April 13

Whose Boat is it Anyway?

COVID-19, Lee Sweeney, Psychology

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Whose Boat is it Anyway?

By Lee Sweeney, QSR

April 13, 2020

Adapting, Coping, COVID-19, Psychological First Aid

As a Psychological First Aid Instructor and a workplace training specialist, I am acutely aware of some of the impacts the current international crisis is having on mental health in the workplace and on the public in general.

Mental health is getting daily attention in the news. Buzz words and clichés are being used, like "self care" and "social anxiety".

But without an understanding of what these terms mean, I find people applying self-diagnoses and "boxes" around themselves, trying to classify what they are feeling.

This seems to be an understandable method of normalizing ourselves in an abnormal time. We all struggle with "what IS the new normal?"

Quote of the day I heard from a very smart doctor on Global news yesterday:

Everyone keeps saying we are all "in the same boat". But he opines this is not really true. Yes, we are all riding this same "river" of uncertainty together BUT we each have our own boat, and deal with it in our own way.

We cannot judge how others are coping or compare their reactions to our own. All of us need to seek out what can work best for us individually, which may not be the same as those around us. Some find comfort in reading and meditation while others may find exercise, music and games to be what works for them. I'm planting flower seeds today; it gives me hope for better sunnier days ahead.

But that's just me. I'd love to hear your comments about what you are doing to cope and maintain your mental health.

So, lets support ourselves as well as each other.

Let’s seek out those resources and try different things to better understand our own mental health as individuals.

Here's a great place to start:

  • The Red Cross provides a FREE Psychological First Aid Pocket Guide - you can find it here.​
  • Soteria120 also has a COVID-19 Business Survival Guide available for free.
  • We are developing psychological support resources in parallel with this program.​
  • We have also partnered with BetterU who have put together a great COVID-19 Information resource using the same Ottolearn platform that Soteria120 uses.​

Staying healthy includes your mind. What have you done for your mental health today?

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Lee Sweeney, QSR

About the author

Lee is Soteria120 content developer and blog contributor. She writes from the diverse perspectives of commercial underwriting and risk management, healthcare, education, First Aid/CPR/CFA, and workplace safety and quality management. She also holds a QSR (Qualified Safety Representative) designation.

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