Art-based self-care during COVID-19

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 global pandemic was a profoundly traumatic experience, in which healthcare workers were stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed as they laboured amidst chaos, upheaval, and mounting death. During such challenging and uncertain times, it is imperative to prioritise self-care in order to maintain mental and emotional wellbeing.Aims: This study explored the impact of an art-based self-care practice on the resilience of a healthcare worker during a 14-day quarantine on a trip to South Korea during COVID-19.Methods: Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) was employed to analyze written reflections of artwork created during my quarantine. I employed a grounding art therapy directive consisting of six steps: find a comfortable position, identify my feelings, allow thoughts or images to arise, create and respond to the images, engage in art dialogue with the artwork, and give a name to the whole process.Results: Three phases emerged reflecting a journey in which states of powerlessness and confusion gave way to a release of frozen feelings and a renewal of body awareness. Elaborated healing images then emerged representing a return of hope, spirituality, growth, and a longing to reconnect with others.Conclusions: Amidst such a chaotic overwhelming traumatic experience art-based self-care practices can be a way to regain a sense of control and self-efficacy.Implications for practice/policy/future research: Art-based self-care practices can be valuable for healthcare workers during times of crisis and stress. Including semi-structured interviews inquiring into the experiences of a larger number of participants and controlled experimental designs would help validate these findings.

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