COVID-19 RESIDENT WELLNESS RESOURCES

Free Virtual Fitness Programs from Rutgers Recreation – On Demand and Live!
Join Rutgers Recreation for free virtual programming at http://recreation.rutgers.edu/virtual-programs/ to help you stay fit while remote.
Rutgers faculty and staff are invited to join challenges and try virtual fitness classes on demand or live.

Rutgers Recreation is offering barre, butts & guts, yoga, Pilates, RUFIT, and Zumba classes. Programs are free, but may require registration.

Sign up and view the full virtual offerings by visiting Rutgers Recreation.

Access the various tabs found on the middle of their homepage for more details:

NJMS

  • Resident Group for Peer Support and Connection (via Slack: Courtesy of Donya Nazery, DO)

Join for free and participate in channels dedicated to peer support, having fun together, exercise, yoga and more. Click the link below:
https://join.slack.com/t/njmsrutgersresidents/shared_invite/zt-dgg5adms-t_mIhVDNGNPXWh5LdPp0KQ

For additional details click here

  • Psychiatry email support line

You can send an email to schedule a confidential session: stress.anxiety@njms.rutgers.edu

  • Internal Medicine Balint Group - open to all residents: (Courtesy of Emily Gordon, MD)

Join via WebEx on Wednesdays 2-4pm   https://rutgers.webex.com/meet/gordonea
Can accommodate residents from other programs; however, residents must be available for both sessions. 
Please email Dr. Gordon the week before (gordonea@njms.rutgers.edu) before participation

  • Virtual Music Cover by NJMS Students (Courtesy of Grace Ro and Jack Reep)

The following link features 16 musician medical students from our NJMS family, covering all classes (2020-2023) https://youtu.be/OKojrIB3YqU

  • BP and Amoco are offering $0.50 off per gallon for physicians and other healthcare workers.  

 
RBHS

 

Tips and Resources for Wellness during COVID-19 (Courtesy of Chantal Brazeau, MD)

Wellness/well-being tips for front line providers

  • Make it a point to “check-in” with 2 colleagues each day. Ask how they are coping.  It is normal to experience fear and stress during infectious outbreaks such as this one.  This further adds to the stress of dealing with increased numbers of patients.  Especially during this healthcare crisis, we need to take care of each other so we can care for others. 
  • During communications and handoffs about patients, express appreciation to your team members for their work and support.  This can go a long way to help healthcare team members get through a tough day.
  • Remember to take care of your basic needs. Eat well, hydrate, pace yourself and get rest.  Remind colleagues to do the same. This may be challenging to do during this crisis but we need to be well to take care of our patients.
  • “Headspace” is an app on meditation/sleep/relaxation techniques.  https://www.headspace.com/health-covid-19
  • Art of Living breath-based meditation program: https://aolf.me/covid19
  • Twice-daily live meditations for healthcare workers via Zoom:
    Courtesy of Children's National Hospital: Twice-daily meditation offerings via Zoom.  The sessions are led by live meditation instructors from the Art of Living Foundation, as well as Psychology and Mindful Mentors Programs.  The 20-minute sessions begin daily (7 days a week) at 12n EST and 10p EST, and may be accessed at: 
    https://childrensnational.zoom.us/j/2806877773

Tips to enhance communication with patients for telehealth providers during COVID-19

  • Before you start telemedicine visits, do a “practice visit” with a colleague.  Get familiar with the invitation process and settings to increase your comfort before you start seeing patients.  Experiment with the space between you and your monitor or portable device.  If you are too close to your device, it might appear to patients that you are not looking at their face during the visit, even if you think you are. Get feedback from your colleague about whether you appear to be looking at them naturally, as you would for a patient encounter. 
  • As you begin telehealth with your patients, explain that you are doing this as part of supporting their health, to follow social distancing requirements and reduce the spread of COVID.  During that time, take the opportunity to ask them how they are coping with the COVID crisis and listen to their concerns.  Acknowledge the uncertainty that we are all facing as you provide guidance.  This will reinforce the provider-patient relationship that gives meaning to our work.

National Resources (Courtesy of Christina Girgis, M.D.)
Peer Support and Connection:

Helpful Apps:

Exercise:

  • Peloton: use of app extended to 90 days (usually 14 days)—it’s amazing, you can use on treadmill, outdoor runs, bike, lots of floor exercise, yoga and meditation
  • Pure Barre on Demand: 60-day free trial (usually 30 days), click on 30-day trial, use promo code EXTENDEDTRIAL and trial will go to 60 days and $0
  • Free Barre Fitness Classes: links to YouTube videos
  • Daily Burn: 30-day free streaming trial

Support for Children:

Anxiety, Coping, Wellness:

Patient Resources:

Trainee Education:

Medical Organizations for Coping with Anxiety and Stress:

Miscellaneous:

 

Nutritional Strategies to Mitigate Fatigue in Health Care Professionals (Courtesy of Chantal Brazeau, MD, Assistant Dean for Faculty Vitality, NJMS and RWJMS, Chief Wellness Officer, RBHS)

During times of high physical and emotional demands, nutrition and hydration are more important than ever. Eat well and hydrate. Remind colleagues to do the same.  Some of the negative effects of sleep deprivation due to shiftwork or long work hours can be mitigated by deliberate modifications in hydration and nutrition. Try incorporating some of these tips, adapted from strategies from an expert in this field of nutrition: Maryam S. Hamidi - Makowski, PhD, Stanford Medicine WellMD Center.

  • Keep hydrated to reduce fatigue and sleepiness, improve mood, concentration, memory, reflexes, and visual focus and acuity. Hydration can also improve sleep quality among those with existing respiratory disorders. While there is no scientific consensus on best method to assess hydration status, in healthy people urine color can be used to assess hydration status (lemonade color: hydrated, apple juice color: need to drink more fluids).
  • Use caffeine strategically: A “Caff-Nap” is deliberate use of caffeine combined with napping to improve reaction times and to reduce risk of errors and grogginess after waking up.  Caffeine can take up to 90 minutes to reach its peak effects, so if you have limited time to rest, try drinking coffee/tea right before a short nap (a “Caff-Nap”) to benefit from the combined alerting effects when you wake up.  This tip applies if your rest time is limited; avoid caffeine for at least 4-5 hours prior to your bedtime or daytime recovery sleep.  Optimal alerting effects of caffeine can last 3 hours. The ideal time to drink tea or coffee is at the beginning and in the middle of a 12-hour shift.
  • Pay attention to timing of your meals. When you are sleep deprived, eating a protein-rich meal shortly after waking can improve alertness during work. On night shifts, eat your meal before starting your shift (ideally before 10 pm) and try to avoid eating between 12-6 am. If you are physically active and feel hungry in the middle of the night, have a healthy snack or small meal of about 150 calories. Avoid caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, and heavy meals 4-5 hours before bedtime.
  • Pay attention to composition of your meals. When you are sleep deprived, eating a meal higher in lean protein sources and non-starchy vegetables and lower in processed carbohydrates and saturated fat can reduce postprandial sleepiness. Eating a carbohydrate-rich meal 4 hours before bedtime can result in better sleep quality. Eat at least 3 servings of fruit and/or vegetables to reduce sleep-related impairment.
  • Other strategies to improve alertness: Chewing gum can improve alertness and mental focus and reduce stress. During high stress periods or at times when you cannot follow a healthy diet, consider taking a broad-spectrum (multi) vitamin and mineral supplement every other day. Inadequate intakes of B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, magnesium, potassium and iron can lead to feeling mentally and physically fatigued and disrupted sleep patterns. To ensure safety and quality of supplements, only choose those that have a USP or GMP certification.