Pandemic 2.0 Building Resilience
The COVID-19 pandemic brought on a two-year wave of relentless information. From health updates to death tolls, newsrooms around the world have been overwhelmed. Journalists have had to manage the global public-health crisis personally and professionally, with no end in sight. In April 2020, journalist John Crowley surveyed 130 reporters and freelancers around the world on the state of their mental health through the crisis. The Journalism in the Time of COVID Report found that a majority of respondents experienced increased levels of stress and burnout, with 59 per cent reporting feelings of depression or anxiety.
Media resiliency-expert Pat Drew joined the Association of Foreign Correspondents USA for a training program focused on the challenges that the pandemic posed to journalists and newsrooms and what tools can be used to build resilience and strength.
For 20 years, Drew has specialized in preparing journalists going into war zones, covering the aftermaths of natural disasters or acts of terrorism, and has designed coaching programs for hostage situations and detainment. She has worked for the New York Times, Getty Images, McClatchy News, and more. Drew continues to coach journalists through traumatic situations and now brings her expertise to the ever-evolving era of pandemic response and resilience.
‘Foreign Territory’
“We have been separate from each other for so much time — up to two years — we’re finding our way back,” Drew said on how her past work now informs her current training in post-pandemic newsrooms. “We have not yet dealt with a global crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and journalists find themselves in the unique position of having had a nonstop news cycle for the past two years.”
How can reporters cope with daily life again and learn healthier strategies? Although returning to the workplace from isolation or remote working isn’t on par with coming back to a desk after reporting in a conflict area or after a hurricane, one can employ similar strategies for adjusting to a new norm.
Tools for Building Resiliency
Social Support: “One of the key techniques that can help people through this kind of situation – number one in my book for resilience – is the ability to give or receive social support.”
Spiritual and Mind-Body Practices: Letting go of what you have no control over. Drew also recommends connecting the body and mind through yoga and meditation.
Physical Energy: Building healthy habits with sleep, consumption, and exercise, and creating a balance between the adrenaline rush of reporting and time for relaxation. Drew also recommends establishing a routine and finding a division between work and personal life. She explains that some people feel that at the end of the day they feel they haven’t accomplished anything because they have no way to measure their work. The pandemic blurred lines between personal and professional by removing normal routines, like commuting. By creating and sticking to your own routine, those boundaries can exist again.
Mental Energy: Being mindful about your thoughts, behaviors, and actions. Watch your perception of yourself and avoid negative-thinking patterns. Take breaks every 90 minutes.
Emotional Energy: Knowing what triggers your emotions and being able to anticipate when it may be happening. Find accessible ways to change your mood.
About Pat Drew
Pat Drew (pat@patdrew.org) has spent twenty years managing Employee Assistance Programs and counseling employees in workplace settings. At the New York Times for 20 years, she designed the seminal programs for coaching correspondents in war zones, after hostage situations, or otherwise being detained. She has provided these services to over 100 journalists at the New York Times, CNN, Getty Images, McClatchy News, Committee to Protect Journalists, Global Journalists Security, and other media and advocacy organizations. She has expertise in helping others develop resilience, manage transition, and manage their careers. She is a senior executive coach, psychotherapist, and has taught “Managing Change” for twenty years. You can see her work at www.patdrew.org.
