COVID-19: How can you protect yourself and your crews so they can effectively cover it?

Eat well, focus on the positive, and other great tips for getting through stressful situations (like the Coronavirus outbreak and subsequent social isolation and self quarantining)

March 16, 2020

Many people are hyper-focused on health right now but worry, stress and poor nutrition will not help. It won't help the immune system fight off the billions of bacteria that are always present. It also won't help one’s energy or state of mind regarding positive and healthy behaviors. Certainly not now, but really, not ever.

Here is a downloadable PDF with recommendations on how to choose wisely to stay healthy.

Used with permission from Derek Alessi, Ph.D.

The new coronavirus is sweeping the globe. What is it? And how can you protect yourself and your crews so they can effectively cover it? 

March 14, 2020

Here is a downloadable informational tip sheet about COVID-19 that includes links to resources.

Thanks to Chris Post, NPPA's Safety & Security Task Force rep, for compiling this information. If you have questions for Chris, please email him and he'll get back to you ASAP. His contact info is on the bottom of the tip sheet. 

Critical incident guidelines

A critical incident can be defined as any event that has a stressful impact sufficient enough to overwhelm the usually effective coping skills of an individual. Critical incidents are abrupt, powerful events that fall outside the range of ordinary human experiences.

We have put together a Safety Help Sheet with tips on what to do immediately after a critical stress incident, how to handle the next few days, and the most commonly reported reactions after a critical incident. Because we want you to know that you are not alone. You can download that here.

Recognizing stress

There are several ways in which stress may impact your life. It can include stress or burnout, situations that individually might not be considered traumatic but overtime lead to a sense of incapacity and an inability to deal with perceived demands can be adopted for use in journalism, PR, and communications.

We have a Safety Help Sheet that tells you where that stress may typically come from, as well as various signs and symptoms of stress. The reason you are feeling the symptoms of stress matters much less than your ability to identify them and seek help when needed. Please download that sheet here and feel free to share it with your colleagues.