People who work in health care settings are facing unprecedented pressures and uncertainty due to COVID-19. It can be challenging to find support when we’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Research has found that the support we sometimes seek may be among us, and that using the ‘buddy system’ can help. Catching things early does make a difference so it can be a good idea to check in with someone and yourself and start a conversation.

The ‘buddy up system’ is a peer support strategy that can help us deal with adverse events, stressful situations or difficult days at work and can be a beneficial part of our overall support system. Think about ‘buddying up’ with a colleague you trust for check-ins and informal chats. As the military model would say, it’s great to have ‘a peer with an ear.’ Many of you likely do this on your own already. However, if you are looking for some structure or haven’t thought about ‘buddying up’ before, here are some tips on how to do it:

How buddy check-ins work
• Choose a colleague you know and with whom you feel comfortable.
• Choose a way of connecting on a regular basis—in person, by phone, video or text.
• Schedule these connections and try to stick to the schedule.

What to talk about with your buddy
• A daily self-assessment tool may be a good place to start. It provides questions to ask each other that
may help to guide the conversation.
• You may wish to speak to each other using the colour chart from the self-awareness and wellness check-
in tool. i.e. ‘I’m feeling worried about this (patient, meeting, interview), and I didn’t sleep well. I’m feeling
in the yellow today.’ Using the self-awareness and wellness check-in tool can remind us to practice our
own self check-ins also.

Use the HELP method* to guide your chat
1. Ask: “How are you doing?”
2. Be Empathic and understanding.
3. Listen without judgement and share your concerns.
4. Plan the next steps. Encourage your buddy to seek formal support and/or ask what you can do to help.
Remember, your conversations need to be confidential. A trusting relationship is key.

Did you know that having moments of gratitude can be very good for your health? Studies show that gratitude can help you feel happier and more satisfied with life. Showing gratitude to others can also strengthen your relationship with that person.

Here are two ways that you can experience gratitude. Give them a try!
-Show gratitude to someone you’re grateful for! Try reaching out to someone in your life who you are thankful for and let them know why.
-Write down three things a day that you are grateful for. Writing things down, or even consciously thinking about them, can be just as beneficial for your health.
Try practicing gratitude one small step at a time and gradually, you will find yourself feeling the benefits!
Gratitude is one of our resilience tips. You can find it more information on gratitude

For some of us, creativity can be buried under everyday life tasks, routines, and responsibilities. For others, creativity might be a part our hobbies or work without realizing it.
Research shows that fun and creativity can improve our quality of life and reduce stress. Here are some tips to help you boost your creativity:

Think outside the box. When faced with a problem, consider all possible solutions. Ask people from different backgrounds and interests for their perspective.

Learn about something new. Maybe it is a new recipe, a different form of exercise or a book you wouldn’t ordinarily read.

Be spontaneous. Build in moments of spontaneity by doing something fun, new or adventurous.
Play. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we stopped playing. Play is not just for children. It can be an important source of relaxation and stimulation that can boost our creativity. Do something that only requires you to have fun and enjoy yourself. Here are some ideas to get you started:

-Create artwork
-Play charades, board games, cards or any other game
-Go for a walk with no destination in mind
-Listen to a silly song

Three tips for getting restful sleep during stressful times

When we experience intensely stressful times, our body helps us by gathering its resources and flooding our body with neurochemicals. These neurochemicals can make it difficult for us to calm our system and fall asleep.

During stressful times, we may experience an interrupted sleep cycle. Difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, experiencing daytime sleepiness, and/or having bad dreams are all possible results of an interrupted sleep cycle.

Sleep is also used to consolidate our experiences from the day, creating memories. In situations such as COVID-19, it is not uncommon to have fear-based dreams.

Watching the news or scanning social media before bedtime can activate our systems and can increase the likelihood of both having dreams about the information we took in before falling asleep and waking up during our bad dreams.

The goal is to help our body feel that it is time to rest. Anything that could activate our system will make this more difficult.

Here are some strategies to help support your sleep:
1. Avoid stimulating activities: Just before bed, try to avoid watching the news, using your cell phone or tablet, or drinking caffeine.
2. Signal to your body that it is time to rest: Try taking a warm bath, drinking warm, non-caffeinated beverages, reading or listening to music
3. Consider using a white noise machine: White noise created by a fan or an app can help improve sleep, particularly for people who are having bad dreams. The white noise makes a constant ambient noise that can lessen other sounds. It can also remind your brain that it is time to rest.

