bad weather situations are relatively common this time of year. Before Jonas winter storm dropped more than two feet of snow on New York and Washington, DC, in January, he had an appointment in our rural community in southeastern Kentucky.
We had a minimal amount of snow compared to areas in the eastern states, but the 18 inches of snow and a half inch of ice we had crippled our community. My kids worried about the loss of power.
My son who has asthma was my biggest concern.
If he had needed treatment for breathing, I could not give him one. My personal concerns turned to the others of concern that could be faced with a serious illness like mesothelioma emergency. What is a caregiver should do when crisis strikes?
If you are a mesothelioma care provider, having a go-to plan to deal with unexpected crisis is important. you emotional control during difficult times is also a useful skill. The way to overcome a crisis starts with how you react to it first.
Reacting to a crisis
As a mother, I'm supposed to have all the answers, but I was unsure of what to do during the storm. My family has had the luxury of a backup wood heating system, but for those who do not have it, life was miserable. impassable roads and downed power lines trapped people in their homes for days without electricity as temperatures dropped below freezing. mean
The provision of care to meet the needs of your family, even in the midst of a full-on crisis. Whether the bad weather, a health warning or another type of crisis situation is defined by how we respond.
As caregivers, others look to us to define how they react to situations. If you are aware of a serious situation, manage your emotions can defuse the situation and stop the spread of panic.
Caregivers of patients with mesothelioma may add drugs, respiratory needs, physician contact information and other important needs their list of concerns in a crisis situation. Meeting the needs of your beloved is the top priority, regardless of what kind of crisis could arise.
Managing your emotions
Understanding how to manage your emotions can be the first step in the spread of a crisis situation.
I learned some useful emotion management techniques work of Dr Arlie Hochschild, professor emeritus of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. It is famous sociologist and research giant respected in the psychological community.
Hochschild coined long-term emotional labor, which it defines as "intend consciously to change a feeling or emotion." A flight attendant, for example, do the emotional work to calm passengers after the severe turbulence, although he or she may also be worried.
Regardless of how the flight attendants really feel it's their job to attend to passengers and make them feel safe . Similarly, an important part of the role of mesothelioma caregiver is to stay positive and offering emotional support, even though the prognosis is poor or treatment does not work.
during the storm Jonas my family seemed for cues on how to respond to the situation. their show my fear would have inflamed their own fears and made the situation much worse
Hochschild describes two types of emotional work :.
- Evocation is a "cognitive desire feeling an emotion that is missing. " When my children were afraid of the storm, I pretended to feel happy they had days off school rather than expressing my fears about breathing treatment for my son and we keep warm and fed.
- deleting is a "cognitive focus on unwanted feeling that is present." by being aware of my own feelings of fear, I am able to remove these feelings and present a more positive outlook and raised my family.
instead of expressing my concerns, I gave calming indices. my family responded by remaining as quiet. rather than asking how we could keep warm and find food to eat, my kids playing cards, color and intend to build a snowman. My husband, and I sat by the fire on the cat.
useful Techniques for managing emotions
the doctors and nurses often have to deal with their emotions in a framework, like mesothelioma care provider must manage emotions at home. According to Hochschild, there are three ways people can manage their emotions:
- Cognitive: We can change our emotions by changing the thoughts and images that serve our feelings. Face the storm of last winter, I stopped to see the storm and power loss as a weather nightmare. Instead, I thought the time "unplugged" with my family. Rather than focus on the fact that we were without power and my children had needs that I might not be able to answer, I focused on that I and the time we spent together was surrounding.
- body: We can change how we feel something by focusing on the physical symptoms of emotion such as breathing, heart rate and tremors. Make a conscious effort to slow your breathing has a calming effect. When our power was, my heart pounded as I looked at the processing machine breathing for my son. I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing deeply and slowly exhaling, which calmed my rapid heartbeat and
- Expressive :. Changing our outward expression of emotion can change emotion. This is the classic "fake it 'til you make it" technique. If you want to feel happy, try to smile on purpose. When I wanted my children to be quiet, I pretended to be calm, and it worked! Soon my panic and fear turn into calming nurturance.
Caregivers more than physical care placed on their shoulders. Maintaining emotional well-being of your loved one also falls into your hands.
As a caregiver, emotions begin with you. If you experience a sense of calm, your loved ones can stay calm too.
Know control emotions is a useful asset in the toolbox of any guardian, and working techniques of emotion can help. Manage emotions first frees the guards to do their most important work -. Taking care of those they love
