Navigating Illness: How To Reduce Stress In The Hospital Setting

This last week I spent some time volunteering making "Parent Packs" with Carters Foundation.  Parent Packs are toiletry bags filled with creature comforts and overnight essentials to help parents feel comforted when they need to spend the night with their child in the hospital. While working with the other volunteers filling these bags, I had a few thoughts on my mind.  One of the dominant thoughts was how overwhelming it must be to have to be on the go, with no time to decompress.  While we wait for cures and medical progress, I'd like to offer some specific tips for helping parents find comfort in the often uncomfortable and overwhelming process of navigating hospital stays with their child. ​

Here are five quick tips that you or loved ones can do tonight to help you get some rest while you help your child in the hospital:

Sudden changes, medical decisions, and hospital stays can create high stress.

What Is Hyperarousal

Hyperarousal is characterized by prolonged physical and emotional tension when we may stay in "flight or fight" mode in looking for immediate danger. During this time we may have trouble focussing, could be on constant alert, have higher irritability, trouble sleeping, and more likely to panic. My clients usually chuckle when I give examples of how we can be like meerkats.  Our hyperarousal leads to increased difficulties in processing because our energy is going elsewhere. While being in such an intensive state, it would be very hard ro relax and "feel human" like we are ourselves. ​

Get Back to Basics

Utilize your Parent Pack or own toiletry essentials to create a wind down routine. Focus on how your body relaxes as you start to relax from the day.  Notice how your skin reacts to the different products.  If you have used a face wipe, how your skin can feel cooler and cleaner with each wipe.  While brushing your teeth, notice how you feel the bristles and minty flavor.

Why this tip works: This tip may feel silly at first and allow yourself to laugh! It is silly. But, after being in a heightened state for so long, our mind is only able to focus on big stimuli.  Channeling small changes like tasting mint can help us get out of the flight or fight mode and relax.

Self care can help release anxiety and tension

Add Some Flavor

I can imagine your appetite is not the highest thing on your priority list but having a small snack or flavored water or electrolyte drink can be very beneficial to conserving your energy.

Why this works: Our body reserves energy when experiencing hyperarousal. When we have time to digest food and flavor, we are more likely to increase appetite and feel more like ourselves again.

Make The Hospital Room Yours ​

We are creatures of comfort and are more likely to relax when we know what to expect. Change the lights, get into comfier clothes if you can, put a comfort ring movie or show on, and take a lap to know your surroundings. Just as you would inspect a new hotel room at the start of a stay, try to feel comfortable in the hospital setting.

Why This Works: When we know what is around the room, near us, and get a better sense of layout we are less likely to need to have our head on a swivel. ​

Set A Routine

Try to set a routine while in the hospital. Plan for sticking to regular mealtimes when possible, utilize activity, and try to stick to a similar bedtime schedule. The routine will likely need to have some adjustments but maintaining consistency can be helpful whenever possible.

Why This Works: the more changes we have at once, the more dysregulated our system may become. Going back to the example for travel, our body is more likely to feel off after sitting for a prolonged period of time, experiencing nutrition changes, and traveling through different time zones. Similarly, we want to limit changes when possible to try to regulate our system.

Five Point Scan

Scan your body quickly from head to toe while focusing on major body regions. We want to focus on relaxing the forehead, our jaw, neck, shoulders, chest, and stomach release tension. While completing the scan, if we find tension in our body we can shake or stretch out the region to send messages of relaxation.

Why This Works: our body naturally tenses during times of stress. When we check our body, we are more likely to notice and alleviate related aches and pains. ​

If you are reading this from the sidelines of a hospital bed:

​You are important

You are loved
​
You do so much and deserve your own rest

As you help your loved one get the care that they need, please remember you deserve some love and attention for yourself too.  Please ask for help and rest up.  

Stay Well,

Author

Megan Bowling, M.A., LMFT is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She has been in the mental health field for more than twelve years and is passionate to share mental health wellness strategies.