, Canada.ca, the CDC and Telehealth Ontario. You can also check out your local city, province and/or country health departments for up-to-date information.
Step 4: Stress and anxiety are not to be taken lightly
If you are feeling stress and/or having symptoms of anxiety, be sure to reach out to your health care specialist to seek professional help. Signs/symptoms of stress and/or anxiety include; lack of sleep, lack of appetite, feelings of sadness and depression, and excessive worrying.
The Crisis Services of Canada offers a variety of resources also recommends contacting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) if you or someone you know mentions or threatens hurting themselves or someone else.