Glenora Psychology Tip Sheets

The following is information for frontline workers to help identify and manage stress. Some Changes in Yourself or Your Work Environment May Include: Increased anxiety about your and others health Increased demand for shifts and hours at work Increased workload and expectations Increased expectations for cleanliness and infection control Loneliness from losing contact with friends and family Anger about potentially being exposed to virus due to others’ negligence Worry over the length of time the risk to the novel coronavirus will last Helplessness about being unable to help others (if quarantined or ill) Irritability or restlessness about being unable to work (if quarantined or ill) Normal Feelings: During this time, it is normal to be stressed During this time, is normal to have many other feelings (i.e., anger, fear, etc). Ignoring the feelings can mean they will come out in other ways, such as: Exploding at someone else Keeping you…

Be Gentle with Yourself: The coronavirus has created an environment described by many as ‘unprecedented.’ Since most of us have not seen anything like this in our lifetime, it’s okay to be confused or upset. Acknowledge that this is a difficult time, and be gentle with yourself while you sort things out. Know that it’s okay when you try something and it doesn’t go according to plan, and recognize it’s normal to make some mistakes or mis-steps along the way. Give yourself permission to accept that this is a challenging situation, and is not a time when you, (or anyone else!) is expected to be perfect. Rather, be gentle with yourself while you navigate what is best for you and your family. Allow for Time Alone… Just as your family did not spend all of your time together before the onset of the coronavirus, it would be unnatural for you…

Summer seems to be a much better time of the year for a new start than on January 1st where the average temperatures range between -17 and -27 degrees Celsius in Fort Chipewyan and between 1 and -10 degrees Celsius in Waterton and across Alberta we are lucky to get 8 hours of sunlight. While New Year’s resolutions are great for business if you own a fitness club, it is a hard time of the year to get new things started.   There appears to be two kinds of resolutions – starting a new habit or breaking a bad habit. Why so many people fail at breaking bad habits is they simply try to stop doing something: drinking, smoking, snacking, binge watching television, etc. Our behaviours (habits) good or bad are generally there for a reason. If we simply quit something that is not good or desirable for us to do it leaves a void which can feel…

We have to sleep almost every day of our lives to regenerate our bodies and our minds. When getting a good night’s sleep becomes a problem, it can have a negative affect in every area of your life including your health and well-being, your productivity at work and at home, and your relationships with others. Sleep problems take many forms and can include difficulty falling asleep, waking frequently, waking and not being able to go back to sleep, nightmares, or restless sleep and waking feeling exhausted. While there are times when sleep difficulties have solely a medical cause, most sleep problems are related to emotional issues or poor sleeping habits that have developed over time. Problems such as excessive worrying, rumination, anxiety, depression, and stress are usually the cause of sleeping difficulties. It is important to discuss your sleeping problems with your medical doctor to begin to explore the cause…

Fear is part of life and we are lucky that it exists. Fear warns us of dangers and gives us a much needed adrenaline boost to be able to take physical action in a crisis. Fear also tells us when we are in a potentially dangerous situation that we may wish to avoid. Our evolutionary response to fear is “fight, flight, freeze or faint” and we can even see it in nature such as talking about “the deer in the headlights”. However, what about the mass marketing of fear for media ratings? There is a difference between preparedness for a crisis, or potential crisis, and feelings that we have become helpless victims. According to many media sources all teenagers are on drugs, in gangs and have weapons, to only give one ridiculous example of how we tend to emphasize and sensationalize the negative. And of course we all remembered how…

Loneliness can be a common experience for people after a loss or bereavement. People may feel lonely for many reasons.  They may have lost someone very close to them, and miss all the things they used to do or share with that person. They may find that a few months after their loss, the initial support they received has lessened, as others appear to be moving on with their lives. Sometimes family and friends appear to withdraw or to become involved in their own lives, or they may seem to be less comfortable around the bereaved person.  And sometimes, as part of their own grieving process, people find that they have withdrawn from people or from activities that they used to enjoy. This can lead to feelings of isolation, and they may find it harder to pick up the threads of their old life, or to move on and form…

For many working people the new motto seems to be “work hard, play hard and sleep hardly”. This is not necessarily a recipe for success. Psychologists have demonstrated again and again that not enough sleep impairs concentration and memory while also increasing levels of stress hormones and disrupting our metabolism. One study found that by getting an extra 60 to 90 minutes of sleep per night memory and concentration are improved, our immune system is strengthened and our risk of being killed in an accident decreases. “Driving while Drowsy” is seen to be responsible for a number of serious car crashes each year. One way of thinking of sleep is by comparing it to your bank account. Those who chronically are not getting enough sleep build up “sleep debt”, which is just like going into overdraft. Like an overdrawn account we have to pay back the sleep we owe our…

Too many people don’t take very good care of themselves until their health becomes an issue. You would think that with all of the efforts of health care professionals, the initiatives of various levels of government, and the increasing medical knowledge in this area, people in this part of the world would be an exceptionally healthy group but this is not necessarily so. One reason why many people overlook self-care is because our bodies are strong and adaptable and we can accommodate unhealthy changes until the problems become acute and chronic. When it comes to health, it seems that the focus of our attention is on crisis intervention, symptom management, and problem resolution. In addition, many people are generally, by nature, caring people who are sensitive to the needs of others. It’s tough to make time to care for yourself when family, friends, colleagues, employers, and the demands of life…

The days get shorter, the nights get colder, and as you search for your woollies, you begin to dread the long winter ahead. It doesn’t have to be this way. There are people who suffer the symptoms of depression during the winter months, but not everyone who experiences “down times” during the winter is necessarily suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Seasonal Affective Disorder is the name given to a pattern of Major Depression where the essential feature is the onset and remission of Major Depressive Episodes at characteristic times of the year. In most cases, the episodes begin in fall or winter and the symptoms subside in the spring. To obtain a diagnosis of SAD, this pattern must have occurred over a period of at least two years without any non-seasonal episodes of depression occurring during this period. In addition, the number of seasonal episodes must be more prevalent…