Emotional Well-Being During COVID

How you manage your daily stress during COVID can impact your emotional and physical health in the long term. There are many stress management tools available. Not every tool works for every person, and no tool works all the time.

Identify tools that may help you at different times. If something works for a time then doesn’t work as well, try something new. As always, if you are in crisis, reach out for help (find resources below).

Wellness Resources

Addressing Burnout During the COVID Pandemic [PDF] - A Zoom-based training program for healthcare leaders from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Dec. 16-18, 2020. CME credits available. Register today!

Special Resources for All Front Line Providers During COVID-19 [PDF]

Mindfulness – When we take time to notice our thoughts and feelings without judgement, we learn to be in the present moment and can boost our immunity. Learn more from the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley.
Breathing – Deep breathing helps you concentrate, relax and relieves tension and anxiety, too. Get breathing practice tips from Harvard Medical School.
Meditation – Regular meditation counters stress and literally creates peace of mind. Explore different meditation types through the Mayo Clinic.
Gratitude - A regular gratitude practice can help you find more joy in each day - and has many other benefits as well. Learn more about the benefits of gratitude and how to do a daily gratitude practice.
Exercise – Exercise routines not only strengthen bones and muscles but also enhance your mental health. Learn how much exercise is recommended for your age from the National Institutes of Health
Social connection – Studies show that social connection improves your immune system and increases longevity. Discover more about the value of connecting with people from Stanford Medicine’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.
Laugh – Did you know laughter can ease pain and reduce stress while promoting happiness? Gain strategies for adding more laughter to your life at verywellmind.com.
Serve – Research shows that when we help others – especially during times of adversity – we actually counter personal anxiety and improve our own well-being. Learn the science behind service.
Pets – Pet owners and pet sitters alike attest to the health values of interacting with their furry friends—from staving off loneliness to lowering blood pressure. Get educated on more pet plusses at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Spiritual – Whether you’re a weekly churchgoer or prefer to worship nature on mountain hikes, spiritual practices can enhance feelings of gratitude, improve relationships and help you experience more compassion in life. Learn more about spirituality benefits at SAMHSA.

OTHER COVID-19 RESOURCES:

American Hospital Association: Protecting and Enabling Healthcare Workers
National Academy of Wellbeing: Supporting Clinician Wellbeing During CoVid-19
National Academy of Wellbeing: Ensuring Clinician Wellbeing in an Age of Uncertainty
American Medical Association: Caring for Health Care Workers During Crisis
ACGME: Wellbeing in the Time of CoVid-19
Institute for Healthcare Improvement: Psychological PPE
Institute for Healthcare Improvement: Caring for the Caregiver Webinar Series
Project Echo

Decompression Sessions – Drop-ins

Employee Well-Being & Nursing Excellence offer a variety of self-care activities to help cope with the stress of COVID-19, including breathing sessions, coloring stations, yoga mats, tranquil music, massage, snacks and 1:1 Well-Being Sessions. No appointment needed.

Location: UNMH, Barbara & Bill Richardson Pavillion, Rm. 3000

Weekdays 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Sometimes the hardest part about asking for help is recognizing the need to ask. Some good times to reach out for support are when:

…you have discussed your feelings with family and/or friends, and they/you do not feel they can help.
…you choose not to discuss your feelings further with family and/or friends for fear of “burdening” them.
…you feel isolated and believe that you have no one who cares about how you feel.
… you don’t spontaneously snap out of feeling badly within a few days to several weeks.
…you feel stuck in a behavior, thoughts, or feelings that you want to change but can’t change on your own.
…you want the perspective of a trained professional.
…you believe your work and/or relationships may be compromised by how you are feeling, thinking, or behaving.
…you want to learn a specific coping skill, i.e. relaxation, biofeedback, assertiveness, etc.
…you and your partner want help communicating better (couples counseling).
…your self-esteem seems to be draining away and/or you feel overwhelmed with responsibilities.
…you don’t necessarily feel you have a problem but would like to think “preventively” about your emotional health and personal growth.
…you feel you are using alcohol or illicit drugs to “self-medicate” or to make yourself feel better.
…you feel burned out and/or emotionally exhausted.
…you are thinking about self-harm or about suicide.
…you are engaging in self-harm or self-destructive behavior.
...you think it would be helpful to you.

Common Questions About Emotional Health

I am in crisis and need help NOW. Where can I get help?

