The power is back. The roads have reopened. People are asking when things will get back to normal. But you’re still waking up at night, losing your train of thought or snapping over something small.
After a natural disaster, practical recovery and emotional recovery don’t always move together. You can be grateful that your family is safe and still feel frightened, angry or exhausted.
Stress doesn’t always look like worry
TELUS Health’s guide to processing emotions after a disaster describes reactions that can be easy to overlook: changes in sleep or appetite, muscle tension, headaches, trouble concentrating and pulling away from other people.
These reactions can affect a workday, too. Reading the same email three times or struggling with a familiar task may be a sign that you’re having a hard time after what happened.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration puts it plainly: “There’s no right or wrong way to feel.”
Make today a little more manageable
You don’t need a complete recovery plan by Monday. Start with a few things you can repeat:
- Keep meals and bedtime as regular as circumstances allow.
- Choose one manageable task, such as making an appointment or handling one piece of paperwork.
- Make room for a conversation with someone you trust.
- Limit repeated viewing of distressing coverage while keeping access to local safety updates.
SAMHSA recommends routines, rest and connection as ways to cope. Recovery takes time, and another person’s pace doesn’t set a deadline for yours.
Support can start before you’re overwhelmed
If distress is getting worse, disrupting daily life or becoming hard to manage, reach out to a health care professional. You can ask for help at any point.
For eligible employees and dependents, BHT’s Employee Assistance Program offers confidential short-term counseling and referrals. Call TELUS Health at 800-245-1150 to ask about your benefits and support options.
Employers can help by sharing that information privately and offering a check-in about workload or scheduling. Let employees decide how much of their experience they want to discuss.
Download TELUS Health’s Processing Emotions After a Natural Disaster guide.
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