Occupational Therapy News OTnews May 2020 | Page 37

OCCUPATION FOCUS ON
A
s an occupational therapist I cannot help but see the
importance of occupation during this time of isolation.
The foundations of occupational science have
come to life, turning theories into real-life scenarios.
People are finding themselves without any routine, reduced roles
and altered rituals.
They are finding themselves stumbling at the first block of Ann
Wilcock’s ‘doing, being, becoming and belonging’ theory (Wilcock
1999). People are unable to do. This in turn has limited their
capacity to contribute to their own lives, their families, and society.
This, in some instances, may lead to a reduced sense of self-
worth, self-esteem, purpose and ultimately affecting their mental
health. If we are unable to do, we are unable to be, if we cannot
be, we cannot become and cannot belong.
A great example of this is through the impact COVID-19 has
had on the sporting world. Athletes are finding themselves at a
loose end. Can you imagine having trained for the Olympics all
your life for it to be postponed?
‘‘
If we cannot interact with other people, we feel lonely,
depressed even. If we cannot work, we feel a lack of purpose. I
find myself wondering: ‘What is the point in getting up early? The
day will only drag’.
This might be similar to what someone experiencing mental
health difficulties feels and it has given me a deeper understanding
from being in isolation. They may feel, ‘What’s the point?’.
I have had to force a routine, because I felt my own mental
health was beginning to be affected. I write a plan every evening
for the following day, even if it’s only four or five things and this
gives me a purpose when I wake up and a guide.
I also get a sense of satisfaction when I complete these tasks.
Since doing this, my days go faster and I feel better. I still am
confined to the same space, with the same people, but having a
daily plan set the night before has been really helpful to me.
It’s not all doom and gloom being in isolation. There have
certainly been a lot of positives. Another key term in occupational
science is occupational balance and I feel as though we have all
You would be absolutely crushed. You had put so much
got a deeper insight into how we are balancing
dedication into this sport and for
ourselves.
the pinnacle of your career to be
We have been given this
My personal hope
postponed, leaving you uncertain
precious time to reflect and look
as to what shape you will be in next
at how balanced our lives are.
for people at home is for people
year. It is mentally taxing.
Have we been working too
to have time now to reflect on the
The athlete has built their lives
hard or not enough? Have we
environment. We can see how the
around this event, every second
been spending enough time
of every day, carrying out training
with our families? What is
world has benefited from people self-
sessions with the hope of being the
actually important to us? Is
isolating. If it is only one change in
best and then the rug is pulled from
my career everything? Am I
your life that you can make, and we
underneath them.
watching too much Netflix?
I think we need to be really
Should
I exercise more?
all make one change together, it will
supportive to these athletes during
A lot of thought-provoking
have a huge impact, so don’t ever
this time as I cannot imagine what they
questions can arise at a time
think, ‘I’m only one person
are going through. They may not be the
like this when we stop and have
most vulnerable group physically during this
time to think.
what can I do?’
pandemic, but mentally I would argue this to be
A friend of mine said that she
soul destroying for them.
learned that she uses time as an excuse,
I have had a lot of people ask me what an occupational
because even though she has time now, she
therapist does and it is so hard to define because we cover such
is still procrastinating when it comes to completing certain
a vast area as a profession. Now that we have all experienced
jobs. This is something she may never have learned, because who
isolation, it is easy to explain what an occupational therapist does.
knows if this time in society will come again?
We try to design interventions to get people back to doing
My personal hope for people at home is for people to have time
what they enjoy, being whatever their role is (a mother/, a father,
now to reflect on the environment. We can see how the world has
a colleague, a friend), belonging to their community and the
benefited from people self-isolating. If it is only one change in your
opportunity to become whatever it is that their goal may be.
life that you can make, and we all make one change together, it
Some people may end up experiencing a type of isolation
will have a huge impact, so don’t ever think, ‘I’m only one person
following a diagnosis of a cognitive impairment, a stroke, a brain
what can I do?’. You can do a lot. Maybe COVID-19 has made us
injury, a car accident, a fall, fractured limbs etc.
realise, we are not invincible.
They may find themselves in a rehabilitation facility, or at home
without the ability to do, be, belong, or become. We can all gain a
Stephanie Fennelly is an occupational therapist from Kildare,
deeper understanding into what these individuals experience now
Ireland, who graduated from the University of Essex in 2019.
that we are going through it ourselves and feel how this can affect
First published in The Irish Times, and republished here with
us.
permission
OTnews May 2020 37