Psychiatric Emergency Services —Open 24 hours/day, 7 day/week. Call 505-272-9038.
Agora Crisis Center —Phone hotline staffed by trained specialists. Call 505-277-3013. Chat hotline on website.
National Suicide Awareness Hotline —24/7 free and confidential support. Call 800-273-8255 or text crisis text line (text home to 741741).
New Mexico Crisis and Access Line (NMCAL) —24/7 free and confidential support. Call 855-662-7474.
Outcomes, Inc.— Our UNMH employee assistance program has a 24/7 access line. Call 505-243-2551. Also available to all interns, residents and fellows.
Student Health and Counseling (SHAC) —24-hour crisis line. Call 505-277-3136 and select option 3. There is a licensed counselor available 24/7.

I need to talk with someone. Where can I be seen in a timely way?

Always feel free to reach out to the UNM Office of Professional Wellbeing or UNMH Employee Well-being from the intranet or your VPN access – we are happy to work on connecting you with the right professionals – or meet with you 1:1. Please also see mentalhealth.unm.edu.

For HSC Students, Residents and Fellows Only:

Rebecca Ezechukwu, PhD, UNM Psychologist
505-274-8919 or Rezechukwu@salud.unm.edu

Raven Cuellar, Ph.D., UNM Psychologist
505-239-9880 or ravencuellar@salud.unm.edu

For SOM Medical Students, Residents and Fellows Only:

Jeff Dunn, MD is a psychiatrist who has 0.45 FTE to see SOM residents and fellows only. He can be contacted for therapy and/or medication management. He can be reached at JeDunn@salud.unm.edu and usually responds within 24 hours.

For UNMH Clinical Staff and Employees, all SOM Residents and Fellows:

Outcomes EAP provides 1:1 counseling, couples counseling, education and conflict resolution. Please call 505-243-2551.

For all UNMH Clinical Staff and Employees:

Steve Nuanez, LCSW, Director of UNMH Employee Well-being, is available to meet with individuals. Access UNMH Employee Well-being from the intranet or your VPN access.

For all HSC Faculty and Staff, Including Residents and UNMG Employees:

Counseling and Referral Services (CARS) is UNM’s main Employee Assistance program. They provide individual and couples counseling, seminars and workshops. Call 505-272-6868.

For Everyone Who Works at the UNM HSC, UNMH, SRMC and UNMMG:

The Women’s Resource Center, a UNM main campus resource, recently opened a resource center on the North campus called the Vassar House. The Vassar House provides counseling, group workshops, advocacy and more. All services are confidential and are NOT charted in Power Chart
1:1 brief, confidential wellness checks with psychologists - no documentation in Power Chart, confidential, free of charge. Contact clinic coordinator Dalia Thompson at 505-272-6130.
Peer Supporters - For faculty, please contact OPW@salud.unm.edu to be connected with a faculty peer for anonymous, confidential support.

My team just had a bad patient outcome (or other impactful clinical event). We need to debrief and we need to do so quickly. Who can help us?

Outcomes, Inc.— Our UNMH employee assistance program has a 24/7 access line. Call 505-243-2551.
Steve Nuanez, LCSW, Director of UNMH Employee Wellbeing – Snuanez@salud.unm.edu
Department of Spiritual Care (also known as Pastoral Care Department) – available 24/7 – please call the on-call pager 505-380-9955.
Counseling and Referral Services (CARS) – Call 505-272-6868.
Peer Supporters - For faculty, please contact OPW@salud.unm.edu to be connected with a faculty peer for anonymous, confidential support.

I just want some resources to check to see how I am doing and read more about professional well-being.

SHAC has Therapy Assistance Online, a great self-help resource available to anyone with a @salud.unm.edu or @unm.edu address. This resource allows each person to self-assess and participate in multiple curricula related to behavioral health issues such as anxiety, depression, stress.
Institute of Medicine’s website of resources to support the health and well-being of clinicians during CoVid-19.
UNM Campus Climate website also provides information on a wealth of campus resources.
The Greater Good Magazine – a website from UC Berkley looking at the science of how to live a more meaningful life.
Stanford Well MD – offers a great resource on physician well-being, links to other resources, self-assessments and more.
UNMH Employee Well-Being offers webinars and videos. Please use the intranet or your VPN access to visit UNMH Office of Employee Wellbeing or contact the Director of Employee Wellbeing.
Office of Professional Wellbeing has additional links and resources.