Those who struggle with imposter syndrome often believe that others are more competent and intelligent than themselves. Often, those with imposter syndrome feel that sooner or later everyone will find out the truth: that they are a fraud or have been faking it all along. These beliefs persist in people with imposter syndrome even though most are high achieving, competent, and excel in their jobs. Imposter syndrome is common in one study, 70% of individuals who were categorized as successful in their fields reported experiencing imposter syndrome at some point. There is some evidence that imposter syndrome is higher in women, and that it is more pronounced in high achievers.1,2

Imposter syndrome and perfectionism are linked together. Perfectionism and fear of failure underly the feelings of being an imposter or fraud. Many with imposter syndrome end up working or studying excessively for fear that they will fail and be found out as a fraud or in some cases avoid and procrastinate altogether. Often, any achievement (e.g., getting a job or promotion) is attributed to luck or some other temporary cause, which means that success does not bring relief or satisfaction to those with imposter syndrome, but further feelings of anxiety.

Tips and Strategies

Talk to a mentor or peer. Imposter syndrome is a common belief. It can help to discuss it with those that you look up to or with whom you work.

Make a list of your accomplishments or achievements. Remind yourself of all that the work you have done. Try to avoid dismissing or downplaying your achievements as luck or circumstance.

Find ways to share your expertise. Sharing your knowledge can help highlight how much you know. Many find teaching, mentoring, or presenting to others validating, since it shows the progress you’ve made in your field.

Welcome Failure. The idea of failing can seem terrifying. However, it’s normal to make mistakes and learning often happens through our errors. Ask others about times they have screwed up and you’ll be surprised by how often it happens and how little people talk about it.


Good reads
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/basics/imposter-syndrome
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/real-women/201809/the-reality-imposter-syndrome
https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2013/11/fraud
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/how-be-yourself/201708/nine-ways-fight-impostor-syndrome
https://emba.mit.edu/blog-post/the-hidden-power-of-imposter-syndrome/

To manage these feelings, it is important to remember the coping strategies that work best for you, and to take care of yourself and the ones you love.

Air pollution is another environmental factor to consider when you’re exercising outdoors. People with heart and lung disease are even more likely to experience negative health effects or symptoms from exposure to air pollution. Refer to the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) to learn more about the air quality around you!

As the situation continues to evolve, it is important to continue to engage in the activities that nurture you, even if you need to adjust how you do them a little.
- Take a walk or somehow connect with nature.
- Read a book or listen to an audiobook.
- Practice yoga or exercise at home.
- Sit quietly with a cup of tea.
- Listen to music or a podcast.
- Watch a sunset.
- Connect with a friend through technology or by phone
- Take a few deep, mindful breaths.
- Watch something funny.
- Engage in something creative.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, you are not alone. There is help available in the get help right now section

Environmental factors like bright sunlight, extreme heat and high humidity challenge your body’s ability to manage the heat and maintain a normal body temperature.

Air pollution is another environmental factor to consider when you’re exercising outdoors. People with heart and lung disease are even more likely to experience negative health effects or symptoms from exposure to air pollution. Refer to the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) to learn more about the air quality around you!

Here are a few other tips for exercising in warm weather:

Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after your exercise.

Choose your timing: Check the temperature and the AQHI forecast and plan your exercise either indoors or at cooler or lower AQHI times of the day.

Clothing: Clothes should be light coloured, loose and comfortable. Wear a hat to limit sun exposure and consider clothing designed to block UV and keep you cool and dry.

Wear sunscreen: A sunburn can decrease the body’s ability to cool itself.

Reduce your pace: You may need to reduce your pace for the first few weeks when the weather is warm.

There may be times when the heat, humidity and AQHI are too high to execise. Make sure you have an indoor option for exercise at these times!

For other safe exercise tips, be sure to check out the Heart Institute’s Cardiac Rehabilitation: Physical Activity Guide.

Try this:

Think about the last time you woke up on a good pain day. Did you do the dishes and maybe do a load of laundry or three? At the end of the day, did your chronic pain flare up and take several days to recover?

Just as hockey players rest on the bench between each shift, taking regular rest breaks while running errands or doing activities can help prevent pain flare ups and help you to get more done. This strategy is called time-based pacing.


Here’s incorporate time-based pacing into your daily activities:

Identify a task that you typically do every day that increases your pain. You can also identify an activity that you plan on doing this week but are worried may cause an increase in pain.

Estimate how long you can do this activity safely without causing a pain flare. The amount of time should be a few minutes less than the point when pain begins. For instance, if you start having pain after standing still for 10 minutes, write down eight minutes.

Estimate how long you will need to rest before starting the task again to avoid a pain flare.

Try performing the activity for the estimated time and then alternate with the rest time. It can be helpful to use a timer with an alarm.

Time-based pacing might seem counter-productive at first and you may be tempted to push through after the alarm tells you to stop, remember that you may be more successful in the long run by taking it slow!