Practitioners share top tips for coping with COVID-19

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By Katherine Shagoury

Last Updated: May 7, 2020

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has greatly affected the healthcare industry. There are those practitioners serving on the front lines treating patients, some without access to protective equipment and other resources, and those who have had to uproot their practices and adapt to working in this time of social distancing and stay-at-home mandates.

We at Integrative Practitioner want to be a resource for you, not only for information but support and connection during this challenging time. Earlier this week, we reached out to a few of our colleagues and asked them to share their top tips on how they’re getting by amid COVID-19. We weren’t looking for anything groundbreaking or robust—we simply wanted to hear what’s working for them. From there, our colleagues shared the message with their colleagues, who shared with their colleagues, and before we knew it our inbox was flooded with useful, practical tips that we had to share with our community.

Let’s keep the chain going and, as we learn and grow through this process, continue to share tips and tricks to help support each other. E-mail [email protected] with your top tips and please share our request with your network (bonus, you may reconnect with friends you haven’t heard from in a while). We will be updating this round-up weekly with new ideas from our audience.

Take care and be well.

Tips begin on next page.

1. Morning meditation. Every morning, immediately upon waking, I get out of bed and do a 15-minute meditation. No matter what my schedule is for the day or how rushed I feel in the morning, I do my meditation. It has been powerful to help me cope with the increased stress and anxiety and I feel much calmer throughout the day.

2. Get outside. I walk my dogs every day, no matter the weather, to get more outside time and help with stress management

3. Consider creative ways you can adapt in your practice. I am still working in an acute-care psychiatric setting, so my nutrition groups are now limited to only 10 participants and the furniture has been rearranged to prevent crowding.

4. Connect with patients remotely. I have a small private practice, so I sent a message to every client via my app to check in and encourage my patients to take care of themselves, especially during this time.

5. Find new ways of communicating information. I created a blog for my website on creating a robust immune system, hoping to empower my readers to take control of their health and circumstances.

– Kellie Blake, RDN, LD, IFNCP

1. Invest in some good, organic herbs spices for your kitchen and learn how to use them. To avoid going to supermarkets, I am living off the contents of my organic box, which I receive twice a week , so eating very seasonally, and the content of the box is limited, partly due to the pandemic, partly due to being between seasons so variety is limited. Food can get a bit monotonous if you don’t vary flavor, plus many of these have wonderful health benefits.

2. Unsubscribe from social media groups pushing questionable news sources for mental sanity. Reading histrionic false data has a significant negative impact on mood and creates additional anxiety for not only you and your family, but for those that you share information with. If you then share false or questionable information with your client base, you run the risk of being discredited. Plus, sometimes colleagues can have extremely different views to you, which can be shocking, upsetting, surprising, and, in these emotional times, can possibly lead to heated conversations. You might not agree with what they have to say, and it’s not worth the confrontation. 

3. Spend time with your community and support network, virtually. Social distancing has left many people feeling isolated, depressed, worried, angry, and lonely. Those with addictions are struggling. Older family members might be feeling extremely vulnerable. My family are doing group video calls daily, we are doing online painting sessions with nephews and nieces and dressing up as dinosaurs or characters from Frozen. I am checking in with colleagues and friends by creating social events online, brainstorming ideas, sharing recipes, even working out together. If you are working with patients who have a history of addiction or compulsive behavior, I find that shifting their shorter appointments from phone to video calls helps to mitigate aggression directed at you, and helps with accountability.

– Carolina Brooks, ND, BA, IFMCP

1. Let yourself grieve the loss of your usual practice. This may sound dramatic, but for many of us, our health and medical practices largely define who we are and how we feel of value, and we’re currently unable to treat many of our patients.

2. Practice acceptance. When my clinic first closed, I jumped on every idea I could to provide health services I was allowed, but the rules, guidance, and accessibility to financial supports kept changing. So, I’ve had to adjust, often. Each time practice acceptance with a mantra of, “it just is.”

3. Reach out to colleagues. While we often hear the phrase, “we’re in it together,” sometimes, for me, my situation feels so different from that of the person who’s working in the grocery store, the office worker working from home, or the retiree waiting it out at home. I have friends and family in these categories, but my worries feel so different from theirs, so reaching out to colleagues who get what I’m going through allows us to vent our shared issues while we also lend each other support.

