Taking moments to connect and socialize may help health care workers reduce the harmful effects of constant stress
“States of chronic defensiveness impact on our mental and physical health and cognitive processes. Cognitive decisions are poorer when the decision-makers are in chronic states of defense and hypervigilance.” The higher-level thinking doctors need right now becomes clouded.COVID-19 came so quickly that there were no protocols in place on the night Dr. Battaglioli first faced it.
When we spoke, she reflected on returning to work the next day. She echoes the feelings of so many health professionals when she says, “This is the only time in my when I have experienced anxiety. I've cried. And I've been afraid of what I will encounter when I go into work, and afraid that I may not be able to protect myself.”The obvious conclusion is that helping healthcare workers feel safe as they care for patients is a priority, and safety equipment is a big part of that. But another piece of the puzzle is something medicine has relied on for generations: camaraderie.
According to Porges, “Our nervous systems crave moments of safety and reassurance from those we trust. When trusting individuals are not available, our nervous systems try to guide us to safety but often they map a journey of defense and not. The ONLY offset/reset of our nervous system is through co-regulation — feeling safe with a select group of trusted individuals. At times it might be the family dog.
On a typical day in hospitals and offices, you’ll hear doctors and nurses talking through tough cases and sharing their personal lives. Informal debriefing and socialization are built into the way medical teams function, a natural way to bring biological resources back online. The question is how to provide that for medical teams working in the epicenters of the pandemic, where relaxed moments are hard to come by.
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