How to stay well mentally and physically during an emergency - a lessons learnt from working in Sudan

During 2007 to 2009, I was working in North Darfur region of Sudan. There was ongoing conflict, so only foreigners in that region were the those of us working for the humanitarian organizations, such as the United Nations, NGOs and other international aid organizations. All aid workers lived in the compound provided by their organization, sharing with other work colleagues, and our movements were restricted. We were not allowed to walk freely outside, and we took the office vehicle to shuttle back and forth between the office and the living compound. Occasionally we went to a local shop to buy something, but there were no where to go out, other than to visit other agencies’ staff at their compound. All movements were reported using VHF radios for safety reason (so in case something happens, it is possible to start the search from the last location we reported from). So basically, there was not much privacy. After each 8 weeks worked, we were given 1 week break for rest and recuperation (called R&R). Although we did have weekends, most of us ended up working anyway as there were so much work to do, and there weren’t much else to do other than work!

I lived in a compound with some 20 other colleagues. Each of us were given a private cabin, with a small kitchen and a bathroom. The below photo was my private cabin. (The header photo above is the aerial shot of our compound.)

In the compound, we had an open green area with a pavilion, a dining room, a recreation room with a ping-pong table and an outside gym area with equipments made out of car spare parts. I must say we were lucky to have all these facilities - in fact, it was known as the best compound among aid workers in North Darfur at that time.

As we were not allowed to walk or jog outside the compound due to security reasons, it was important to do some exercise within the compound. The options were to walk or jog around the small green area - one round was about 100 meters, so you would get bored after a while. Other option was to join the free gym class run by one of our security officers, or to play the ping-pong. I did all three.

Our ‘gym trainer’ was an ex-military officer, so our gym class was like a boot camp. There was one other girl who joined the gym class, but the rest were all men. (When I worked there, there were only 2 to 4 females out of 20 residents.) Our ‘gym trainer’ was really tough - if any of us were late in doing sit-ups, he would re-start the count from the beginning! We mainly did the strengths training using body weights as well as dumbbells made out of car spare parts, with a bit of cardio, running around the small circuit between strengths training sessions. Another cardio option was boxing. It did not require much space, and we also learned some self-defense movements from other security officer. Boxing and martial arts movements were more fun than running around in circles. I joined the training almost every evening after work, then played the ping-pong after dinner.

As I was not really a sport person, I have never trained like that before. After the training, I dragged myself back to my cabin, and stood under the shower, unable to lift my arms high enough to wash my head. Also at the beginning, I could not get up from my bed in the morning as my body was aching with muscle pain. I had to literally roll over to the edge of my bed, then drop from my feet in order to get up. So you get the idea how seriously I was training! Although it was hard on my body, it was a great way to clear my mind as I could not think of anything else while training. I felt refreshed after each training, even though my body was tired.

Ping-pong match was another way of defusing stress. It also helped to build bond with colleagues. There was only one ping-pong table, and at any evening there were more than 4 people to play, so we did tournaments and often played in doubles. We had so much laugh while playing - even though each of us were so serious about winning, as you had to win in order to continue playing!

Because we were working in the middle of a humanitarian crises, sometimes we had late night meetings in our compound, after playing the ping-pong. Many of us also worked in our rooms until late at night. Even if we were going to bed a bit later due to the gym class and the ping-pong, having that kind of social time with physical activities were essential for us to stay well both mentally and physically.

Due to the global pandemic, the freedom of movement has been restricted in most countries in the world. During the past months, I was able to cope well, as I was experienced in a way to live with such restrictions. 

Lessons that I have learned from living in Sudan that might be useful in the current climate are the following:

- Establish physical exercise routine (a mix of strength training and cardio): research has shown that physical exercise boosts our cognitive abilities. There was a study done in a US high school, where students were given free gym access. Academic achievements of those students who regularly used the gym increased dramatically, compared to those who didn't do regular exercise. If you are working long hours from home, try starting your day with some exercise, and you will be amazed at how your focus improves after an exercise. Using a standing desk and regularly doing some stretch (by setting a timer like Stretch Clock on your desktop) also help to get your body moving. Another way is to develop tiny exercise habits, such as doing two wall push-ups each time you go to the bathroom, or do squats while brushing your teeth. Be creative, and do what you can to get your body moving.

- Have a good laugh everyday. I mentioned in my story above that the ping-pong match was full of laugher. Some days when I missed the ping-pong, I realized that I did not laugh at all during the day. Since I was working in the middle of a humanitarian crises where people were suffering, there was really nothing to laugh about at work. Again research has shown how a good laugh (or even a smile) help us stay healthy, both mentally and physically. So even when things were hard at work, when I realized that I have not had a single laugh that day, I forced myself to laugh, by listening to Rakugo or watching funny videos. (It must have been scary to pass in front of my cabin at night as suddenly you hear a big laugh!) So, my recommendation is to make your own list of things that can make you laugh, and have them handy so you can ‘make yourself laugh’ at least once a day. If you cannot bother to prepare such things, then at least do one thing - have a big smile on your face before you fall asleep. Maybe thinking about your favorite dog or cat will make you smile, otherwise, just fake it - fake the smile on your face. The movement of your facial muscle in a form of a smile can have positive impact too, apparently.

These are two simple things you can do to stay well mentally and physically during emergencies - including times like this pandemic with restriction in our movements. In my future post, I will also write about food and sleep, as they play very important roles in our well-being.

For now, keep moving, and keep smiling!