Occupational Therapy News OTnews May 2020 | Page 35

COVID-19 FEATURE understanding of the experiences of others, rather than fuel further separation. In this current state of lockdown, where plans feel paralysed, it is easy and tempting to retreat from personal aspirations and dreams and draw the conclusion that life is just not going to happen for us. As occupational therapy students we are itching to learn, graduate and become occupational therapists. We want to be on the front line, treating patients with those professionals we clap for every Thursday night. The feeling of being unable to control this current situation is nerve wracking. There does, however, seem to be a way out, and this is through acceptance. Acceptance that things will not return to how they were a few months ago, that there are currently many questions that have no answers, and that this is how it will be for an unknown period of time. Then the feeling of having such a lack of control eases a little – it becomes bearable and tolerable. The coping mechanisms and skills we are learning during lock down are not disposable, they are incredibly valuable. They are transferrable skills that will be used throughout our careers. We are building resilience and becoming stronger, more adaptable and accepting of ourselves, those around us, and decisions that are being made for us. Managing this lack of control takes self-control, over the decisions we make in order to find a healthy structure and routine, the revision we do for the exams we know we will still have, and the self-control to look after our mental and physical health. If our self-control is good then we will be in the best position possible to hit the ground running once this pandemic is over. What else can we do? We can use this time as an opportunity to explore ourselves, the people we have become since the first day of university, and demonstrate reflective practice that is so important to the occupational therapy profession. The pace of life as we knew it is worlds apart from the pace of life we are now experiencing. There is suddenly a lot of time and room for thought. Brown et al (2020) conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate whether listening and communication skills are predictive of occupational therapy students’ resilience. 135 third and fourth year students from one Australian university completed two self-report measures about listening, one on communication and two on resilience. Linear regressions were undertaken, with the two resilience measures as the dependent variables. Findings included: competencies in sensing and analytical listening were predictive of vocational and strategic aspects of resilience; and self disclosure and social relaxation (interpersonal communication variables) were significant predictors of social and attitudinal resilience. The authors suggest measurement of listening and interpersonal communication capabilities may be a useful predictive tool for resilience and a basis for improving curricula to promote resilience in occupational therapy students. People are using video-calling platforms, such as Skype, Zoom and WhatsApp, more than ever before to keep in touch with family, and friends are using these platforms for social events such as ‘pub’ quizzes and music gigs, finding value in togetherness. Aside from the internet, people seem to be paying more attention to their own wellbeing, taking part in mindful exercise, and reducing screen time. The importance of occupational balance seems more obvious than ever. Our hope is that, not only will people become more aware of occupational therapy and what it is, but that this may lead the general population to develop a greater understanding of, and therefore build empathy around, the challenges some people face every day to avoid occupational deprivation – residents in forensic settings who may experience this every day, or people with chronic illnesses who miss out when they have flare ups. That feeling of disappointment when plans have to be cancelled, or you cannot access something you would like to, although uncomfortable, hopefully builds empathy and Reference Brown T, Yu M-L, Etherington J (2020) Listening and interpersonal communication skills as predictors of resilience in occupational therapy students: a cross- sectional study. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, Mar 26. [Epub ahead of print]. At the time of writing this, we are still unsure of what our next steps will be, but we are sure of one thing – our faculty staff are very good people, they know us well, and they will absolutely do right by us. Whatever is decided, we trust they will carry us through our masters degree with the same care, respect, kindness and expertise as they have always done. We can confidently say that we have handed over our worries and concerns and look forward to contributing to the next developments. We are living through an event that will be referred to for years to come. We are on the frontline of permanent change to life as we know it and we are fortunate to be witnessing it all. One day in our futures we will be modelling resilience to future occupational therapy students, and what better way to teach than through personal experience. Reference Wilcock A (2006) An occupational perspective of health (2nd ed). New Jersey: SLACK Incorporated Hannah-Louise Toomey, MSc (pre-registration) Occupational Therapy student, Oxford Brookes University, email: [email protected] or follow on Twitter: @HannahLouise2me, and Hannah Keating, ​MSc (pre-registration) Occupational Therapy student, Oxford Brookes University, email: [email protected] or follow on Twitter: @HannahKeatingOT OTnews May 2020 35