Resources
Interactive Resources
Drop-In Group
​
Coping with COVID-19
(Dr. Jacqueline Kinley and Dr. John Chiasson)
Physicians are welcome to join Drs. Jaqueline Kinley and John Chiasson, director of the PSP, for online meetings (via Zoom) to chat about coping strategies and mental health concerns with COVID-19. Meetings are held Wednesdays at 12 p.m and are open to all physicians.
​
To join, click here for the Zoom meeting link and please contact either physician for password to access.
​
Format: one-hour open session, chaired by Dr. Kinley and Dr. Chiasson. Participants may interact as much or as little as they are comfortable with and feel they need.
​
​
Charge your battery: Self-care skills training for healthcare providers during COVID-19
(Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley)
​
These sessions review empirically based skills that healthcare providers can use to engage more consistently in self-care behaviours even during this crisis. The ultimate goal is to help feel more engaged and fulfilled not just at work but also at home, so that you can show up in the way you want to for those important to you.
​
-
Sessions are short (30 minutes, with an optional second 30 minutes for peer support)
-
Join according to your peer group
-
8 different topics that you can attend in any order
​
Resident Physicians: 4 - 5 pm Tuesdays
Physicians: 4 - 5 pm Thursdays
​
Click here for more information and contact dayna.lee-baggley@nshealth.ca if you have any questions.
​
Music as Medicine
(Dr. Kathleen Howell)
​
Join Dr. Howell for a Prescription Playlists session to metabolize challenging work with patients and tending to our own self-care in a peer community context. No Spotify or Audiofile experience needed.
​
To join, contact Dr. Howell at kathleen.howell@nshealth.ca.
​
​
Registration-Required Groups
​
For these groups, members commit to attending each session regularly (to the best of their abilities). This is not a drop-in format.
​
Balint Group
(Dr. Nicole Herschenhous and Dr. Alexandra Manning)
Balint groups are closed groups of 8-14 physicians who use case-based discussion to provide and receive support around emotions and ethical dilemmas arising in their work. The groups have been shown to reduce burn-out while improving communication skills and empathy. This group will be run in the evenings. For more information and to register, click here.
​
Keeping In Recovery
(Dr. Kathleen Howell)
​
This group is for physicians who self identify as being in recovery from a mental health condition or addiction and are seeking support to cope and/or to avoid relapse during this heightened time of stress and pressure.
​
Format: weekly one-hour facilitated session. Participants are strongly encouraged to commit to six sessions to establish the group and thereby build trust and gain support and wisdom from each other.
​
To join, please contact Dr. Kathleen Howell at kathleen.howell@nshealth.ca
​
​
​
*If you would like to have one of these groups offered privately to your team, division, or department, please contact us for further information.
​
Join Dr. Herschenhous at any time while she walks through basic principles of mindfulness and ways to manage stress. Click here for her channel.
​
​
Quick Mindfulness Practices for Busy Physicians
Here are some resources that Dr. David Lovas mentioned during his session, Mindfulness for Physicians.
​
Tactical Breathing or Box Breathing
This is an excellent practice that you can do anytime, anywhere to help reconnect with the body, and regulate stress. The marines use it to help build resilience for deployment to active war zones, so its well field tested. For those who want to explore the science of this, here is an article describing the study of the mindfulness intervention for marines that included tactical breathing as a component.
And here is a simple guided practice of box breathing.
Mindful Walking
A great practice that we can bring our awareness to when we are walking around the hospital, between patients, or just out walking around the block. Instruction from Jon Kabat Zinn - the father of the modern secular mindfulness movement - can be found here.
STOP Practice
A brief mindfulness practice that can be interspersed throughout your day to stop and notice what is happening with mindful awareness.
​
​
Mind-Body Skills
​
Here are instructions for the three practices Dr. Zenovia Ursuliak taught in her Mind-Body Skills Group.
​
1. Heart centered breathing: this simple breathing technique induces the relaxation response (parasympathetic nervous system) and increases heart rate variability. It integrates gratitude imagery to enhance feelings of wellbeing. The instructions can be found here.
​
2. Shaking and stretching: This movement practice breaks up habitual physical and emotional holding patterns, raises your energy and can relax muscle tension. You can replace the stretching with dancing to your favourite song. The instructions can be found here.
3. "My space" guided imagery (10 - 20 min): this meditation uses your mind’s creativity to create sensory imagery that helps induce the relaxation response and feelings of wellbeing. You are given the “bare bones” and you let your mind fill in all the details according to your preferences. The instructions can be found here.
​
Here you can participate in a free online challenge that you can do independently or with your team at work. It takes just 5 minutes per day, and can be accessed anywhere and on any device.​
​
​
Healthy Living
The Wellness App is an evidence-based, free web app which helps you to set and meet goals in areas that can promote well-being and improve health. The Wellness App is usable on any device (computer, laptop, iPhone, iPad, or Android device). Click here to learn more about the Fountain of Health organization and click here to try out the app.
​
​
ICAN (Conquer Anxiety and Nervousness) Anxiety Program
Coping with anxiety is a ubiquitous issue, and can affect physicians immensely. This online and telephone-based service may assist physicians and patients alike to cope with anxiety and stress in the context of major life stressors.
​
​
Wellness Together Canada provides free online resources, tools, apps and connections to trained volunteers and qualified mental health professionals when needed. It provides individualized suggestions for resources based on initial questions, and you can access all the available resources as well.
​
​
​
Parenting
It an be difficult to explain COVID-19 and its impact on the world to younger children. They may not fully appreciate reasons for social distancing, why they may not be able to visit their friends and family, and or why they cannot give their mom or dad a hug due to certain precautions. The following resources are to assist with this challenge.
​
At Home With Kids During COVID-19
Helpful Skills for Talking to Your Kids About What's Going On
Resources courtesy of Air Institute:
(English version) (French version)
​
Created by Amanda Mc Guinness
Check out this easy to read and colourful book with a social narrative to review with your kids.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Check out these fun Coulouring Books to review COVID-19 with your kids in an interactive activity
(English Version) (French Version)
​
Ethics
Provincial Resources
Nova Scotia
Doctors Nova Scotia Professional Support Program
Nova Scotia Mental Health Crisis Line: 1-888-429-8167
​
New Brunswick
Fredericton Mental Health Crisis Line: 506-453-2132
Moncton Mental Health Crisis Line: 1-866-771-7760
Saint John Mental Health Crisis Line: 1-888-811-3664
Interested in Helping Out?
Please fill out this form and email back to crystal.zhou@nshealth.ca