PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A Boca Raton psychologist is dedicating her time to help people on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Today for flatten the curve, Thursday it is national day."
That's how Elanit Weizman communicates with her students and staff at Ben Gamla Charter School in Palm Beach County.
"What we really tried to do at our school was bring a lot of the same resources that we had in the building," said Weizman.
For this principal, that meant providing a virtual outlet where students could still express themselves. The school provides virtual yoga, counseling and themed learning days.
But while Weizman was taking care of her school, her mental health began taking a back seat.
"Even right now, thinking about the fall, there’s so many what ifs and change. It’s stressful regardless, and this is such a crazy change it’s impacting everybody," said Weizman.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Nikki Davis said she’s seen a lot of front line workers facing mental fatigue or empathy overload.
"Nurses, front line workers, even the staff at local hospitals and medical facilities are seeing suffering and experiencing suffering at the same time. It is a necessary risk if you will, like a job hazard, of the helping professions," said Dr. Davis.
To help those in helping professions, Dr. Davis is offering free mindfulness based stress reduction classes on Zoom.
"It’s bringing intentional attention with curiosity without judgment to the present moment," said Dr. Davis. "It’s being here now."
Dr. Davis said feeling disconnected from your work could be a sign of mental fatigue. Weizman said practicing mindfulness is helping her navigate through the unknown.
"Because now I think I’m getting better being like, okay, we’re going to do our best," Weizman.
For free mindfulness classes, click here.