'Coping in the Season'

by Ren Ci Hospital

COVID-19 has brought about much disruption to our daily lives at an unprecedented level worldwide. As we adapted to new ways of working, we noted and acknowledged the higher levels of anxiety, sense of loneliness, and loss of familiarity that can be overwhelming for many of our staff.

As a response to these concerns, the Ren Ci Hospital Psychosocial Services Programme Team, composed of Medical Social Workers and Art Therapists, developed Coping in this Season, a psychosocial support programme for our dedicated care staff during this period. The 5Cs for Coping in this Season are:

• Cope with the uncertainty,
• seek Comfort,
• find Connections,
• Care for self and others, and
• engage in Creative self-expressions.

Some of the programme’s activities include the Kit Kat Kit and the Flight of Hope art directive that we hope will benefit staff’s everyday lives as they navigate through this season.

The 5Cs on Work Chat

We engaged the use of our Work Chat platform in the weekly delivery of the 5Cs self-care initiatives. For example, on Fridays, an encouraging COPE (quote) of the week is shared with our staff, in hopes that it can help them cope better with evolving changes.

Kit Kat Kit

The main item in the Kit Kat Kit was an activity booklet with 30 activities to encourage the deepening of staff’s physical, social, spiritual, psychological, and emotional health and resilience.

The kit also included a blank letterhead and postcard for directed activities that are sent via Work Chat, as well as a daily Check-in Today reminder list, a piece of Kit Kat chocolate, and a mindful eating meditation script.

Flight of Hope

Staff were also encouraged to participate in an art-based self-care activity to visualise their current worries and concerns and create an imagery of hope on the other side of the bird template. The activity allowed room for the expression of feelings towards the challenges faced during the virus outbreak period, and encouraged staff to find inner resources to cope with their challenges.

Some staff have expressed how these activities have encouraged reflection and provided them with a chance to be creative. One staff shared that receiving postcards with dedications, prayers and thoughts gave her strength and made her feel less alone.

Sharing common experiences can enhance a sense of belonging, mutuality, and support (source: Community Pandemic Influenza Psychosocial Support Plan, 2012). We hope that these ongoing initiatives will continue to help our staff to regain control of their life, reinforce meaningful connections between themselves and others during this uncertain period, and foster individual and organisational resilience.