– Melissa Carr, B.Sc., Dr.TCM

I am sticking to a routine even if I am not “working” as such, I am getting up early, doing my activations or manual therapy I do for clients, and then going for a run. I am doing some online classes with friends to stay connected. I am making sure to eat enough protein and vegetables and take all my supplements.

I have muted notifications on coronavirus and only read one or two reputable news websites when I want to catch up on anything I missed. I think it is so important to keep boundaries on exposing one’s brain to negative news and unsightly images.

I am keeping in touch with friends and family and reading more. I am taking multiple breaks because I am sitting more than I ever have in my life. I do 20 breaths in the evening and look at photos of trips in the past or places I love before I go to sleep.

– Deirdre Nazareth, DO, ND, MS, IFMCP

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, if you have too much Yang energy, it will flow into Yin. Yang can be considered activity and Yin as silence. This is a perfect time for personal and professional development. Personally, you can go inward by following your breath, meditating on compassion, gardening, or walking quietly in nature. Professionally, you can follow up on web-based continuing education or books in your field you’ve been “meaning” to read and revisit your intake paperwork and update patient handouts.

– Bill Reddy, L.Ac., Dipl.Ac.

1. In times of stress, always prioritize sleep. The circadian rhythm is entrained by light and reset by dark. It’s so important to get some full spectrum light exposure in the morning on waking, either natural by the sun or through a light box. Open the blinds or go outside for a few minutes. At night, wind down but minimizing screen time and try to sleep in total darkness.

2. Use the video apps and turn on the video. Society is so used to quick texts or a phone call because we can physically see our friends and family regularly. Unfortunately, with social or physical distancing, we need that video chat to help bridge the gap and connect us now more than ever with a visual.

3. Get it out. For me that’s journaling and listening to music or walking my dog. Others like to meditate or have home-based dance parties. Do what you need to do to shake it off. Your brain and body will thank you.

–Carrie Jones, ND, MPH

1. Turn off email notifications after 9 p.m. Anything that is urgent will have to come through phone call or text.

2. Own the first 30 minutes of the day. This is where I spend time meditating, having my coffee, and reading news that I find enjoyable to me (mostly geeky PubMed updates).

3. The plural of anecdote is data. Providing my patients with personal anecdotes from other patients provides them comfort in knowing others are going through this as well. We aren’t in it alone.

–Ralph Esposito, ND, LAc

1. Be of service. My initial response to this was to be helpful—to my family, my community and my professions. 

2. Action overrides anxiety. I take action on one thing that I can control when I feel the anxiety creep in. This might be to focus on my breathing, pet my dog, get some exercise, or craft some content for my email list or social media.

3. Be mindful of what I consume. It’s easy to stress eat and drink right now, but that’s not the best for anyone’s immune system. My strategy is making sure that 95 percent of what I consume is moving me towards health.

–Tyna Moore, ND, DC

Professionally, I am talking with my patients about ensuring their optimum health, as I am especially concerned about those with pre-existing conditions. Therefore, optimizing health and immunity now is more important than ever. I am also offering at-home IV’s for patients for those who are experiencing symptoms and to those who are looking to improve their overall health.

For me personally, I am recognizing the importance of quiet and very much enjoying this time to reflect on my life, my goals, and my relationships.

– Guy Citrin, ND

Telemedicine has worked on occasion with the patients who like to work with herbs and supplements. In my experience, telehealth has become like a family practice: one patient gets herbs and others are listening to the consultation in the background and they want to join in. For telehealth, I started an online consent form as well to create awareness of limitations of the scope of practice

When I am in clinic, I wear a mask, scarf, gown, and head cover, and disinfect all clinic surfaces. I wash all my gear and shower right after [the appointment]. I have a few patients picking up magnets and doing their own acupressure in the interim. The ones that are willing are doing amazing work.

I also offer a free, donations welcomed, virtual Qigong class every day at 9 a.m. to keep patients healthy and engaged in taking care of themselves. It keeps me motivated, too. I feel still connected to my practice in that way.

I also make my own healing balms, creams, lotions, serums, soaps, tinctures, and teas, so I have some time to focus on growing that part of my practice.

– Katrine Hegillman, Dr. TCM, BSc

Have a tip to share? E-mail [email protected]. Be sure to connect with your colleagues and have them share as well!

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