Table 1.

Mental health guidelines circulated among doctors, nurses, and paramedical professionals during the pandemic that focuses on working in stressful environments

Mental health statement
As health workers you are now facing considerable mental tension. In the present context, it is natural and it does not indicate that you are not capable to perform or you don’t have the ability to perform
At this time , maintaining your mental health is as important as your physical health
Focus on your basic needs and choose healthy ways to reduce your mental tensions. In between shifts at workplace, make sure to take rest, take adequate quantity of healthy food, give required exercise to the body, while feeling stress talk to your friends or relatives over phone; avoid cigarette smoking and alcohol
Think about how you have overcome similar if not exactly same stressful situations in the past and adopt ways which you have employed
It is likely that some of you may be facing exclusion or rejection from family or the society. This may contribute to intensify your tension. Maintain contact with friends, superiors, or subordinates at the workplace because they may be also undergoing similar situation
If anybody in your team is facing mental or intellectual challenges, try to converse in a manner easy for them rather than always insisting on written communication
In this situation, you can help your colleagues cope up with stress and improve their efficiency
Ensure that all the staff receive correct information in a proper way, interchange them from more stressful job to less stressful job, follow buddy system by deploying experienced with inexperienced staff
Community outreach workers as much as possible instead of going in singles go in two’s. Make sure that they get adequate rest breaks
Such staff who may be going through any kind of mental stress, give flexible work
If you are a team leader guide your staff on sources of mental health support. Even you may need it for your own sake too and become a role model