On Saturday, March 5, the first group psychological session for the volunteers of the Charity Foundation "Caritas Moldova" took place, which provides psychological and educational support to refugees. The session was organized and conducted in partnership with the Association of Gestalt Therapy and Psychodrama of Moldova. The session was led by Elena Biceva, psychologist-trainer, professor of modern psychodrama, associate professor at the State Pedagogical University "Ion Creanga" and founder of the community of professional psychologists PsyCentru.

For the begining:

The volunteers shared their experiences and the difficulties they encountered during their work. The volunteers' questions were: How can they help others and not hurt themselves? How do they cope with the consequences of stress? How do they not get lost in helping others? and How to Manage Difficult and Strong Emotions ?

To be a volunteer psychologist, to listen to the painful stories of our neighbors who left their country in a hurry, to give yourself to the children - all this requires both mental effort and energy. That's why at the beginning of the meeting we talked about burnout.

Characteristics of professional burning:

1. Changes in physical well-being (headaches, sleep disturbances, digestive problems, tension, fatigue);

2. Emotional changes (inability to distance oneself from the other's problem, anxiety, depression, irritability);

3. The feeling of losing the meaning I had (questions arise - why do I do this? Values ​​lose their meaning);

4. Conflict with the closest people;

5. Devaluation of the situation and cynicism - this is the last stage of professional burning, the hardest.

To cope with the symptoms of burnout that had already manifested, we did the following exercises: we had a sincere discussion about our experiences, we talked in different pairs, we described our feelings with the help of metaphorical cards and we moved in a common circle, the exercise that allowed us to discover our own coping strategies.

Psychologists' recommendations for dealing with burnout:

1. Do not volunteer for more than 5 hours per week. It is very mentally tiring in an emergency.

2. Helping others is a good way to deal with anxiety. However, being too busy in this regard can only exacerbate existing psychological problems. Help yourself and then make an effort to help those in need.

3. Occupational burns are better prevented than treated. When you feel tired and frustrated with someone else's problems, use your coping strategies to get back on track. Read on in this article about coping strategies and their discovery exercises.

4. Savior's syndrome can encourage you to do everything for others, entering the position of a strong adult who helps the weak. In such a relationship, the other person has no choice but to accept the child's position and give you full responsibility. However, this is very harmful to the person you are helping. He feels helpless, weak and loses hope and self-confidence. So guide people, tell them where and what they can do to help themselves. In this way, you show that you respect your beneficiary, his right to decide for himself and to take the initiative.

5. Regular sleep and physical activity are necessary to feel good and energetic. A lot of negative news releases norepinephrine and other hormones in the body, which must be exercised through movement. Otherwise, it is dangerous for your physical and mental health.

6. Communication with loved ones is very important to stabilize your psychological state. However, try to avoid political issues and do not encourage such discussions - in this situation, such conversations only encourage additional conflicts that take your energy.

7. The need not to rush things and to taste life in its fullness. Emergencies can lead to panic and require action. Gradually, we get used to being in a hurry all the time and, in a constant rush, we forget what is necessary for us as human beings - to drink a coffee in a pleasant company, to make time for a hobby, to walk, to we play with a pet, listen to our favorite music. Whatever happens, these nice little things should stay in our lives. They are a small anchor in the sea of ​​emotions that overwhelm us.

8. The role of volunteer and other social roles. As one of the classic authors put it, life is like a theater. We all play several roles: that of partner, spouse, friend, parent, son or daughter, employee, sportsman, artist, collector ... The role of volunteer can overshadow all these roles, severely affecting relationships. However, if there is an excessive role, an imbalance occurs. Thus, pay equal attention to all the roles that are important to you and you will find harmony with yourself.

Exercises to create your own coping strategy
"Coping" refers to what we do (often subconsciously) to deal with stress. Understanding and discovering your strategies for dealing with stress will help you fight professional burnout effectively.

Take a piece of paper and write "I" in the center and circle it. Then, around the letter "I", describe 3 strategies for dealing with stress that you usually use depending on the categories: physical condition (what helps you cope better with physical / physical stress?), Emotional state (what helps you cope with unpleasant emotions?), downloading information (what information is loading you? From what sources?), communication component (what people help me cope with stress, do I support myself?). It's best to do this exercise with someone so that you can share and find new ways to deal with stress.

Similarly, this exercise is done to look for "vampires" that stress and consume your energy: physical (what are my habits that make me feel worse physically?), Emotional (what saddens me?) , informational (what information scares me, makes me angry? From what sources?), communicative (what people behave toxic, provoke me?).

Meeting results:

At the end of the meeting, the volunteers shared their results. Many have realized the importance of taking care of themselves even in times of crisis and have realized that sometimes it is worth not to rush and give importance to small but pleasant things. According to volunteers, conflicts have always existed, but maintaining inner peace is very important. The experience of communication and mutual empathy in the group reduced anxiety and general fatigue. The meeting was a wonderful opportunity to socialize with people with the same views in a therapeutic and supportive environment and to re-energize ourselves for more good deeds.