Today’s episode of Eavesdrop is NHS worker, Lisa Ince. As an occupational therapist, Lisa helps people helps individuals on a daily basis become more independent by helping them manage their day to day tasks and looking after their well-being.
Here’s a closer look at Lisa’s interview with Lily-Jo, which originally aired on our Eavesdrop podcast here.
Lily-Jo’s Interview With Lisa Ince
Q: Typically, what was a day in the life like for you before Coronavirus?
“Our service works 7 days a week; 8 in the morning until 8 at night.”
“So, we start at 8, always with a brew… and then we do a virtual ward round where we discuss all the patients that are currently on our case load, then we plan our work for the day.”
“We then go out and see patients on a daily basis. In the midst of all of that, we also take referrals. Days always look different – they always start the same, but they never end up the same.”
Q: So how has that changed then, since the outbreak of coronavirus for you personally and for your team?
“I think because of the nature of our work, it hasn’t changed that much actually.”
“Obviously the people that we are seeing are presenting differently. So… the people that we might usually have had with a urine infection or a chest infection… they’re not really coming through at the moment. It is generally people either with Covid type symptoms, or other problems that have just reached a crisis point.”
“We are constantly adapting. What management are telling us to do every day is changing, but that is to be expected. Really it’s just sort of managing everything that is thrown at you every day, and just trying to be adaptable to it all.”
Q: How do you keep yourself motivated?
“Motivation is really easy when you’ve got a busy day. When you’ve got loads of people planned in your diary to go out and see, you literally just have to move from one to the other to the other.”
“It can be a little bit harder to motivate yourself when things are a little quieter. But there’s always lots to do.”
“You have to have a good sense of humour in the NHS to get by. I think that that really helps us with keeping going and keeping morale up as a team.”
Q: For those of us who are staying home and actually getting a bit complacent…what would you say to us?
“People are getting completely complacent. There are so many cars on the road in this week compared to two weeks previously. So, really, I think the message of staying at home is just as applicable as it was three weeks ago.”
“I saw a quote recently that said: “Coming out of isolation is like stopping a course of antibiotics half-way through because you are starting to feel better” – and I think it’s such a good analogy.”
(To everyone at home) – “please try and minimize your contacts. The more places you go, the more people you see, the more things you touch – the more at risk you are and the more you put other people at risk.”
“I know it’s hard – living in a position of gratefulness really helps.”
Q: Is there anything else you can say about being grateful in this time?
“Your mind is so powerful, and you can choose your feelings even though it’s really hard and takes a lot of practice. But you can choose the way you want to be.”
“I find that starting the morning with just a thought of what I’m thankful for helps. If you think about all the things you have to be thankful for, you’ll never run out of things to say. All you have to do is start looking for them.”
“Once you start to look for them, you’ll see them everywhere. And then the more you do it, the better you get at it, and the more it becomes part of your life, and the more it becomes part of how you feel naturally. Practice makes perfect.”
Q: Is there anything that you have taken so far from the outbreak, that you will take forward with you?
“I think rest is a really good one isn’t it? I think that what I’ve learned about myself is that I’m really good at being lazy! I work full time over three days, I have two kids and a husband and a crazy dog. So sometimes life can be a little bit overwhelming. And I’ve realized that I need rest to be the person I’m supposed to be. I’m more productive.”
“I’m also learning to say “no” … you’ve got to choose what is right for you and for your family and for your time. You really need to prioritize rest and relaxation so that you can keep well and have a good quality of life for a long period of time.”
Q: Is there anything else that you would like to say?
“I’m really proud of everyone in the NHS. I’m really proud of our team in Rochdale. I’m really proud of our communities and the way that they’ve pulled together. The appreciation for the NHS has been beautiful.”
“We have a lot to learn from Covid – and although it is hard, whatever we are learning in this time, we will be much better people and communities and nations out of it on the other side.”
Final Thoughts
Lisa’s interview is a wonderful reminder for us all that living in a position of gratefulness can not only help us through this crisis, but it can improve our well-being in the long term.
Want to hear the whole story? Catch the full podcast episode on The Lily-Jo Project website here, or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
If you are in search of more mental health resources and advice, visit www.thelilyjoproject.com/#help.
