Jan 1, 2022 4 min read

Registered nurse Eunice Canoy has been on the front lines since the beginning of the pandemic. As the Omicron variant spreads quickly, she and her coworkers are still dealing with a surge of patients from the Delta variant. “It’s been a rough emotional rollercoaster ride,” she said. “The stress and anxiety just continue to build each day.”

When the pandemic began in March 2020, Canoy worked at a 500-bed long-term care facility near Pittsburgh that attracted national media attention because it was hit so hard with a COVID-19 outbreak. “The virus spread very quickly,” Canoy remembered. “Staff were scared. We were exhausted and overwhelmed, physically and emotionally. We were struggling, and all the negative media coverage made the situation even more crushing.”

Many medical workers like Canoy are exhausted from working through the pandemic. With variants straining short-staffed facilities across the country, some on the front lines are experiencing added physical, mental and emotional stress.

Canoy now works at a hospital in Beaver, Pennsylvania. “It’s hard to watch. Many are struggling so much to breathe, they now require two oxygen delivery systems,” said Canoy. “You see the anxiety on their faces and wish you could help them breathe. But sometimes all you can do is hold their hands and be there.”

What pulled her out of despair in the early phases of the pandemic continues to keep her afloat. She credits her faith as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses for helping her and other healthcare workers in her religious community endure the ongoing toll of the pandemic.

“Prayer has helped me get through each day. It really calms me,” said Canoy. “Anxiety often sets in without any warning. It’s just subconscious. When that happens, I reflect on a Bible verse that a friend recently reminded me of; it says, ‘God is my strength.'”

She also leans on fellow members of her congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses for support. “Talking to a trusted friend helps me not to focus so much on the negative,” said Canoy, who is also balancing being a caregiver to her husband. “Behind the scenes, healthcare workers face the same challenges as everyone else, we are doing our best to care for others. As I see my patients struggle, I can’t help but think this could happen to my husband if he were to get COVID.”

Canoy knows that risk is real because she had the virus in December 2020. However, her family of faith mobilized to provide assistance, sending food, flowers and cards. “I was too exhausted to even speak to them, but they kept showing me how much they cared.”

Canoy also gains strength through her weekly congregation meetings, held virtually since March 2020. “When I was sick, I didn’t even feel like getting dressed. But I still joined my meetings with the camera off. Just hearing my friends’ voices lifted me up.”

American psychological and psychiatric associations, while not advocating or endorsing any specific religion, acknowledge the role spirituality and religious faith can play in coping with distress and trauma.

Lawrence Onoda, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Mission Hills, California, noted some ways spirituality can help, including giving people “a positive hope and meaning toward life, comfort by looking for answers and strength from a higher power, and a collective shared experience of support and community.”

Canoy finds joy in passing along to others what has helped her, whether that means sharing with her co-workers, patients or members of her community. “When I talk to others about my faith, it reinforces my hope. There is a better future in store for us.”

She regularly joins friends in her congregation online to write or call people in the community with a message of hope from the Scriptures. “When I am able to help someone with just a few simple words, that helps me overcome negative feelings,” she said.

One of her favorite resources is jw.org, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses, with its collection of practical articles like “How to Beat Pandemic Fatigue” and short comforting videos, such as “The Resurrection – Soon a Reality.”

“The articles about discouragement are just what I need. I listen to them over and over, so they can sink in,” said Canoy, “Whether it’s music, a video or an article, jw.org always has something positive to focus on.”

 

(For more information on gaining comfort through the scriptures, please see https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/peace-happiness/real-hope-future-bible-promises/)