Fear, overload, grief, isolation, confusion, sadness and anxiety. Covid-19 brought professional life and personal life together, and this triggered a series of different emotions in people. Some cannot wait to return to their routine outside the home, others are afraid to leave their homes. How to deal with mental health in the resumption program of the works? This will be a great topic to be observed by the people management area.
In this article, we will address the main fears of employees and organizations regarding the emotional health of professionals, as well as bringing tips on how to deal with the subject in the resumption program.
How Covid-19 affected workers’ mental health
As the pandemic of the new coronavirus spread across the world, a considerable degree of fear has also washed over people. At first, in terms of public mental health, the main psychological impact was the increase in anxiety stress rates. Many people have stopped sleeping, others have discounted the anxiety and stress of the uncertain future in overeating.
But as new measures and impacts are brought to the fore – such as returning to work, the loss of family members and those known to the disease or prolonged confinement – other symptoms may appear, such as loneliness, depression, alcohol and drug abuse , self-aggressive or even suicidal behavior.
It is important to note that each person reacts differently to the news. The response to the Covid-19 pandemic may depend on the individual’s training, the support of family or friends, the financial situation and, of course, physical and mental health. All of these factors must be assessed from the point of view of mental health in the resumption program.
Main fears of returning to work
Our professional lives changed dramatically when isolation began. And as we are returning to the work routine, our career changes again. After all, this is not the same routine as before, the protocols are different.
It is worth noting that the prospect of return entails the need to weigh the potential safety risks for professionals and their families. In addition, the way people deal with feelings related to the disease can also affect the well-being of them and those around them, as well as their workplace. Therefore, it is essential that professionals recognize the sources of stress and take measures to increase their resilience and manage stress at work.
The main fears and anxieties that the organizations’ mental health program needs to be aware of are as follows, according to the North American Disease Control Center (CDC):
- Risk of exposure to the virus at work;
- Management of personal and family needs during work;
- Managing a different workload;
- Lack of access to tools and equipment needed to do the job;
- Feeling that you are not contributing enough at work or blaming yourself for not being on the front lines;
- Uncertainty about the future of your workplace or the maintenance of your job;
- Learning new communication tools and managing digital technical difficulties;
- Adaptation to a new workspace or different working hours.
How to keep a healthy mind at work
There are many mixed feelings about returning to work – the professional may be excited to return to the office or angry that he or she is being forced to return too quickly. Some may be concerned with how to get to work, as there is a lot of fear in the use of public transport, especially in large cities.
Reconnecting with work can take time and be very painful for some people. So, let’s give some tips to help the employee to overcome this carousel of emotions:
The return should be gradual
It is worth addressing this return to work as a return to tasks after any prolonged absence: gradually and balancing routines before, during and after isolation. Leaders must be trained to the new normal so that they can pass on to the team what the organization expects of them at this time of resumption.
Emotional support available
Always communicate to your employees what kind of emotional support the organization is providing. Consider hosting webinars with healthcare experts before resuming. In fact, this will help to prepare the ground for employees to get used to the idea of returning to the work environment.
Leadership empathy
Encourage leadership to take time to talk openly with their teams. The idea is that everyone is aware of the challenges to be overcome in return – both personally and professionally.
Managers also need to know what level of stress each member of their team has and they need to empathize to understand what is behind this problem. In severe cases of tension, such as a burnout, the leader should suggest to the employee to take time off or seek help from him or the team.
Anti-stress programs
Create both in-person and virtual wellness and anti-stress programs. WHO itself recommends that organizations invest in projects that relieve tension at this time of uncertainty.
A good tip is to bet on activities like mindfulness or even virtual games, for example guessing designs or online boards.
Put these tips into practice in your organization and remember: mental health is an important part of your company’s overall well-being. After all, people with emotional problems can negatively affect their co-workers, which will impact the productivity of your business.
Are you curious about the topic? Then, also read a story with emotional health tips for employees who are still in quarantine:.
