Stop social distancing now! Our focus should be *physical* distancing, rather than social distancing and isolation, which has its own health ramifications.

It is common and natural for us, as healthcare workers (HCWs), to feel increased levels of stress, anxiety, and even fear during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health effects of this pandemic are likely to be ongoing for the foreseeable future.

What are some of the main sources of anxiety expressed by HCWs during right now? Number one is related to having access to adequate supplies of appropriate PPE, according to one study* of healthcare workers during the first week of the pandemic. Additional sources of anxiety might include:

• Worry of contracting the virus by taking care of patients and then bringing it home to their own family.
  
  
• Stress of being deployed to a new area of the hospital or clinic and having to serve in a health care role with which they are not familiar or not necessarily trained.
  
  
• Stresses on homelife including economic ramifications of lost wages and income. Also, there are now stresses related to child care and home education of children typically in the classroom which disrupts children's routines and social connectedness.
  
  
• Other areas that cause distress for HCWs surround the increased work hours and demands at work while all the time trying to balance that with our personal health and the needs of our family and friends. Simply keeping up with all the changes to protocols can be stressful for us and our co-workers.

It is imperative that we remain socially connected as this will help to make us more resilient during this pandemic, and it’s vital to know that you are not alone! There are many resources available to support your health and well-being; some of these are listed below:

Valley Medical Center Medical Staff Peer Support Line: 425.690.7626

Valley Medical Center Psychiatry and Counseling Clinic Intake Line: 425.469.3979

VMC Employee Assistance Program: 800.854.1446

UW Medicine Department of Psychiatry: 206.221.2768 (confidential voice mail)

National Physician Peer Support Line: 1.888.409.0141 (7 days per week, 0800-12 AM EST)

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800.273.8255, suicidepreventionlifeline.org

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: afsp.org

Crisis Line/Crisis Connections: 866.427.4747, crisisconnections.org

*Shanafelt T, Ripp J, Trockel M. Understanding and Addressing Sources of Anxiety Among Health Care Professionals During the Covid-19 Pandemic. JAMA. 2020;323(21):2133-2134.